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instep
analysis
Regressive behaviour
The 1O-Years Plus category in the fashion nominations of the
Lux Style Awards should be renamed "I don't want to compete
with the younger lot of designers", or better yet, it should
be abolished altogether.
By Muniba
Kamal
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The
fashion industry is packing up to fly out to Malaysia for the Lux
Style Awards. Life is definitely looking up for them. Hot on the heels
of the Pakistan Fashion Week media launch comes the excitement that
surrounds the Lux Style Awards every year. The buzz has begun on television,
people across the nation have been voting for the popular awards and
designers are putting finishing touches on the outfits they are making
for celebrities so that they shine on the red carpet. They try very
hard to act nonchalant but few are. After our list of who will win
and who should win last week, Instep got a lot of calls from designers
commenting on the unfairness of our views and justifications as to
why their names should have been mentioned instead. Some people, it
seems, will never figure out that it's just in bad taste to mouth
off against competition.
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Every
year, the Lux Style Awards bring into sharp focus the competitive
streak that runs through the fashion industry. Though they honour
film, television and music as well, the awards are largely driven
by fashion. Designers make the LSA red carpet the most stylish one
in the year, Nabila's Creative Team ensures that people look their
best and Frieha Altaf brings it all together. There would be no style
without the fashion industry and herein lies their importance. Clothes
not only make the man, but also the woman and definitely any high
profile awards night.
With the maximum number of nomination categories devoted to fashion,
the LSA's honour this art like no other show and looking back at them
is the best way to see how far fashion has come. When they first began
in 2002, three categories were devoted to Achievement in Fashion Design:
Menswear, Womenswear and Bridals. In 2006, Bridals were removed altogether
and Womenswear was divided in Pret and Couture. Another exciting category
Best Retail Brand was also introduced. |
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reshuffling of categories shows that not only have the awards come
into their own, but also the fashion industry. As new talent has entered
the style arena, the rules of the games have changed. After Deepak
Perwani, who was one of the most marketing savvy designer the industry
had ever seen, Hassan Sheheryar Yasin arrived on the scene and took
the business of fashion to a whole new level. Ammar Belal also announced
his arrival with a bang; with a Western sensibility and penchant for
using film (Satori) and music videos ('My Favourite Dream') to promote
his brand ABCD. There was Sonya Battla, who with her own show room
was carrying on what Maheen had done for prêt in Pakistan with
the strongest signature in the market. There were Karma who came in
as a proper design house with designers (Kamiar Rokni and Maheen Kardar)
looking after the creative end and an entrepreneur handling the business
(Saad Kardar). There was Nomi Ansari who brought back the Patiala
that became all the rage all over the country and Samyra Rashid who
began with a kaarkhana and ended up with a showroom that houses her
prêt and couture lines and furniture that she imports to boot.
Fashion started flying on the wings of designers who had ideas beyond
just making clothes the best they could |
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It
was in this atmosphere that a rather strange category was introduced
by the Lux Style Awards called Achievement in Fashion Design 10-Years
Plus. Apparently, some senior designers pushed for this category because
they didn't want to be nominated with the new ons on the scene. The
LSA Awards Office gave in to their demand; one can excuse them, they
had to appease the dragons to get the industry on board. The LSAs
wouldn't be what they are, were it not for all sides participating.
But now, in what one truly feels is the Lux Style Awards' strongest
year yet in terms of fashion nominations, the 10-Years Plus category
sticks out like a sore thumb. |
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the first time in LSA history, the nominations are so exciting in
all categories that one is hard pressed for choice. Maheen's Gulabo,
Karma Pink, Samyra (Rashid), Sonya (Battla) and Sara Shahid's Sublime
make it so touch and go. They are all so good, it could be anyone's
game. HSY, Karma, Saadia Mirza, Rouge and Nomi Ansari have been nominated
for Best Couture and they are all deserving. And finally there is
the category of Best Retail Brand - we actually have FIVE retail brands
in the country now: ABCD (Ammar Belal), Crossroads, FNKAsia (Huma
Adnan), Generation and Khaadi (Shamoon Sultan). Pret and Retail Brand
are the most heartening categories, showing what a long way fashion
has come. |
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And
then there is the dreary 10-year plus category, which should in
all honesty be renamed "I don't want to be nominated with the
younger lot of designers." It reeks of insecurity and makes
the awards less exciting. After all, what will happen when the newer
designers complete 10 years in fashionl? Will they graduate into
this category while the 'pioneers of fashion' are moved to another
category called 20 years plus? Whoever suggested that this category
be added wasn't thinking in the long term at all. By it's very nature,
the 10-Years Plus category is unsustainable. It is also hugely unfair. |
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If
designers are going to be sifted according to their seniority, why
is it different for the photographers, musicians and television actors?
Why should Uzma Gillani be nominated alongside Saadia Imam? Why should
Ali Azmat compete with Noori? Why should seniors stand shoulder to
shoulder with juniors? This category is a perversion of the ethos
of an awards show, especially when seen in context of similar events
around the world..
At the 2000 Oscars, Michael Caine, Tom Cruise and Jude Law were nominated
alongside child actor Haley Joel Osment who dazzled with his performance
in the thriller The Sixth Sense. Even the CFDA (Council of Fashion
Designers of America) Awards do not discriminate between designers
on the basis of their seniority. Nominees are announced before the
ceremony and one of them walks away with the trophy. There is no reason
why the process should be any different for the Lux Style Awards. |
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Senior designers should realize that this category does nothing for
the industry. It just causes bad blood. Younger designers are made
to feel that they aren't good enough to compete with the senior lot,
when the reality is very different. This category was invented because
the seniors couldn't take losing out to the young blood that entered
the industry. The newer lot of designers expanded at a far more rapid
pace than the 'pioneers' ever did. They are more retail and marketing
savvy than the seniors, most of whom are still functioning out of
kaarkhanas. They also have a presence beyond one city. It is pathetic
that their peers chose the shaky ivory tower of 10-Years Plus instead
of acknowledging their arrival.
Here's hoping the Awards Office takes note of how ridiculous and regressive
this category is and shelves it for good, even if some 'pioneers of
fashion' don't agree. |
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