This time around in the annual Expo fair of the Trade Development Authority Pakistan (TDAP), the associated fashion show managed to raise more buzz than ever before. The line-up was fantastic, the dates were not clashing with any of the other fashion weeks that tend to float in about this time of the year and TDAP's gotten itself a super-savvy, newly appointed Secretary who spearheaded the event for them.

Rabiya Javeri Agha, Secretary to TDAP since the past two months, may not be working within the fashion industry itself but she's certainly grown up around it. As her surname implies, she's sister to the multi-talented Tapu Javeri, the man who's been an inherent cogwheel within Pakistani fashion from its heydays on. She hails from a genealogy entrenched in classic jewelry design and even designs jewelry herself. She is also a bureaucrat of longstanding having served in the the Power, Tourism and Women's Development sectors. She may discuss administrative details and import-export possibilities but in the same breath she'll wax lyrical on Iqbal Hussain's paintings. Rabiya's a far cry from the stoic, business-minded officials that tend to dominate government organizations. She's more of an 'it' woman of today, intelligent, world-wise and she's been the TDAP fashion show's link to anybody who's anybody at all in Pakistani fashion. “I have known most of the Karachi-based designers my whole life. People like Sana and Safinaz, Faiza Samee and Rizwan Beyg - all of them were so willing to participate,” Rabiya says. “However, we made sure that the fashion show featured new designers as well as the veterans.

This was the government's way of giving more confidence to the new lot, to show them that we were there to support them. Also, the newcomers got the opportunity to learn more by working alongside the seasoned professionals.” It's all very politically correct - Lahore's lot of designers weren't left out either. “I don't really know many of Lahore's designers but I still called them up. They were all very interested in the event but unfortunately, quite a few of them were busy preparing for the upcoming bridal week by the Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC),” Rabiya explains. The consequent line-up for the two-day long showcase featured some of the country's best: some of Karachi's high-fliers such as Rizwan Beyg, Faiza Samee, Sana Safinaz, Deepak Perwani, Maheen Khan, Shamaeel Ansari, Ahmed Bham, Zaheer Abbas, Tapu Javeri, FnkAsia Sania Maskatiya and Sadaf Malaterre rubbing shoulders with a smattering of Lahoris such as Fahad Hussayn, and the choreography being handled by the Lahore’s beloved showman HSY. “I was very adamant that I wanted students to be a part of the show,” says Rabiya. “This is why we included the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD) from Lahore as part of the designers' line-up while the Asian Institute of Fashion Design (AIFD) batch created an installation that was exhibited on the red carpet. We also allowed a free stall to PIFD students at the main Expo fair.

I wanted to encourage them by providing them with a platform that they were sharing with some of the country's finest designers.” However, all credit for TDAP's star-studded designer line-up can't be laid at Rabiya's door - although her clout did certainly lend more credibility to the fashion show. For one, participation in the show was free although Rabiya professed that she tried to maintain quality control. “Some designers were chosen because of their seniority while the newer ones were selected on the basis of the collections they were going to show,” she says. With the Fashion Pakistan (FP) council having just postponed their Autumn/ Winter fashion week indefinitely, quite a few designers were left with the time and collections that could be shown at some other event. What better option, then, than the TDAP show which is going to be aired on major TV channels, spelling out major publicity and perhaps local sales for designers? It was also relatively easy to participate in the show since only capsule collections of 10 to 12 outfits are required.

To do it justice, TDAP's fashion forays have grown from strength to strength over the last few years. Designers traipsed down the path of the Parisian Pret-a-Porter and Milan Fashion Week thanks to the TDAP back when fashion industry was still getting its bearings right. Two years ago, it collaborated with the Lahore-based PFDC to showcase the council's prêt-based fashion week at Karachi's Expo Centre. With the Expo fair taking place just a few paces away, the fashion week attracted a great number of foreigners, but mostly from fields not related to fashion. Engineers, chemists and textile importers attending the Expo wandered in, oohed and aahed over the clothes but could hardly be expected to generate business for fashion, considering their professional backgrounds. Last year, under the guidance of TDAP's Head of Fashion Saeed Tamimi, the show went a step further by organizing meetings between designers and interested foreign visitors. No longer affiliated with the PFDC, the fashion show still boasted renowned designer names such as Rizwan Beyg, Sonya Batla, Faiza Samee, Samar Mehdi, Kuki Concepts and Adnan Pardesy for Leisure Club. Ayesha Tahir Masood, of 'Limited Editions' fame, showcased her company Nova Leather's workmanship, generating interest from quite a few onlookers at the show.

