PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week April 2012: Day 3 Journal

PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week April 2012: Day 3 Journal

[April 16 2012] The Pakistan Fashion Design Council in collaboration with Sunsilk presented the third day of the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week. Day 3 marked the final day of the early evening Voile Shows with a special show for childrenswear and six designer pret a porter shows later in the evening.

Day 3 also witnessed the Ponds Gold Radiance Gold carpet roll out, where the new beauty line by Ponds was introduced by cosmetologist Shahida Zia along and her beauty advisers. Attendees were given expert skin advice by Shahida Zia herself. The Ponds Gold Radiance Gold Carpet also brought to PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week a unique installation by jewellery brand “So KFJ” by Kiran Aman who presented her collection entitled ‘Barzakh’. Made in solid black onyx projections, the designs in Barzakh were accentuated by the simple use of 22kt beaten gold accents dividing each solid shape symmetrically. The collection for the Ponds Gold Radiance Gold Carpet featured earrings, rings and pendants.

On Day 3, title sponsor, Sunsilk continued to present an exclusive booth for fashion styling, where complimentary hair styling and makeup touch ups with Nabila's salon team were available. The Sunsilk Expert Studio was again present, where fashion week goers had their pictures taken against the Sunsilk Wall to get instant, framed photographs as souvenirs. The state of the art PFDC exhibition area was also open from 4 PM onwards till 10 PM.

Voile Shows

The voile shows were opened by Ittehad Textile’s Lawn collection 2012 which showcased a range of prints and patterns exuding femininity, elegance and charm with silhouettes focusing on cut precision and drapery. The floor sweeping Eastern ensembles were adorned with embroidery, crystal and metal embellishment that resonates with royalty and featured an array of styles based on ethnic themes. In addition to the Eastern pieces, the collection also featured another sub-line consisting of digital prints, which drew inspiration from the scenic beauty of famous landmarks to legendary personalities.

With almost four decades of distinction in the textile sector, Ittehad Group of Industries has grown immensely. Launched in 1973 and first equipped with roller printing technology, Ittehad ensured a strong emphasis on quality control which has been popular with the Pakistani consumer since its first market initiation. Within a span of ten years, the company engaged the more sophisticated technology of rotary printing.  And over time, it has set consistent standards of industry excellence, committed to its philosophy of producing superior fabric.

The next show was by Sundus Nawaz who introduced her kidswear label “Rockstar Munks”. The playful and preppy debut collection drew inspiration from the popular cartoon series ‘Alvin and the Chipmunks’ and was dedicated to the children of the SOS Children’s Orphanage and Village, who also showcased the collection on the ramp. Sundus had used light weight knit, pure cottons, self-made buttons and glittery textured fabrics in her collection. The silhouettes were simple but deftly contoured with contemporary and western cuts.

Sundus Nawaz is a young entrepreneur from Lahore who runs her brand ‘Mosaic’. She is a graduate from the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design in 2010 with further diploma training from Paris Ecole De La Chambre Syndicale in 2009, Pieces from her final thesis collection “Harajuku Doll” were selected to showcase at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion week 2010 in Karachi. She has worked at high street retail brand Stoneage as a designer for their womenswear for one year and also worked as consultant designer for different brands. She is professional wall artist and art replicator and is currently working as an Editor for fashion magazine FAQ. She has been affiliated with the SOS Orphanage Children’s Village for the last five years and has always aspired to do a fashion show for children.

The third voile show of the evening was by Sadia Designers Lawn 2012 collection which was designed for women who appreciate the finer things in life. The brand believes a woman deserves to look and feel beautiful and this is what Sadia Designers Lawn 2012 promised to deliver; a sensation of beauty and grace for every woman who wears it - to deliver excellence with elegance.  The collection embodied a fusion of classic with contemporary and a blend of exotic and traditional designs set in vibrant hues and printed on premium quality fabric. 

Atif Yahya is the force behind the Sadia Designers Lawn label and has over twenty years of experience within the textile industry. Starting from the very foundations, learning everything about cotton, yarns, weaving, dyeing and printing fabrics, Atif Yahya’s casual interest in textiles fast became a passion fueled by skill, drive and ambition. Putting all his strengths and his love of fashion design to use, he started a garment and lawn fabric manufacturing business with offices now set up in Pakistan and abroad.

