Day 4 of the coveted PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week was held on Tuesday at the Expo Centre, divided into that of a High Street fashion segment and Designer Showcases.
House of Arsalan Iqbal opened the concluding day with their collection titled Devolution Chic. With a sometimes vibrant and sometimes subtle colour palette, the design house displayed a collection that was Western prêt inspired, with short camisoles, digital printed chiffon jumpsuits, tunics, wide palazzos dovetailed with off-white and ecru charmeuse silk jackets created with a revolutionary quilting process. With a summer ready look, Arsalan Iqbal nailed it with a well-crafted collection for a woman who loves to stand out, look uber stylish and feel comfortable at the same time.
Pindi-based designer Erum Khan, who has created quite a stir in the Lahori couture market off late, was up next with her collection titled The Untainted Shine. We loved the ivory-based colour palette with hints of gold and copper yellow. Set in organza, silk, net, 3D flowers, patch work and antique katdanna mainly, the fresh and cool impact it had on the audience, made Khan one of the most-talked about designers of the evening. Renowned singer-turned-actor Goher Mumtaz showstopped for the designer, flanked by his wife Anam. Dressed to perfection, Mumtaz wore white pants, a white button down kurti paired with a white waistcoat. Anam wore a corresponding white dress with silk lower and an organza upper, intricately embellished with gold sequins and embroidered detailing.
Local fashion brand Chinyere was next with their collection Mizaj-e-Shahana. A dull and subtle colour palette was used mainly with grey kurta shalwar and waistcoats for men, modern silhouettes and traditional embellishments with organza skirts paired with cropped tops, angrakha-peplum tops with embellished cigarette pants, sheer knee-length jackets paired with structured digital printed bustier-jumpsuits for women. Chinyere remained true to their Eastern culture fashion with this collection.
Hassan Riaz with his Contained Shadows collection closed the High Street segment. Presenting knee-length dresses with net and organza gowns, lightly embellished with soft piping and flowers, the collection featured floral headgears, corsets and bustiers with distinct trends such as cropped tops.
Acclaimed designer duo Sana Safinaz opened the Designer Showcase segment with their collection, which consisted of a colourful ensemble featuring short kimonos with elaborate floral designing, waist belts with neon back and inner. We loved the candy colour display, which looked unique. The collection quickly transformed into that of an evening wear ensemble, where the showstopper dress worn by Mehreen Syed, was met with deafening applause. Monochrome ball gown with wide trail, mini corset and a balloon flair looked stunning.
Next up was menswear designer brand Republic. The signature subtle sophistication was once again rendered by the acclaimed designer Omar Farooq. His collection Que Sera, Sera! featured patched jackets, pullovers, scarves, pants and collared shirts. Award-winning singer-turned-actor Fawad Khan showstopped for the designer dressed to perfection and putting on his charm in a floral print grey jacket paired with black pants.
Syeda Amera made her PSFW debut with The World of Sea. The collection was indeed interesting, as we loved the blue skirts, with organza sequined tops. Giving a cabaret fashion look, Amera displayed pencil skirts, silk palazzos, blue net dresses with low V-backs and net sleeves. Ruffled short dresses with embellished backs were some key features of the collection.
Huma & Amir Adnan showcased a joint collection for the first time titled Symphony. We loved the merger of floral embroidery on ivory jackets and dresses. Floral embroidered pants and skirts were beautifully done. The filler men’s collection consisted of coats, jackets, sherwanis, chiffon scarves and silk shirts. We loved the collection for its Eastern touch, making it very wearable and marketable.
Karachi-based designer Sania Maskatiya was next with her collection Paristan. We loved the mauve embroidered jackets with pants and sleeveless capes. Ruffled gowns and skirts, layered dresses, beads and sequins embellishments were some key features. Fabrics like silk, organza, charmeuse and crepe, the pieces followed the brand’s signature silhouettes, both structured and fluid.
PFDC Chairperson Sehyr Saigol gave a powerful speech just before the grand finale showcase. She shared the Council’s plans to establish Pakistan’s first ever craft based Design District, a multi-purpose specialised facility that would assist in developing and enhancing the arts and crafts industries. The Design District would also house a first of its kind Textile Museum.
The finale was presented by acclaimed couturier HSY who showcased a collection titled Ink. We loved the textured, fun version of otherwise sophisticated sherwanis. They were set in yellow as undertones. The designer thinks big as a powerful women’s collection was displayed with gold belts, bolero tops and flowy layers. We loved the yellow skirts, with net and silk bustiers with heavy set embroidered sleeves.
