Change is definitely in the air. For too long now fashion has been all about volume and length. Finally we are seeing the first signs of an overhaul and we are delighted While some designers have excelled at the art of draping, the absence of fit and form has been a boon for the lazy and the incompetent. Even the most sack-like outfit has been bang on trend. At best of late fashion has yielded glamourous, flattering and opulent ensembles. At worst it has made everyone wearing them look pregnant. For the fashion savvy, the silhouette is beginning to look overdone. The avant-garde has become the ubiquitous, to the point where paneled shirts hang in each corner of every market.

Of course fashion is never entirely static and there have been tweaks along the way. Empire lines and many-kali paneled kameezes have given way to straighter shirts with less volume. Still, every major designer you speak to says that there is tremendous resistance in the market to change. Designers themselves may have become jaded with the long voluminous look, but it is not a trend that the public is ready to relinquish. While most designers have moved away from volume to more tapered looks, the vogue is still long, particularly for evening or formal wear. This has been bolstered by an international trend for long and flowing with designers bringing out stunning collections of draped dresses and kaftans. Here in Pakistan, there is hope yet. Senior designers have begun experimenting with new looks, particularly in their casual or semi-formal lines. They are introducing pieces into their collections that are tweaking silhouettes, challenging the current aesthetic, and generally ushering in a welcome freshness of vision. Here’s a quick look at the direction some of our favourite designers are taking:

Sana Safinaz

Sana Safinaz fired an opening salvo signaling change with their export collection in September. Where hemlines had been sweeping the floor, the new collection was barely calf length; a small step inch-wise but a giant leap in terms of fashion. A sneak preview of their new export collection which is currently in development revealed a still loose but much straighter silhouette. It looks as if it will be an exciting mix of shorter tunics and longer, draped pieces. Sana Safinaz themselves say that they are not advocating a dramatic change overnight. Evening wear and bridal wear remains long for a glamourous effect, but the silhouette is slimmer and more fitted than formerly. For daywear, the look is loose, straight cut and much shorter. Sana suggested a knee length straight tunic with cropped cigarette pants or their signature Gucci pant. As in the West, Sana Safinaz advocate varying the styles we wear according to the occasion, allowing shorter styles to co-exist with the long.
HSY

HSY is another major player who’s signaling that times are a’changing. The inspired styling of his Game of Kings collection at the PDFC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week encouraged fashionistas to mix it up. His pairing of elaborate wedding tunics with tights and boots was perhaps the most exciting look of the week. That said, most of those shaadi tops are probably destined to be worn with ghararas, shalwars and what have you. HSY’s commercially successful formal prêt line remains long for the most part. Hemlines are a tad shorter than before and the silhouette is slimmer but change is patently going to be a gradual process.

Sania Maskatiya

Sania Maskatiya is the current queen of dheela styles. She started offering loose fits before anyone else and was one on the pioneers of the izaar. Known for her flowing cuts, she too is now advocating a gradual move upwards. Her casual/semi formal line will introduce shorter tunics and straighter cuts. She prefers shorter tunics to be worn with cigarette pants or palazzo pants rather than the ever-present chooridar. Although she offers capes, jumpsuits and avant-garde cuts for the fashion forward, she prefers a grander, longer look for her formal wear. Her bridal and formal wear, in line with other major designers, continues to be long.

Shehla Chatoor

Bridal and Couture designers as a whole remain committed to longer lengths albeit with a more tapered silhouette. Shehla says that she is continuing with an opulent Moghul theme with anarkalis, angharkas and longer kameezes for bridal wear. Her Eastern trousseau collection will be straighter but for the time being, long is the way to go. On the other hand, her fusion line offers some interesting shorter pieces. Her draped tops are a must for those who want to add a little high-end diversity to their wardrobe.

Fahad Hussayn

One of the rising stars of the fashion scene, Fahad Hussayn illustrated the mood of the moment with his recent inspired Raat Raakh collection. His formals were long and opulent but anything but uniform. There were flare-y lenghas, frilled borders and asymmetric hemlines. Although a majority of the outfits were long, his collection also included the odd short ‘60s style tunic paired with tights. His prêt collection continues with this theme along with more adventurous pieces.
Kamiar Rokni

Kami is one of our most adventurous designers and started doing longer lengths well ahead of most of the pack. He is however retaining a very long, almost floor-length look for his formal wear. He has introduced a few shorter pieces into his repertoire but it’s a look that he says clients will have to be led to gradually, and for the moment the shorter pieces are simply introducing the concept and are not his main design focus. His casual line, meanwhile, is concentrating on higher hemlines. It contains a large number of short and straight tunics and this is a style that has been available since the summer. Kami’s Tia line offers loose pieces that can be worn with tights or jeans and play with cut and silhouette.
Shamaeel

Having recently gone through a renaissance, Shamaeel is one of this year’s gotta-have designers. Her bright intricate ensembles create a fantastic impact. She too is retaining a very long length for formal wear, though with a dramatically streamlined silhouette that emphasizes the waist. She believes wedding wear should have a timeless quality that spans seasons and accordingly doesn’t plan to go short. Her prêt line in contrast is an ode to experimentation. Shamaeel’s collection includes knee length and thigh skimming outfits, off-the-shoulder tunics and even fitted short shirts. A true master of the current “anything goes” mood.

