instep
review
No happily-ever-after endings
Fashion Fantasy leaves one fantasizing about fabulous dresses and pondering over designers who still can't get it right.

By Saba Imtiaz

Veet, the depilatory brand, put on a fashion show last week, which left one shocked, wowed and perplexed - in that order! Beginning with a hair-raising Cinderella tableau twisted to incorporate the product at hand and some of the biggest names in Pakistani fashion showing collections that had far more misses than hits, Veet's Fashion Fantasy was a revelation when it comes to the local fashion scene. And it showed more what not to do than what to do.

With Bollywood superstar Katrina Kaif as their brand ambassador, Veet is automatically associated with Bollywood, glitz and glamour - and hence they've started sponsoring fashion shows in Pakistan to align themselves with the big names of Pakistani fashion. At this show the designers featured were Deepak Perwani, Maheen Karim, HSY, Karma, and UB (Umar Sayeed and Batul Rizvi).

As is norm, the show started about one and a half hour after the time on the invitation card - but we're all used to time delays. The event had the usual glitzy red carpet and designers, retailers and celebrities in attendance; including Rizwan Beyg, Maheen Khan, Atiya Khan, Nomi Ansari, Shamoon Sultan, Zahir Rahimtoola, Adnan Pardesy, Maria Wasti, Arjumand Rahim and Ali Saleem, as well as designers Deepak Perwani and Maheen Karim who were showing their collections at the show.

Reinventing the evening gown, and only two designers get it right
One of the keynotes of the show was the constant reinvention of the quissential evening wear dress. Of all designers on the bill, the star was Maheen Karim. Her collection featured exquisite dresses in flowing silk, with impeccable finishing. Minimalism was the order of the day, but her classic silhouettes, along with the bold prints or one-color wonders had the audience applauding. And those cheering her on included admiring older designers; Rizwan Beyg was seen positivey beaming as the sensual gowns floated down the runway. Its good to know that Lahore can get a taste of Maheen Karim at The Boulevard, as she's stocking there. She is hands down one of the best fashion designers Karachi has to offer.

Deepak Perwani was the only other designer to be considered a distant second to Maheen Karim. His collection screamed bling - accessorized by equally glitzy bags and heels, it was sexy without being provocative. It was also perfect for the upcoming celebratory season, but then Deepak understands his clientele all too well, having been designing for a decade now. The stunner was a black cocktail dress modeled to perfection by Fayeza. If Fayeza is Deepak's muse - then may he continue to design outfits such as these!

On the other hand Karma appears to have lost the plot of sorts post-Kamiar Rokni's departure - the collection seemed confused and an uncomfortable mix of east and west. The gowns shown looked more like flowing lehngas, with gota embellishments, and put together already bold prints with additional details and work. The miniskirts shown seemed stiff and unappealing. Inevitably, there was no sense of reinvention or individuality with Karma's collection. Maheen Kardar needs to figure out what her forte is and focus on that - because with the amount of choice available at retailers in Karachi, the new Karma collection has little hope of making a mark.

HSY's outfits had more misses than hits, but the hits were the individual skirts and shirts that caught one's eye. Unfortunately they were paired with trousers or flowing tunics that hid, instead of enhance, the noticeable items. However, the word 'flowing' became more of a curse for a black gown by HSY, which model Nadia Hussain got tangled in while walking down the ramp, and spent most of her time trying to free her shoes from the trail of the dress.

On the other hand, UB's collection was one eyesore after the other. There was no sense of semblance - with badly cut dresses and skirts that showed a lack of originality, among other things. One outfit had an empire waistline, a body fitting underskirt and what appeared to be a fisherman's net attached to the waistline to fall over the underskirt. Other outfits included short black dresses with large diamante appliqués at the neckline, seemingly put as an afterthought.

