If memory serves me right then it was Zeba Husain, in recent years, who upped the ante for fashion in Pakistan. We had fashion shows before, of course, but she initiated the ‘mother of all shows’ the Carnival de Couture several years ago. It changed the entire dynamics of how fashion was put up and things were never to be the same again. The Carnival led to the opening of Ensemble in Karachi and Lahore, the Ensemble fashion shows and now, fashion installations at the store. Brilliant conceptualization by Wow Factor, support from L’Oreal and with Zeba running the show, you had another great event to talk about. Aesthetically it was superb, from the tasteful red carpet to the gourmet finger food and of course the displays themselves.
Ensemble Karachi shifted residence yesterday, moving into a bigger and much more impressive retail space. Though the venue was spacious it still wasn’t enough to accommodate the 500 odd people who has assembled to see designers HSY, Sadaf Malaterre, Sana Safinaz and Umar Sayeed present their collections in the form of active window displays. Models entered and posed as mannequins, striking one savvy pose after the other. Not completely original, the idea was fresh for Pakistan and very well received. Fashion shows, after all, are coming a dime a dozen thanks to fashion weeks and this was one way to break the monotony.
One did not get to take a detailed look at the collections up on the racks but Sabyasachi was a name that didn’t miss the eye. He is officially stocking at Ensemble as of now. And he is one of almost two dozen names retailing at the new Ensemble premises. It’s been a great year for fashion so far and one hopes the industry will continue to go from strength to strength.
As far as Ensemble is concerned, the buzz this evening generated around an exclusive launch for Sana Safinaz scheduled for early next month and the grand TRC Carnival de Couture on April 30, when Zeba plans to fly the show out to Lahore. Reportedly it is going to revive the grandeur of the charity ball that has suffered under the weight of national instability for two years in a row. Not anymore, one is all geared up for some exciting cross border activity. Fingers crossed!
Ps. Pictures of the event coming soon (bless Selina Rashid for being proactive and super professional) with commentary!