Layla Chatoor

Layla, Shehla Chatoor’s sister in law though not as prolific is a gem of a bridal and formal wear designer. She is focusing on longer lengths and points out that there has already been a shift in silhouette with a dramatic reduction in volume and A-line. She, like others, has introduced pieces that are shorter at the front and trailing at the back but says couture collections will remain long into the summer. After that you may see some shorter shirts creeping in. Super-slim smart brides, who want to add a little diversity to their trousseaus, will probably lead the change.

Karma

Karma was another star of the recent PDFC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week. The Enchanted line showed that bridal wear could be funky too. While gharara jumpsuits and capes are all very well on the ramp, the basic silhouette of her bridal wear remains unchanged with long slim kameezes predominating. Her semi-formal line has its finger on the pulse with some particularly hip knee-length tunics available off the rack.

Faiza Samee

Faiza Samee’s very traditional, timeless looking bridal and wedding collection is similarly very long, paired primarily with chooridars. Her casual line Slate, in contrast shows a dramatic shift with a new range of fusion and Eastern wear that ranges from thigh skimming to calf length. The overall look remains loose and flowing with a few tunics thrown in for variety.

Deepak Perwani

Deepak Perwani’s latest formal wear is also very long. As he points out, this is in keeping with a general trend for a longer aesthetic for formal wear, as was clear from PDFC Sunsilk Fashion Week. As someone with multiple retail outlets, Deepak Perwani tends to offer an interesting mix of outfits. His collection will invariably have a large number of pieces calculated to appeal to a wide audience and for now that means long, long and longer formals. But (and this is a big but) Deepak is an incredibly versatile designer and so you will also find him doing fabulous avant-garde pieces. Also, his casual wear is priced to cater to a much smaller budget and this ranges from quite short to mid length, in a variety of different styles. The knee-length, A-line fitted shirts and calf length embroidered loose straight shirts are both great ways to try out a new style.

Maheen Khan

Step into Gulabo and you’ll immediately see that times have changed. There is a noticeable difference in length between the sale rack and the new season stock. Maheen’s latest prêt line is loose, shorter and as exquisitely finished as ever. Her understated yet achingly stylish formal wear is also a tad shorter. Since Maheen does no more than nod at trends that others jump into head first, her outfits ooze a sense of style that is unique.

The best of the rest

Sanam Chaudri’s adventurous semi-formal collection made fashionistas drool at last year’s Veet show and her ensembles up for retail reflect her modern design philosophy. Bright colours, shift dresses and a fresh silhouette all make for a very appealing collection.

Ali Zeeshan is one of the most exciting of the newer crop of designers. His fresh, bright Kashmiri collection was another that emphasized waist lines while keeping a long opulent look. His prêt wear is fabulously experimental, more ramp than tea-party with little concession to commerciality.
Smart-casual queen Somaya’s exhibitions have been known to stop traffic. Her poncho cuts channel international trends in a way few local designers are doing.

Unsurprisingly, the fashion-forward pieces in stores are in a price range affordable by the younger crowd, who tend to be at the forefront of fashion but don’t have a great deal of spending power, unlike couture and luxury prêt customers. Even high spending customers are more likely to experiment with pieces that do not require heavy investment, and so seasoned designers tend to introduce change through their prêt lines.

So far, only serious designers are introducing intensely experimental pieces into their casual lines. In the main; the casual and semi-formal lines available at the many multi-designer stores we now have are distressingly banal. On a more mainstream note, stores such as Ideas by Gul Ahmed and Al-Karam Studio have introduced the odd shorter and straighter shirt into their stores. Once they bring these into their lawn catalogues, the look will certainly filter into the mainstream.

Meanwhile watch out for the fashion-forward. College students, yummy mummies and young fashionistas are trying out new looks at dinner parties, teas and at the school gate. While average women may need time to shed the bulge looser styles have encouraged them to put on, fashionistas are already trying out newer silhouettes and looks they have put together themselves.

Ultimately cost effective lines are inevitably where new trends find their feet before filtering through to formal wear. With the big guns of fashion such as Sana Safinaz introducing a different silhouette into their lines, it is only a matter of time before our cottage industry of in-home “designers” follow suit. Viva la change!