EID REVIEWS 1
The best thing about being away from Pakistan in Ramazan is avoiding Eid ‘Fashion’ Exhibitions. Pardon me, I mean no offence, but the most drab and boring auntie clothing is what most drab and boring auntie designers churn out in Ramazan. And the worse thing is that even the most decent designers turn drab when the dollar signs start ringing in their eyes. Commercial clothing equals ugly clothing and that’s what most Eid Collections, Eid Bazaars, Iftari Clothing and etceteras churn out. I have enough press releases advocating Exciting Eid Clothing in my inbox as proof.
That said, I’ll save them the embarrassment of naming and shaming them. Okay, so I can’t blame designers for making some hay while the Ramzan moon shines over their businesses but I can at least be happy that I don’t have to be part of it or review it. Ramzan fashion is not fashion week!
A preview of Shamaeel’s Eid Collection, on sale at Ensemble Lahore this Tuesday.
Some designers do link their Eid collections to what they have shown at fashion week and those I do not mind. Shamaeel Ansari, for example, does some exquisite Eid clothing and it’s always a pleasure to visit and admire what she puts out. Her designs aren’t wholly ‘commercial’ (in the Amir Liaqat sense of the word), which is why she usually has private collections. I do feel Shamaeel needs to spread her wings and this is where Ensemble comes in. She’s exhibiting at Ensemble in Lahore on July 25, for all those who are interested in some avant garde Eid clothing, not for those ladies looking for typical clothing.
That’s Shamaeel for you. She’s a veteran but I was equally surprised to see a young new designer, Sana Salman’s Eid collection, which came to me via Lotus PR. I was quite impressed because instead of playing the Milad clothing card (another name for three piece, ethereal joras that ladies can wear most comfortably at Milads) Sana has taken an edgy take on Eid clothing. I must give credit to Maha Burney and Nadir Feroz Khan, who are the edgiest styling/photography duo around. I think it’s impossible for them to make anything look bad and therefore Sana’s collection may look better than it actually is. I checked out her Facebook page and while she does appear to have potential, she also has many generic designs that confused me. I guess this is why it’s important for a designer to make a fashion week debut before he/she can be given a serious judgement call. However, Sana’s Eid collection does look interesting, which makes the designer promising…
I‘ll be reviewing two collections at a time, to avoid overdrive. Watch this space for more..Â