The finale of the voile shows of Day 3 was by Lakhany Silk Mills [LSM] with their Summer Lawn Collection 2012 which featured a comprehensive range of high quality yarn fabrics in a range of colors, shades, textures, prints and mood combinations. From ivory white to pure white, from copper to chrome, from sea blue to cobalt blue, from turquoise to magenta, from gold to silver, from grey to earthen tones and many more. Each design included premium quality fabrics with rich embroidered borders, laces, piping fabric, buttons, intricate designs of the ‘V’ neck pattern, different prints of sleeves with various accessories.

Lakhany Silk Mills [LSM] is a veteran textile manufacturing entity, known in the industry for their in-depth knowledge of the business and its products. The company specializes in producing high class products made from superior material, utilizing their state of the art technology & equipment. LSM believes in originality, character and quality to be the main ingredients of their foundation. With a vision of achieving the best combination of quality, style and price for their customers, Lakhany Silk Mills always strive for innovation and experimentation. LSM has brought to Pakistan different brands for different seasons and occasions, such as Intimate Expressions, Zunn, Magic Voil, Festinova & Life Style.

Designer Showcases

Act 1

Karma

Act 1 was opened by Karma's Spring Summer 2012 womenwear collection entitled ‘Seussical’ which was inspired from the whimsical literary works of the beloved children’s author Dr Seuss. Cult classics such as The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who, Green Eggs and Ham, How The Grinch Stole Christmas and his countless poems provide the design house the inspiration for the colour palette, motifs and creative direction. Hair, makeup and styling direction for the show was by Asmaa Mumtaz.  

The House of Karma was founded in year 2000 and has completed a definitive decade in fashion. The journey began with the aim of capturing its share in Pakistan’s growing couture industry. Driven by principles of originality, glamour and professionalism, the team at Karma embraced its mission giving first priority to satisfying its clientele. Karma consists of three brands, Karma Pink (Prêt), Karma Red (Couture) and Karma Princess (Girls Age 1-12) and this year launched a fourth, Karma Fabric. Today Karma is known to deliver style, taste and elegance and in doing so, it is revamping the image of the Eastern girl. With Maheen Kardar Ali as the fashion force behind the label and Saad Ali as CEO, Karma has not only won the Lux Style Award three times which includes the best Women’s Wear for Karma, Couture in Karachi and Dubai and the best Prêt wear for Karma Pink in Malaysia but as a company, revolutionized its sector as the market leader in providing a high fashion retail experience. This was Karma’s third showcase at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week.

Somal Halepoto

Following Karma’s show was Somal Halepoto’s womenswear collection entitled ‘Qudrat’. The collection was inspired by tropical birds, more specifically, their plumage which is fresh, bright and liberated. The collection was imbued with rich colors across a diversity of fabrics such as raw silk, chiffon, chamois with an emphasis on applique, thread work and block print detailing. The styles ranged from halter cut sleeves, straight shirts, round damans to flowy panels draped shirts, baggy sleeves, loose pants and tights.

Somal Halepoto graduated from the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture as a Textile Designer in the year of 2006. She emerged as a fashion designer and brand in 2009 and showcased casual, semi-formal, formal and bridal wear. Her work is fresh and vibrant, melding precision-perfect interplay of modern and traditional cuts and prints with splash of colour combinations on carefully selected fabrics with attention to detail and embellishments. Her designs are modern but based in an ethnic origin enhanced by the use of fine and intricate handmade embroidery with thread and other craftsmanship. Somal Halepoto has also been invited to participate in the upcoming Toronto Fashion Week in Canada will showcase for the first time at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week this April 2012.

PIFD

Act 1's finale show was by students of the PIFD. The collection represented creativity and innovation in garments achieved through pattern, draping and sewing skills taught at the PIFD. It covered the diversity of ethnic to chic and from traditional to audaciously prêt.

PIFD established six Constituent Colleges in 2011 with the support of the Ministry of Commerce, Govt of Pakistan in collaboration with Trade Development Authority of Pakistan, with the vision to promote indigenous industry in order to capitalise on the strengths of the local economy. These Colleges are operating in the cities of Islamabad, Multan, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Hala.