But what one really took back from the show was the question of: 'What is up with the Pakistani reinvention of the dress?' What designers should realize, and fashionistas already know, is that what sets a dress apart is how it cuts and drapes across one's body. While most of the other collections failed miserably on that front, Maheen Karim emerged to be a full head and shoulder above most of her peers. There's a reason why the 'little black dress' is a must-have for most women - its instantly stylish, slimming and can be dressed down or jazzed up, and Maheen, for example, accessorized the gorgeous gowns, bare from kaam, with exquisite diamond jewellery.

Style does not come with combining all the art that one can easily pick up from the huge tailoring/textile markets we do have; such as embroidery, embellishment and lace; but with highlighting individual elements that can make an outfit stand out. Maheen and Deepak did this best - with Maheen's clothes in printed silk fabrics that stood out with their impeccable tailoring and Deepak's classy usage of diamantes.

Childhood cuts
Drowning outfits with kaam may make for great wedding wear for an older set, but designers need to look at the younger crowd that consists of young professionals who flock to retailers such as Labels and Ensemble to pick up evening wear, and don't want to appear as clones of the aunty brigade.

A dress and a kameez are two individual pieces of clothing. If they feature the same kind of embellishment and tailoring there's no sense of individuality whatsoever!

At Fashion Fantasy, dresses looked like kameezes cut at the hemline, in the childlike manner of little girls playing dress up with their mother's wardrobe. One would rather let their nieces play amok with scissors and kameezes, than fork out huge amounts to designers charging one for the same thing!
At the end of the day, designers trying to create fusion by mixing eastern and western wear are going wrong somewhere. As a designer and as a fashion consumer, your influences are based on what kind of environment you live and work in. Women everywhere will cite Sarah Jessica Parker or Paris Hilton as an influence based their job, lifestyle and social circles. If designers are catering to a crowd who's major influence is Bollywood - then that's what their clothes reflect, and perhaps that's what they should stick to, instead of dabbling in western wear. And with the amount of designers coming up who have either been educated at fashion schools abroad or at home - the difference is becoming starkly visible at shows, especially with western wear - because of the superior cuts, fabric and design.

Cinderella: A fairy tale revisited
Fashion Fantasy's audience also revisited Cinderella (!), performed as a tableau before the show started. It had a teenage girl playing Cinderella, and Anoushey and Alizeh as the evil stepsisters. The twist: Prince Charming was on the hunt for the girl with the 'smoothest skin'. It had most of the audience laughing loudly (and mostly out of shock), while a special mention must be given to the atrocious sequence featuring dancers in pastel outfits.

The only highlight were VJs Anoushey and Alizeh, who played their characters to the hilt, but the entire tableau served no purpose as far as one could see.

The cast of 'Cinderella: A Smooth Skin Fairytale' (as it should have been dubbed) were outfitted by AIFD students, which was a great way for the students to practice their craft. However, they were designing fairytale-style ball gowns, which are costumes and not runway-worthy. One hopes that AIFD students are showcased at upcoming fashion shows - since they don't really have a graduate fashion show as yet.

It would also have been an interesting touch to have the designers play around with the fantasy concept. Fashion runaways are a designer's playground - and while abroad we see outrageous hairstyles and unique accessories on the ramp - the drama that the fantasy concept could have brought was missing. However, as the Cinderella cast came on stage for the finale (while half the audience fled, and the rest looked on bemusedly), the verdict was in: this was one fashion fantasy that did not end happily ever after.
Pictures courtesy:
Kashif Rafiq at Xpoze & Fayyaz Ahmed

Maria B reveals her new pret line 'M Girl'
Maria B showcased her new pret line at Fashion Fantasy - titled M Girl. Hence, she was the only designer to not show evening wear, and hence cannot be compared to her contemporaries at the show. What made M Girl interesting is that this is a low-end line, in the footsteps of brands such as Old Navy, Guess and Target, and is being mass produced (reportedly in China). M Girl featured trends that have been seen on runaways abroad in the past year as well as on Hollywood's young celebrities - fitted tunics, leggings, belted dresses. While it was a definite contrast with the evening wear outfits shown, it will predictably be a hit with the young teenage-twenties set it is catering to!