PFDC & Sunsilk Fashion Week: Day One

In true cricket spirit, here I am reporting fashion week live from Lahore. We are here at the Expo Centre Stadium for the first day of the test match where the Pakistan Fashion Design Council is expected to bowl eight overs with a line up of Nickie Nina, Beekay, Zaheer Abbas, Yahsir Waheed, Sahar Atif, Muse, Mohsin, Fahad Hussayn and Sublime. The weather conditions are bright and the pitch looks good as it’s been jacked up a couple of feet. Fashion week’s beeches are packed with Lahore’s socialite spectators and a few fashion enthusiasts from Karachi who are here to cheer for their team. There we see Rizwan Beyg here in the VIP enclosure for Adnan Pardesy and Zaheer Abbas. It’s a big game as far as fashion goes.

The first innings also have an interesting line up with experienced players Nickie Nina, Yahsir Waheed and Sublime bringing strategy to the game while youngsters bring a new approach to it. Here’s some ball by ball commentary on each over.

Nickie Nina

Playing for the third time in the PFDC & SFW history are opening batswomen Nickie and Nina, who are showcasing their strongest collection yet. Very similar in craft and colour to what they usually do – established now as their signature – this collection pays tribute to the hardworking tribal women of Pakistan’s Sindh province. One sees a change in patterns, the high cholis and diverse lowers giving an edge to their clothes that are embroidered in gold and silver thread. Still falling short of being ground breaking in terms of design, this is by far their best collection yet. The fact that there are no dramatic diversions – like live song and dance – makes it more appealing.

Beekay

Adding a new spin to the game is PFDC & SFW debututante Beekay, the London based Burhan Khan, who has shown and worked widely across the UK. An experienced player as far as county cricket goes, Burhan Khan has and will surely find his niche on the Pakistani pitch. Titled Trees for it’s raw adaptation of the convulsions in branches and roots, this collection appears all the more inspired by dark Japanese cinema. Very interesting as far as texturing goes, this dark collection is a bright addition to fashion week. One hopes to see Beekay retailing in Pakistan soon.

Zaheer Abbas

Zaheer Abbas came to the limelight in Karachi (last year) as the second acclaimed designer to have emerged from fashion school, AIFD. Playing in Lahore for the first time this time, his form and fabric construction puts him in the forefront as a confident player. Aptly titled Rise and Fall, this collection speaks about his love for texture, expressed here in shades of grey, blue and maroon. A bit reminiscent of Adnan Pardesy’s Plathonic in its use of quilting techniques and also a bit similar to Abbas’s previous collection, this one will prove itself when it is reinterpreted for the retail market.

Yahsir Waheed

Very determined in setting trends, Yahsir Waheed’s ‘Humarah Gandhara’ collection happily takes hemlines up, tucks flowing silhouettes in and cuts form and fitting into trousers…all while keeping a relaxed and informal silhouette alive. Paying homage to the ancient Indus civilization while taking ownership of Buddha and the lotus motif, this collection is a bit confusing in terms of strength. One can easily appreciate Yahsir’s very mature approach to fashion – he has the experience and vision to prove it – but Humarah Gandhara is loungewear bordering on pajama party.

This is me, Aamna Haider Isani, reporting live on fashion week taking place in the historic and now incredibly fragrant city of Lahore as it welcomes spring in full bloom. The crowd is tensing up in exhaustion as the days have gotten longer to accommodate the ‘rained out’ match but this is still anyone’s game. The first test isn’t over and we will be returning to the commentary box after a short drinks break. Leaving you here with a run-up of bloopers overheard from the front rows and media enclosure…

“Techno and trance from day to night…give me some E already!!!”

“Yes, the industry is young but the models are rather old, don’t you think?”

“Where is the beautiful fashion? Are twigs and tinkas in the hair beautiful?”

“OMG that boy should have waxed his legs before wearing a skirt!”

“Drinks, canapés…any food, drink…anywhere, anyone???”

“Why are designers not offering chocolates in their good-bags anymore?”