 The floods are truly proving to be a litmus test for us to gauge
how far we are willing to go to put ourselves out there for the nation.
It's always been ironically 'fashionable' and convenient to condemn
fashion as frivolous. Yet strangely, at every point in this country's
sordid history, fashion has come to the rescue: as social solace
under the cloak of cultural shows in 1980s under Zia's draconian
law; as a tantalising 'entertainment' to prove to the world how 'modern'
we are as a country; and perennially used as an effective tool for
charity drives and balls, as is done world over, to spur philanthropy.
Fashion has bravely stepped up, as flippant an enterprise as
it is chastised to be, to provide a much needed platform for
crisis management.
Bargain deals seem to work best in Pakistan where donations are
most easily yielded through trade offs such as fashion shows and in recent
times, as fashion sales or fundraisers. It's a fact deplored by many who believe
that we should not have a bargain to be able to perform an act of charity.
Yet one just only has to wander near the periphery of a fashion
sale to be able to truly assess its clout. Not to mention, every major retail
store, designer or society club has already hosted similar events every weekend
since the inception of the floods.
Whereas every fashion event from shows to fashion weeks
to balls and galas start at least a minimum of two hours 'fashionably late',
a sale begins at least two hours before time! The early bird adage comes into
full force, and this is one time that high society begums will not care for
their appearance and get into the rank and file to attack and grab designer
ware at the most insanely frugal prices.
The fundraiser held at the Royal Palm two weekends ago saw hordes
of women descend with bahus and daughters in tow and in a five pronged combat
strategy polished off whatever high end fashionable wear they could grab. After
all it's not every day that Lahore gets a piece of Karachi's best such as Rizwanullah,
that too 'off the ramp' pieces that he had just showcased at the previous fashion
week to great critical acclaim. As the new blood in fashion, Rizwanullah, true
to his flamboyant appearance, is keenly optimistic: "You're already dead
in your mind if you think that you cannot make a difference. Pakistan is a
self made country; we have been through every conceivable crisis and yet emerged
with a much stronger will. People just need to be 'slightly' more positive
and we will head towards the right direction."
And direction is certainly what the floods have provided to the
design community, particularly in Lahore where the majority of them reside.
At each event, there is a multi directional collaboration between interior
designers, beauty salons, shoes designers and even the PR and event managers.
One saw a very proud Selena Rashid of Lotus PR, in the queue for payments at
Royal Palm, having secured the last of the coveted Rizwanullah outfits, while
other representatives of event organisations like Aamir Mazhar of Savvy PR
and Salma Turab of Purple Arts mingle with the guests and provide the needed
push to make a sale.
 An event of similar magnitude will be hosted by 'Humara Pakistan
Charity Foundation' today at Sanam Taseer's Drawing Room which the city's most
chic social set has help organise. The Drawing Room has been a popular spot
for similar drives, like the basement sale held last year for the IDPs where
designers donated pieces from their collections which were then sold marked
down. Titled as 'Charity Fashion Drive', this year's sale will have everything
marked down by 40 per cent and as one of the organisers, Mehr Tareen Faruki
mentioned, "Most designers have given us new pieces that they have made
especially for the event." There's an impressive line up including the
big guns like HSY and Nilofer Shahid and popular labels such as Khadija Shah's
Elan, Kamiar Rokni, Sania Maskatiya and Ayesha Hashwani. A whole wardrobe is
on offer with shoes and jewellery on sale, along with furniture and even art
and paintings. However what sets this event apart is its personal donations
of vintage hand bags from fashion's esteemed names such as Chanel, Jimmy Choo,
Gucci, Marc Jacobs, Miu Miu, Prada and Rene Caovilla.
Labels in Karachi, which is also been quite a spot for charity
drives during the IDP crisis and Karachi's bloody crusades, will also be eliciting
the begums in the city to donate their Louis Vuittons and similar wares which
will then be given away at throw away prices. "I got a phone call from
this lady, Mariam Shams who came up with this idea and I said they could use
Labels as a platform to conduct the sale which will be held all throughout
the last week of Ramzaan," explained Labels owner, Zahir Rahimtoola. Speaking
to Mariam Shams of Karachi Relief Trust she mentioned, "We have gotten
an astounding response from major doctors, lawyers and professionals to be
a part of our trust who are helping out which the actualities of the flood.
But I wanted to get the women involved as well in some small way, hence we
got the bags donations going. I have collected 40 bags ranging from Balenciaga,
to Tod's and Christian Dior, all of which I must add are in fabulous condition."
Inspite of all this work fashion is always a suspect for foul
intentions. And charity just might be skin deep here since this is in essence
a trade fair. Of course there are always stories of designers who demand that
their costs be met first and then the proceeds be given to the charity. One
can either be blatantly outraged by this or in a show of compassion to the
design community beg the question that even they are members of this society
trying to make a living in desperate times. Why are they expected to hand out
their goods scott free? Yet at every crisis, designers do end up giving a major
proportion of their goods for these charity drives, apart from the usual philanthropy
that one does a social Samaritan. At this point, with a fifth of the country
displaced, perhaps intentions are not what we need, but action. If bargains
bring in the most funds, so be it-let there be a deluge of fashion. What is
heartening and should be encouraged is the efficacy and desire to step up and
do something positive. And that is credit that one cannot rob the fashion fraternity
of. |
