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instep
review
Fashion goes good will hunting
Five designers unravel the sari on the runway as Rehana Saigol steps out as a major player in the evolving fashion scene

By Aamna Haider Isani

 
"We didn't plan a show for buyers," Rehana Saigol spoke to Instep after her debut show. "We planned it for friends. It was our way of telling them that don't submit to the gloom and doom around us. Life must go on. On a business point of view, we've never been part of the media blitz that surrounds us today but we do understand that it's the sizzle that sells the steak. Since we don't advertise, it was important for us to have a show and we do intend to have one every year."
 
 

This year the cards read out an invitation to 'Jashn', Rehana Saigol's debut fashion show in which she would be putting up her very first bridal collection along with collections by Satya Paul, Shobhaa De, Deepak Perwani and Chand Saigol, her husband, all of whom stock at her sari shop. Most of us who received those invites were just happy with the thought of a fashion show happening. Because amidst national "gloom and doom" that had pushed fashion into oblivion and fashion designers to foreign shows that often went unnoticed, there was at least someone who was willing to take the risk here in Karachi.
Rehana Saigol did all that and more. She hosted a show for all brands stocking at her retail sari store, she did it without the financial support of a sponsor and she pushed the envelope with the mission statement that "life has to go on".

That certainly was the buzzword that evening at 76 Old Clifton - a venue that has provided retail and runway space to a number of fashion designers, making it an iconic landmark. One has frequented the very classy soirees that Zeba and Shehrnaz Husain have hosted to launch Ensemble and welcome Ritu Kumar's franchise, but it was all about Rehana Saigol that evening.

Hailing from the illustrious Saigol family, Rehana needs no introduction - she is to high society what Rizwan Beyg is to fashion - as is her husband Shakil Saigol who was also showing his 'Ming' collection of embroidered saris and ensembles that evening. Saris have been a dear passion to both of them; Rehana has been wearing them since she was fifteen and her husband - an avid art collector as well as artist - has been sourcing them for her. With this show they had taken their passion a step further and together they had braved the harsh winds of possible critique, spending what they termed as a "small fortune" on putting together a fashion show. "Oh, but I had a sponsor," said Chunni, as Rehana Saigol is fondly known: "My husband!"

That camaraderie transcended to the quaint, heavily foliaged garden of the location which had been trussed up for the fashion show; quite like it had been done several times before. A tightly packed lattice of seats bordered a media pit that contained the over eager cameramen and through the garden rolled out a shiny white runway with an equally pristine backdrop. The only distinctive difference was that the backdrop was not disturbed by the presence of brand endorsements. It was a self sponsored show and being a debut of all sorts, it was quite an achievement.

This was the first time Chunni Saigol was hosting a fashion show; an impulsive act that she later blamed on the carefree spontaneity she shared with her husband.

 


 

"Expect us to go scuba diving or paragliding next year," she said, as if hosting a fashion show at their age was equally adventurous. The fact that the couple had not run after corporate credit was the biggest achievement. They had doled out money for an event that was more of an extravagance and less of an economic investment to them. But it most certainly was an investment in good will.

However, for the one hour duration of the fashion show, it all boiled down to the collections.

Chand and Chunni Saigol
The Saigols, who have come unto fashion with a love for saris and jamavar shawls, thus recreated that old world charm instead of high end fashion. Their palette borrowed heavily from their Indian roots - the emphasis on colours like firozi, pink and turquoise was blatant - and did seem a bit too loud for a palate used to the more sublime shades of style.

Chunni's bridal collection - her very first - epitomized an era of the extravagance, a Devdas meets Umrao Jaan kind of world where women walk with kohl in their hooded eyes and shimmer in their clothes, whilst carrying tiny bells on their dupattas to attract a man's attention. Poetic at best, romantic at least. The saris had charm while the lehngas, flowing out in grandeur had character as they hugged the hips and swayed out flirtatiously. The silhouettes had been adapted to contemporary tastes; body molding shararas replaced the farshi gharara. In Chand's collection loose culottes or adaptations of the Lukhnowi pajama replaced the more traditionally acceptable churidaars.

Chand's collection was a lot less opulent and much more contemporary, despite dancing to the same tune. Christened 'Ming' it hinted at a Chinese influence which was noticeable in the motifs on the saris and the multi-kali kurtas. The medallions and ancient dragons were recurring themes. Both these collections did not push the envelope for fashion - and could easily be described as OTT or over the top- but the designers had fun with it. And it must be said that Chand and Chunni are in the business for the love of the art, not a love for cutting edge fashion.

