Shaan-e-Pakistan kickstarted one of the most anticipated fashion event of the year, Pakistan’s first ever Phygitial (held in physical space with digital transmission for world over) Fashion Summit 2021 in Karachi, attended by who’s who of the fashion industry. The Karachi edition was held at Dolce Vita Lounge, COM3, Clifton on Friday, 5th March.
With an air of luxury, style, fashion and beauty, the red carpet of the event boasted of note-worthy names. Following the national anthem, the attendees were warmly welcomed with an opening address by host Anoushey Ashraf and a performance by Ali Tariq. Later, CEO and Founder of Shaan-e-Pakistan, Huma Nassr, unveiled the memento of the Fashion Summit 2021 – ‘Pakistan Kay Dhaagay’. She elaborated the philosophy behind this and stated:
“Pakistan is known for its top-notch textiles. We cater to fashion giants around the globe and thus, textile builds ties for this country with the rest of the world. As a director of Shaan-e-Pakistan, we will continue to bring cultures together while also showcasing our country’s hospitality. Our aim is to use this medium of textile to connect people, exchange visions of iconic visionaries for the betterment of Pakistan.”
The Fashion Summit included insightful discussion on relevant topics about the fashion industry in Pakistan. Notable speakers and designers like Yousuf Bashir Qureshi, Humayun Alamgir, Sadaf Malaterre, Huma Adnan, Shamaeel Ansari, Farah Talib Aziz, Umar Sayeed, Zoha Danial (representing Ansab Jahangir Studio), Asad Hussain (Director AIFD), Mishayl Naek (Founder Pinky Gul), Sidra Khalid (representing Ideas by Gul Ahmed), Tanveel Azam (representing Urban Textile) as well as stylists Tabish Khoja and Amal Qadri, model Mushk Kaleem and Nadia Hussain and journalists Maliha Rehman and Buraq Shabbir, Anisa Rashid Khan (representing Raka Events), Ayesha Fahd and Fahd Nassr (Creators of Social Squad), spoke at length about the ‘in’s and out’s of fashion & design’, ‘fashion in the digital world’, ‘the business, crafts and showmanship of fashion’ and ‘fashion (now & then)’.
Each discussion was followed by an interactive question & answer session. Anoushey Ashraf and Hira Hussain were moderators for the panel discussions. The event also saw a unique fashion presentation curated by designer Huma Adnan.
Talking at the Summit, Nassr commented, “The main aim of promoting Pakistani culture through untiring efforts has always been part of my journey. Giving back to my community is my priority and has been a personal responsibility. However, I strongly feel that together via collaborations and unity, we can rise higher every passing day. From an economic perspective this will not only help provide opportunities for various artists (including musicians, fashion, art, etc.) but will also open more avenues for the industry as whole.”
“We have gathered together not just to spearhead serious dialogue around sustainability, responsibility, but also to explore the business of Pakistani fashion and textile and to understand the future consumers. We hope, this will further develop into a supportive platform for aspiring and existing fashion enthusiasts not just nationally but also on the international scape. I, Huma Nassr, am creating a fashion ring and proudly claim that fashion is a stronger subject than sports,” she added.
She further emphasized on the point that “Pakistan has created countless legends in various fields including music, sports, food but there still remains small vacuums that need to be filled in. We, at Shaan-e-Pakistan, aim to continue this Fashion Summit not just in every city of Pakistan but also explore cross-cultural collaborations with countries like Turkey, Sri Lanka and Dubai, where we will InshAllah be inviting maestros from the international world of fashion to our beautiful county. Pakistan Zindabad!”
The official music score for the Fashion Summit titled Chalta Ja is created by Hussain Dossa featuring Shehroze Hussain. The setup was specifically developed keeping all COVID SOPs in check, including social distancing in an outdoor venue with ample room for guests. Wearing masks was made mandatory for all attendees.
