It may be another tongue twisting event in Pakistan’s already choc-a-bloc fashion week schedule but a Bridal Couture week is just up Lahore’s right alley and it’s a welcome addition despite the saturation.
Spotted at the press conference: Sara Shahid, Nickie and Nina, Maheen Kardar, Shahzad Raza, QYT, Hani Taha, Fahad Hissayn, Maram, Zara Shahjahan and others.
Also, a Bridal Couture Week, or any fashion ‘week’ rightfully belongs to (any) fashion council instead of corporations that just get involved in fashion for the profit. Why else, I ask, would Style 360’s Bridal Couture Week be charging stylists for providing a service?
“I’ve paid 800,000 (8 lakhs) for four shows,” says Saba Ansari. “They have scheduled two shows a day and I’ll be opening on the 22nd of April and closing (finale) on the 24th as well as styling two other shows.”
That’s four out of six, incase you’re still calculating.
Musharaf Hai, CEO LOreal Paris in Pakistan, has been the driving force behind many fashion initiatives in Pakistan and this is just another feather in her very stylish cap.
It’s unclear whether Pantene is still an official sponsor of BCW but according to my sources, Pantene did put well over 10 million into the last BCW (Lahore) and I’m sure their brand ambassador Shahzad Raza didn’t pay for the exclusive showcase he styled.
Normally, designers pay for the platform whereas the service providers are paid. Anyway, the launch of an authentic couture week will most certainly set this system straight. The PFDC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week has been scheduled for September/October in Lahore.
Some suggestions:
1. Schedule the shows over four-five days with only two a day.
2. Construct two main show areas allowing each designer creative liberties with his/her catwalk.
3. Allow each designer to chalk up an exclusive guest list targeting his/her personal clientele and relevant media-persons and issue separate invites for each show.
4. Though the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) signed and MoU with Fashion Pakistan several years ago, it fell to dust and this would be a good time to re-negotiate and take fashion exchange a notch further. Delhi Couture Week takes place around the same time in India and it would be interesting to have an exchange of designers across the borders.
5. I can’t imagine a Bridal Couture Week without Sana Safinaz, Faiza Samee, Nomi Ansari, Nilofer Shahid and Rizwan Beyg (out of the PFDC non-members) so now would be a good time to push for a partial fashion week collaboration.
6. While we’re talking about collaborations, I am fairly confident that GEO TV will continue to act as media partner and in the case of a tie up with India, they can refer to it as Fashion Tashan ki Asha.
Photographs by Faisal Farooqui