Satya Paul and Shobhaa De
Satya Paul is an Indian brand made famous for its saris and this collection did justice to the hype that precedes it. Opening the show in shades of black, white and red, the saris were beautiful with very distinct bold prints and the faintest hint of shimmer. They were a visual delight for ladies in the front row who could be seen making mental notes to visit the store the following day for some retail therapy. With the festive season up ahead and the sari being one of the most timeless garments worldwide, its appeal has no limits … or borders!

Shobhaa De's collection was a little limited though. Very different from Satya Paul in its appeal, it came across as a collection designed with Karva Chauth or Diwali in mind and therefore didn't translate with as much fluency as Satya Paul's avant garde collection. That said, it did justice to Shobhaa's love for Bollywood; she has been editor Stardust and her novels do borrow their stories from the 'Husbands and Wives' of Tinseltown.

 
Deepak Perwani
Deepak Perwani's collection was impressive. Made for Malaysia Fashion Week and plugged between a range of traditional collections, it could have gone terribly wrong in terms of fitting in. But it actually shone out on its own. Based on diamond sequined motifs - making it very 'James Bond' - it was a collection of different silhouettes, varying between the long flowing gowns, saris, mini dresses, pouf skirts and bubble tops. The fabric came together well and the drapes flowed even better.

Especially eye catching was a black gown that Nadia Hussain wore; it flared out to perfection. And it was similar to another Deepak Perwani original that Naveen Naqvi was wearing that evening - she won Best Dressed Celebrity for it and it's always heartening to see fashion translate beyond the catwalk this well.
Another original item was the black hood that Sanam Saeed wore above a short dress. Somewhat Nefertiti goes to Africa in essence, it was an innovative accessory and can actually work very well in countries like Pakistan where some women cover their heads. After the show Deepak confirmed that the hoods would be available at his store.
 

One short fall that did come to the limelight in the show was lack of good models. Nadia Hussain, Iraj, Fayeza Ansari and Sanam Saeed held the fort for others, some of whom could not walk easy in high heels and others could simply not carry a sari. While Fayeza looked equally good in a sari or a short dress, Deepak's short dress was lost on Rubab and Fauzia, who couldn't carry it. If Pakistan's fashion scene is to progress, then models must be taught to walk properly and that must come in the form of proper training. In a world where fashion models are expected in six inch stilettos, it is unacceptable that ours cannot walk on a laminate runway without their saris coming undone, their dupattas catching on a smoke machine or their heels catching on the hems of their dress.

That said, despite the 'model malfunctioning', the fashion show came together with a lot of warmth. Deepak Perwani, who calls Chunni 'Mama', also wore the cap of coordinator and choreographer. This was Deepak's second attempt at coordination - the first was at Karachi Fashion Week - and the role quite suits him. One wonders if he'll take it a step further.

Barry, who is now becoming a regular at managing events at 76 Old Clifton stepped in for what Chunni calls a 'nominal sum' and it has to be said that Barry is rising fast as an event manager in Karachi. And having almost forty events to his credit, this was the first time he was actually called upon stage and given credit to by Chunni.

The same good will went out to Fareshteh Aslam, who was handling the PR of the event as well as Tariq Amin, who made the models glow thanks to his magic wand and an abundant use of bronzer! Tapu Javeri put the music together, which DJ Asif played and backstage, the "chaos" as Chunni put it, was given some order thanks to Raheen Mani and volunteers from the Asian School of Fashion Design. Once again, the show came together magnificently by good will alone.

But while the evening was every bit about having fun but it did have an underlying motive, one that took it beyond good will. Rehana Saigol is a member of the Pakistan Fashion Design Council and Deepak Perwani is one of the senior members of Fashion Pakistan, Karachi's fashion council. The councils have been at loggerheads since inception but it is members like Rehana who are acting as 'consensus candidates'. Rehana stocks collections by Deepak Perwani at her sari shop and she will most certainly welcome other designers from Fashion Pakistan to the second outlet of the PFDC Boulevard, to soon open in Karachi under her tutelage. The fashion show was a teaser to the bigger role Rehana Saigol will be playing in Pakistan's fashion industry.

– Photos by Rizwan ul Haq's team and Ozair Rao