Ammara Khan’s R2W debuts at a game-changing digital exhibition

Last week heading to Lahore was considered perilous and certainly not for the faint of heart. A thick dreary smog had smothered the lively city, bringing to a virtual standstill. Lucky for us, a bit of reprieve was granted with a smattering of rain that cleared way for a sliver of sun and a night of fashion with Ammara Khan.

 Ammara hosted a night directing her select guests to #SetYourselfApart, a new angle on exhibitions that introduce consumers to new collections. Ammara’s ready-to-wear winter collection at the Mercedes Benz showroom did not line the walls in racks but was projected to her audience with CMD screens that ran the length of the room and a film presentation. Opting out of the traditional exhibitions that see designers physically placing their clothes in a room or having models walk the event in her wares, Ammara tapped a couple of friends to wear the luxury goods and to share her collection in a digital exhibition.

Haute Patrol: Ammara Khan paves the way forward

 “It’s about innovation and embracing the future,” said Ammara about the unconventional event. “We are designing for the modern 21st century woman and what better way to communicate then digitally.”

 For the event, the Mercedes Benz showroom which was chosen for its ‘distinct industrial feel,’ was transformed by JS Events to allow the audience to understand what vibe the collection itself was capturing.

Sadaf Fawad and Ammara Khan

 “We wanted to immerse our guests in the mood of our campaign, which was an industrial street vibe.” The room had the appearance of a popular hang out with dimmed lighting, relaxed ambiance and red backlights; on entry the hashtag of the location – #SetYourselfApart – sat under a lit up installation of the Ammara Khan logo.

  The collection itself, which included bold prints, saturated hues on contemporary cuts that any customer worth her style would reach for, were tied into the notion that today’s woman is a digital woman.

 “(Our) RTW is about my vision of the modern young woman of the 21st century. And digital or rather technology is very much a part of our lives as fashion is.”

 Inviting fashion journalists from print to web, the designer spared no effort in making her guests feel welcome and ready for a night that’s expected to be not only entertaining for the eyes but the atmosphere as a whole. It’s rare these days to hold an invite to an event that has all the T’s crossed and the I’s dotted. It’s become common fare to run into industry buddies looking equal parts frantic and put off when they arrive to a city to not be met with transport and then come face to face with baffled front desks that never seem to have their booking. Ammara and her team for this event, lead by Anousheh Shahid, made sure that the people coming in to take in her latest were coordinated from arrival, to stay, to how to get around. It all added to the luxuriousness of the experience.

 As finger foods were passed around and attendees headed to the Espresso Bar for caffeine fixes, the lay out of the event allowed Ammara to host her guests and fully interact. Attendees could ask questions about the collection and mingle with other family, friends and fashion insiders. The exhibition followed the mantra of the evening of setting oneself apart by demonstrating a new way of doing the traditional thing.