PFDC fairy godmother Alexandra Senes, with Ali Xeeshan, and Isabelle Ballu in the background. Xeeshan may not be going to Paris this year but his is clearly a brand Senes believes in.
It was announced at the end of the previous PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week that several (seven) designers would be selected from the industry to exhibit/show within the Atmosphere’s arena at Pret a Porter Paris in Septmeber 2011.
Pret a Porter Paris, for the unaware is a regular fashion fair that hosts “special trade shows for different markets, with ATMOSPHERE’S for creators and designers, THE BOX for high-fantasy accessories, THE TRAIN in New York and LIVING ROOM in Tokyo.
With its brand spreading out internationally, its attraction grows as a ‘fashion traffic point’.”
Selected members of the Pakistan Fashion Design Council have been chosen to participate in ATMOSPHERE’S, where they will interact and avail the opportunity to collaborate with artists and buyers etc from all over the world.
Credit goes to fashion director Alexandra Senes, who has been a regular at Lahore’s fashion week while also being a major orchestrator at Pret a Porter Paris. Â She been instrumental in selecting designers from Pakistan and had even appointed French designer Isabelle Ballu to assist the designers in getting their collections right for the French market.
The chosen ones are:
Kamiar Rokni
Feeha Jamshed
Adnan Pardesy
Zaheer Abbas
Muse
HSY
Nickie Nina
Apparently the designers have to pay around 10,000 Euros each in participation fee exclusive of their own travel/lodging etc expenses. The council, it has been confirmed by sources, is trying to get the designers scholarships to aid their trip.
While the first five names on the list are well worthy of the opportunity given to them, one is a bit skeptical over the selection of PFDC spokesperson HSY and PFDC right hands, Nickie and Nina. Neither are known for their avante garde take on fashion. That said, five out of seven deserving designers are better than none. At least four young guns are being given a chance to spread their wings to Paris and that’s certainly fairer than the Milan selection, if you know what I mean.
ps. The selected designers are officially listed under the tag Pakistan Fashion Design Council as registered brands. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of mileage they bring back.