And while the usual motley crew of foreign businessmen dominated the audience, the guest list also included Patricia Brafman, the International Director of the French federation of Pret-a-Porter, a woman who could assist local designers in attending the fair in Paris. Now, Rabiya's wherewithal has added more focus to TDAP's fashion faction. She got brother Tapu Javeri designing the 'gifts' for the foreign visitors - 'Karachakra' inspired mugs, pads and what-not. “Tapu was a great help in instructing me on the nuances of the industry,” says Rabiya. “He's the one who guided me through the councils' nitty-gritties and basically cleared any confusion I've had.” Rizwan Beyg's brilliant truck-art took center stage on the 'Expo' billboards dotted around the city. And she got bigwigs Sana Safinaz participating, even though they were also preparing to showcase at the upcoming PFDC L'Oreal Paris Bridal Week (PLBW) as well.

The duo showed a collection that they'd already just shown at the Veet Celebration of Beauty event but so what, says Rabiya. “This fashion show was for the visiting foreigners, more than anything else, and they hadn't seen the collection before,” she reasons. “Similarly, Rizwan showcased his truck-art inspired 'Rangg'. He'd already shown it at a fashion week but what better collection could there be to bowl over the foreigners?” Sania Maskatiya, likewise, provided a sneak peek into her upcoming Eid ul Azha collection but the TDAP specifically asked to her bring forth her Western silhouettes, regardless of whether they were from her old collections or her latest ones - that's what the foreignors wanted to see and what get her orders, after all. “It's a step-by-step process,” explains Rabiya. “Pakistan has already established its market for the export of products like hosiery and textiles. Even this year, many of the foreigners in the fashion show's audience were not directly linked to the fashion industry. Still, by highlighting Pakistani fashion in a regular yearly show, we are building upon the international awareness of our ready-to-wear and couture.

Even now, there are designers such as Shamaeel Ansari who have been involved in product development for different international brands for years now. Ayesha Tahir Masood's Nova Leather supplies to mainstream retailers in Europe such as Zara, Esprit and Massimo Dutti. I am hopeful that export within the fashion industry will grow soon. First-world countries find it very economical and convenient to trade with us, due to the very limited bureaucratic barriers we have on export.” Business may just pick up for Pakistani fashion this year, according to Rabiya, with some major international ready-to-wear retailers attending the Expo. The visitors included major European retailers like Marks & Spencer as well as Middle Eastern chains like Bin Dawood, Lotte from Korea, Malaysian retailers Mydin and Komex from Poland. “Following the show, we have organized meetings between designers and visitors that were interested in their work, to facilitate further business,” she says. Should TDAP's efforts actually formulate into international orders, does Rabiya think that our designers will be able to do justice to them, given limited production capacities and the general disregard for creating standard sizes?

“I think some designers, like Sana Safinaz, are definitely ready. They'd be able to fulfill international requirements and it just takes one designer to set a precedent with a successful export deal. The rest will just follow. Also, I think designers need to highlight their crafts. A visitor may not like an entire outfit but he or she may be interested in purchasing thousands of embroidered buttons from a designer. That's great business! There are very few indigenous craftsmen left in the world - the industry's dying down, with entire workshops being purchased by brands like Chanel and Dior and very few options left for the smaller clothing labels. There's a huge market out there for Pakistani embroideries and craft, which stands out for its sophistication.” With such dedication to promoting business for fashion, why doesn't the TDAP just collaborate with one of the fashion councils? “We don't want to get embroiled in council politics and show preference to one over the other,” says Rabiya. It all looks great on paper, almost as if orders are going to roll in now that the TDAP fashion showcase has taken place. It all depends, though, on whether the visitors that have taken the trouble to venture into our troubled lands actually like the clothes and just as importantly, on the business acumen of our designers. With Rabiya Javeri Agha at the fore, the TDAP seems to have the ball rolling in the right direction - but will it trundle about aimlessly or actually, finally, take direction?