Fakhra Rafique's Blog: PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week: Day 3 Journal

PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week: Day 3 Journal

[December 21, 2011]: L’Oréal Paris, the world’s leading beauty brand, and the pioneering Pakistan Fashion Design Council [PFDC] presented day 3 of the PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week - a platform that endeavours to define and present contemporary and traditional Pakistani Bridal fashion, jewellery and make-up trends, which together create the ‘look’ for the Bridal Season 2012.

The third day of the PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week was dedicated to fashion designers showing their bridal collections with solo shows by Ali Xeeshan, Rouge, Sara Rohale Asghar and Asifa & Nabeel. It was attended by celebrities, media as well as the fashion fraternity. Each day of PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week is being styled by a different creative team and to this end models on Day 3 were styled by Toni&Guy led by Shammal Qureshi with men’s styling by Khawar Riaz.

The PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week is being produced by Catwalk Productions, with event coordination by R-Team, set design by Hamza Tarar, official photography by DragonFly and public relations by Lotus. The Black Carpet for PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week is sponsored by Damas.

Fashion Show: Ali Xeeshan

Day 3 of the PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week was opened by Crimson by Ali Xeeshan with a collection titled ‘Pahalgam’. Named after the breath-taking city in the valley of Kashmir, the Pahalgam collection was the designers’ interpretation of what he envisions the city to look like and the magnificence it captures. His collection represented brides adorned in plain fabrics of different kinds; ornamentation and decoration-free clothes that represented a vivid play of colour. With Pahalgam, Ali looked to prove that style and beauty originate from within a person’s own character rather than the amount of embellishment on a piece of clothing. Designed especially for today’s chic bride who wants to pull off an unconventional ensemble, Ali Xeeshan’s Pahalgam bridal showcase highlighted that the splendour brides relish, will only come from within.

Ali Xeeshan is a graduate of the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD) and holds an honours degree in Couture and an award for the Best Collection at the institute. As a designer, he takes inspiration from within the Pakistani culture. Having diversified into a diffusion prêt-a-porter line, a formal collection for men and a complete range of accessories as part of Crimson by Ali Xeeshan, Ali Xeeshan is predominantly a couturier focusing on formal and bridal wear with a signature style of using unusual shades of colour and high end luxurious fabrics merged with the unconventional embellishment techniques in both traditional and contemporary cuts.

Fashion Show: Rouge

Following Ali Xeeshan’s bridal showcase was a solo fashion show by Rouge with a contemporary fusion collection; a tribute to designer Faraz Manan’s mother, Memoona Manan. Crafted in Persian cultural embroidery, ‘zardozi’, with jewel-based embellishments across colours such as navy blue, kelly green, gold, off white and coral pink – Memoona’s favourite colours – ganga-jamni was also used in select outfits, creating an overall vintage look and feel.

The brother and sister duo behind Rouge, Faraz and Sundas Manan, took over their mother’s business, and are sought-after for their couture and bridal wear, locally and internationally. With Faraz’s degree in Economics and Sundas as a graduate from the coveted London College of Fashion, Rouge has had the honour of designing couture for Victoria Beckham as well as the Saudi Royal Family. Speaking about his label, designer Faraz Manan said, “Rouge is about modern silhouettes with an Eastern touch embellished to give a vintage look incorporating local fabrics.”

Fashion Show: Sara Rohale Asghar

Sara Rohale Asghar’s bridal week collection drew inspiration from the rich wedding culture both in rural and urban Pakistan. Entitled ‘Tehzeeb-e-Baymisaal’, the collection consisted of a wide range of chiffons, silks, keem khabs, jamawars and zarris. With a variety of cuts such as a-line, structured to the more flowy silhouette, S.R.A.’s collection for PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week maintained her signature style embellishment with intricate detailing using dabka, stones and gems. A collection set in a range of colours, ‘Tehzeeb-e-Baymisaal’ had been made specifically for a range of wedding ceremonies such as the Mehndi, Baraat and Walima. Canadian-Pakistani band “Josh” performed live for Sara Rohale Asghar performing a medley of their popular songs.

Speaking about her label, Sara Rohale Asghar said, “The philosophy at S.R.A. is to create clothes which are unique, have individuality and have market viability. The objective is to amplify and enhance one’s personality while maintaining traditional grandeur.”

A Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design graduate in 2006, Sara Rohale Asghar [S.R.A.] started her career as a fashion designer with the label Meeras by Nilofer Shahid where she co-designed a collection which was showcased in Paris in January 2007. She launched her brand the same year and is currently stocking her luxury prêt wear at the PFDC [Lahore] and L’atelier in Islamabad while designing custom couture at her studio. S.R.A.’s designs are known for their detailing, style and grandeur manifest within the signature embellishments and embroideries set in a unique mix of colours. With a focus on the motifs and patterns from design to placement, S.R.A. gives each of her pieces a custom look with a blend of originality and novelty yet always remaining closely knitted to Pakistani cultural roots.

Fashion Show: Asifa & Nabeel

The day closed with Asifa & Nabeel’s bridal week collection, titled ‘Ottoman Royalty’. The collection was inspired from the treasures of Ottoman sultans such as the armour worn studded with diamonds, coffee sets in solid gold studded with rubies and emeralds and followed the history of the defeat of the Ottomans by Kemal Ataturk, forced to leave behind their prized possessions, including the famous peacock throne of Bahadur Shah Zafar. The show opened with the title song of popular Pakistani television serial “Humsafar” sung live by musician Quratulain Balouch (QB), which was followed by another live musical performance by singer Bilal Khan. The show concluded with another song by QB.

Asifa & Nabeel is an established label, having been around for the past 13 years and is well renowned and respected for its Bridal, Prêt-à-porter and Couture lines. In 1998, their innate creative talent and keen sense of design resulted in an exhibition that completely sold out during the set up for display. This proved to be a compelling source of encouragement for the duo and since then, their efforts are manifest in ensembles that spell ethereal elegance and panache. Indeed, their signature style is found in their flamboyant use of diverse fabrics and unique interplay of colours and cuts. The brand currently retails in three of Pakistan’s major cities as well as to an international clientele.