The fashion at Karachi Fashion Week…

Karachi Fashion Week, organized by Triple E’s Arshad Siddiqui with Tariq Amin as CEO, kicked off on Thursday with several undiscovered designers out of which Jazib Qamar emerged a star. I didn’t catch the first day or the first half of the second day (as I’m not covering this event for any publication other than my own) but was eager to go for the second half to experience what was being talked about as a constructive platform for Pakistani high street brands and uncelebrated yet talented designers.

Attractions on Day Two (for me) were Nadya Mistry, MAK (as he has been a student of my Fashion Media class), Mona J (another FaMed student responsible for styling yesterday) and above all, my dear friend Rizwanullah. I have to say that they were all well worth the visit, for reasons all of their own.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o58taXR2ilg]

Nadya Mistry started impressively. It was a tribute to Amy Winehouse and predictably had the beehives and heavily lined eyes but also had hints of the designer’s creativity in putting a theme together. It completely lost the plot, however, when it introduced fusion ghararas and embellished shadi-wear. As I said, this overdose is what could have driven Winehouse to her death!

Mateen’s collection did not go down so well but his presentation and press packaging certainly did. The chocolates and candies that came in the goody bag (the only goody bag that evening) and was hugely appreciated by the audience.

There was only one gold-laminate chaddi, that had stirred up controversy at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week in Lahore earlier this year. The rest of Rizwanullah’s collection had ethnic identity; it was impressive. In fact it was the most impressive collection By Rizwanullah yet. I had initially thought that the designer had added/deleted pieces to what he showed yesterday (compared to what was shot down at the PFDC fashion week) but he vows that it was exactly the same.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cb4jrWkVO0]