PIFD focuses on developing the student’s analytical, creative and technical skills so that they are made aware of the different possibilities and are capable of creating and promoting appropriate products for the global consumer of today. The School of Fashion Design, now, PIFD, has completed 16 years since its establishment. The school is proud to host an impressive track record of creating successful designers and at this event most of the designers showcasing their collections are either graduates of PIFD or graduates working for different established designers.

Act 2

FNKAsia

Act 2 was opened by FNKAsia’s summer 2012 womenswear collection which paid homage to the African-Amercian women’s rights activist Sojourner Truth and her message of equal rights for women. Her legendary words “Ain’t I a Woman?” were incorporated as the soul of this collection which passionately addressed the women of the world, especially Pakistan. The show began with a narrative by Huma Adnan’s daughter Parishae Adnan on the struggles of Soujouner Truth.   This collection was an ode to freedom and free spiritedness, which women desire and deserve. Trapezoidal and circular shapes collided and overlapped at will to create a merger of solid thoughts moving forward in a definitive direction. Bohemian in mood, the collection drew on a vivid indigo, Indian yellow, fertile green and ancient terracotta palette. These colours were blocked in bellowing hoods, lacy pockets and drawstrings to set the strong and rebellious mood of the collection. With emphasis on linens, laces and viscos, the collection further exhibited the use of hand block print and hand held embroideries with defined cuts and straighter structures.

Established in 2005 by Huma Adnan, FNKAsia is the most widely retailing high street brand of ready-to-wear women’s wear in Pakistan. The label’s philosophy is to recreate indigenous local crafts and take them from almost extinction to the future of fashion. FNKAsia has fast grown as a statement label, carrying the exuberance of culture in to the dazzle of red carpet glamour. FNKAsia has been nominated for a variety of awards and has showcased collections in California and Dubai with signature stores across Pakistan and internationally, in the US, Dubai also stocking in India.

Hammad-Ur-Rehman

The second show of Act 2 was Hammad-Ur-Rehman’s womenswear collection entitled “Sij Ubhran” which translates to sunrise, drawing inspiration from the Tharpakar district in Sindh; a district rich in tradition and culture and well-known for its fine embroideries. Through his collection, Hammad represented the idea of transformation through different colour shades similar to those present in each sunrise. To this end, the designers sunrise colour palette included coral, tangerine, yellows and fresh greens while black was the predominant colour used as a background for vibrant embroideries.

Hammad-Ur-Rehman is a graduate of the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design and secured the first position in the batch of 2010 for his work while also securing a coveted second position for his graduation collection in the same year. Having worked in the fashion industry with a prêt a porter label and a couture house first, Hammad launched his independent and eponymous label to be true to his individual style philosophy; to bring forth the application of tactile textures through the usage of unconventional materials for embellishments and enhancing key design elements. Hammad-Ur-Rehman debuted at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week in October 2011 with his collection entitled “Zarrkhanam”.  

Ali Xeeshan

Day 3’s finale was staged by Ali Xeeshan with his Spring/Summer 2012 collection entitled “Bano Rani”, drawing inspiration from a woman who has gone through the highs and lows of an emotional journey without losing the luxury of self-esteem and dignity. The designer represented this journey through his surface embellishment and emphasis on the elongated torso depicted in the collection. Opulently treated chiffon reflects the grace of Bano Rani and the high intensity of bright shades highlighted Bano Rani’s gesture for commitment with a diversity of silhouettes.

Ali Xeeshan is a graduate of the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD) and holds an honors degree in Couture and an award for the Best Collection at the institute. He takes inspiration and stimulation from within the Pakistani culture which the designer feels is still an untapped reserve of creativity. While predominantly a couturier focusing on formal and bridal wear, Ali has also diversified into a diffusion prêt-à-porter line, a formal collection for men and a complete range of accessories. Ali’s signature style can be found in his use of unusual shades of colour and high end luxurious fabrics merged with unconventional embellishment techniques in both traditional and contemporary cuts.

The PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week is being produced, choreographed and directed by HSY and his team with Maheen Kardar Ali and Zara Shahjahan for front stage management. Mohsin Ali and Akif Mahmood managed the exhibition area, Fahad Hussayn and Ali Xeeshan are working alongside the style teams for hair and makeup, Kamiar Rokni and Asim Naeem are overseeing green room [backstage] management.

The event is being coordinated by the Rteam, with foreign buyer and media management by Latitude and PR by Lotus.