Spring and summer has come as a busy fashion season in the country and things have been anything but uneventful; now with the addition of Q Mobile Hum Showcase, the landscape seems a bit lusher. The QMHS, launched as the fresh new platform in fashion, promised to raise the bar for the world of fashion. It promised to push creativity over commercially safe and lucrative fashion. We would like to see more before we give our acknowledgment to that statement but if anything is true it is that QMHS definitely is on the right path to achieving a premier status in Karachi.
First Impression: They’ve managed to get it right with a clean collection of showcasing designers and an up do of the venue that certainly is noteworthy. QMHS began yesterday as a three day extravaganza set to celebrate ateliers that wish to not worry about wearability and only focus on creativity. Although there were some collections that banked on their ready-to-wear ethos, we feel a platform dedicated to only being free with their creative ideas is much needed.
Day One lineup:Â Nomi Ansari, Wardha Saleem, Jazib Qamar, Munib Nawaz, Inaaya, Momina Teli and Deepak n Fahad, Al-Zohaib textiles presented a show featuring Christina Senter in collaboration with artist Maurizio Boscheri and couturier extraordinaire Faraz Manan ended the day with a collection that left everyone spellbound.
Here’s an overview of it all…
Nomi Ansari
 Keeping up with his signature style, Nomi Ansari was a celebration of colours and whimsical prints that gave an exuberant feeling of summer. With an interesting use of fringes to the plumes of feathers, not to mention the tropical bird prints the entire collection was very reminiscent of the Carnaval do Brasil. Although we do wish the silhouettes were a bit more playful as was the palette, this was no doubt a great start to the evening.
Jazib Qamar
One thing you can always trust Jazib Qamar to do is to push the envelope and perhaps Showcase was the perfect venue to do just that. Jazib Qamar’s collection titled Bizarre was full of pieces that were bold and innovative. The collection included heavy-metal, Mad Max-inspired jackets with artisanal embroidery and eccentric tops featuring rivets and bolts that were intriguing at the least. We give Jazib Qamar full points for pushing our buttons all in the right way.
Momina Teli
The brand’s 8 piece collection titled Iris was perhaps one of our favorites from the night. Using a monochrome palette with hints of earth shades, the collection acted as the perfect cleanser for some really abstract pieces we saw throughout the night. Although some of the silhouettes seemed a bit dated but mostly the collection was strong and thought-out, embellished with beads, ribbons and geometric embroideries Momina not only excelled with her feminine ensembles but even the menswear was coherent and trendsetting.
Wardha Saleem
 Wardha Saleem’s collection, MON AMOUR – BABUSHKA, MY LOVE!  not only earned our respect as a major player in the fashion topography of Karachi but it showed the maturity this label has achieved now. With her bold play on colour and prints, her homage to the iconic Russian babushka doll was perhaps one of our favorites from the night. In fact it was the only collection that achieved the attention to detailing with custom jewellery, designed by Tapu Javeri, to the ironically interesting shoes and bags. Wardha Saleem has definitely emerged as a brand that knows where it is headed and we are keeping a close eye on this one.
 Al Zohaib Textile featuring Christina Senter in collaboration with Maurizio Boscheri
Their collection, Metamorphosis, was a bridge between Italian fashion and the Mediterranean towards the East, interpreted by Maurizio Boscheri’s art works. With colourful fabrics and amazing designs dedicated to dress up women with rich and eccentric prints, Cristina interpreted an interesting story that was both a fusion of cultures and also of shape and print. If there was any collection that encompassed “summer†it was this.
Inaaya
This was an extra special collection by Naushaba Brohi for Inaaya. Even though the designer showed earlier at FPW – and it wasn’t at all a bad collection – this one showed extra maturity in design and craft. Brohi has her signature and plays with rilli craft created by women in interior Sindh. The collection titled Tabeer, the power of interpreting dreams, was more impressive.
Faraz Manan
Faraz Manan presented his luxury resort couture collection, Mirage that encompassed everything Faraz Manan’s brand holds on to: pure luxury. There was a spectacular use of gold and silver, carefully intricate embellishment and craftsmanship that a brand of his caliber is expected to deliver. Mirage certainly was the perfect end to a near to perfect day.
