PLBW Day Two: a display of very ‘haute’ bridal couture

Day Two at the PFDC L’Oreal Bridal Week was definitely a good day for fashion, furthered by a positive vibe that usually is ingrained in PFDC’s events. There’s a fashionable buzz in the air, furthered by the fact that the event has been consistent in pushing the cause of fashion forward. You’ll see the celebrity showstoppers for a little bit of spice but it’s never a tamasha that threatens to overshadow the collections. At PLBW, fashion is always the true star, unlike BCW, I have to add.

I also have to say, since I have been the biggest complainant when it comes to fashion show timings in Pakistan, that PLBW outdid itself by wrapping up an 8-show day by 9:30pm. The discipline was unbelievable and undoubtedly stemmed from the consistent professionalism of the council as well as show director, Sadia Siddiqui, who means business.

Sitting on tiered benches isn’t easy but it’s international standard and looks much better than the chairs, which remind one of a wedding party. Benches are a check. I do have my reservations about the runway, though. While it is global standard to have a floor level catwalk, that catwalk needs to be monochrome, not tiled and certainly not printed tiled. Plus, the lighting needs to be controlled so that the focus on on the models and not the audience. A yawning man in the front row will most definitely kill any picture.

What else? I think the music selection could really have been better. Designers seemed not to have provided their own music mixes and the organizers appeared to have selected all music from a CD of ‘Cello Instrumental versions of Hit Songs’.

But here’s what Day 2 was all about, fashion wise…

 

Sana Safinaz

The Last of the Night

 

 

I have to take my proverbial hat off for Sana Safinaz, the luxury firebrand that showed a mega collection at the Fashion Pakistan Week last month and now brought an equally exotic collection to the PLBW platform. There was shimmer, so much of it that one felt overwhelmed by the sparkles that appeared to be stars over an Arab desert. This was a collection akin to couture one would expect to see in Paris for a Middle Eastern clientele. Modern silhouettes with not a conventional cut in sight, this is how Sana Safinaz envisioned the bride of tomorrow.

Unfortunately the glass beads did break off an outfit but it happened more because the model stepped on the beaded tassels, not because of poor workmanship. And as a colleague said, the sparkling broken glass beads did create drama on the runway!

 

Misha Lakhani

Bagh–e–Bahar

 

 

 

There is bridal couture that weighs a bride down with the weight of her ensemble and then there is Misha Lakhani’s vision for bridal couture, which is fluid, lightweight and lends a sense of freedom to the woman who wears it. If bridal couture had to make a statement then this would be the feminist’s take on it for its emancipated and relaxed silhouette. Adding to its ethos was light jewellery and flat shoes; truly liberating. That said, this was an extension of what one had seen at FPW and therefore it lacked the novelty one had hoped for.

 

Mahgul

Darya

 

 

‘Stream of consciousness’ is a term I use a lot, especially when defining well thought out fashion and Mahgul’s collection, Darya, did embody that very term. Mahgul is not just a designer; she’s an artist with an unapologetic devotion to her craft. She’s a poet who uses colour and technique to create clothes that are odes to ideas. And this collection was all about ideas, from structured silhouettes, intricate 3D embellishment, petite customized accessories and hand made shoes. There was a thought process behind each ensemble, and the idea was not to sell but to create memorable couture.

 

Sania Maskatiya

Samarkand

 

 

You had to be seated in the front row to truly appreciate the intricate craftsmanship of Sania’s collection, dedicated to the Central Asian city. On surface it appeared like a gold dusted canvas, much like age old architecture under a bright sun, but on closer inspection you could see the motifs and colourful accents imbedded in its design. One also loved the bursts of colour that erupted every now and then. This was a collection that struck an elegant balance between commercial and creative fashion.

 

Early evening shows

 

Relatively new and upcoming designers were given an early day slot, as to separate them from the gala showcases, which featured established names. One has to commend the council for taking this step because new designers should be seen and critiqued in a different light and it does them no favours to be slotted amidst veterans.

 

 

So Part One of Day 2 began with the young label Jeem. The collection, Floating Poetry, brought a fun play of silhouettes and layers to the runway, hence standing apart from the mundane over loaded we usually see. The use of pinks and blues along with the conventional golds and pastels gave the ensembles a unique touch. Ahmad Sultan tried to play with dramatic silhouettes, however the generic colour palette soon got monotonous, overshadowing what could have been a better collection. Working with a darker palette, Sara Rohale Asghar opted for a commercially safe collection that will allow her to cement her footing in the competitive bridal market. And last but not least, Faiza Saqlain experimented with colour combinations and contrasting aesthetics, which did not always work.  – Mariam Tahir