Lahore, March 30 (IANS) It was the young designers’ day out. The fresh ideas and innovativeness of designers like Burhan Khan, Mohsin and duo Moeed Yousaf-Faryal Aftab’s was the high point of the opening day of the third edition of the PFDC-Sunsilk Fashion Week as they replaced long hemlines and full sleeves with smart, chic wearable dresses.
Amidst cricket frenzy, the fashion week kicked off Tuesday with designer duo Nikki-Nina, who have been in the industry for past 20 years, unveiling their collections on the ramp.
The expectations weren’t too high from them as they had disappointed at last November’s Karachi fashion week. But surprisingly, the duo fared much better with their block-printed kurtas, lehengas and shirts. In fact, their block-printed leggings-cum-churidars were interesting. They had used tila work, thread embroidery and hand embellishments.
But the highlight of the evening were the young designers who decided to shun long hemlines and replace them with contemporary, modern dresses to woo fashionistas. It surely marked a new beginning in the fashion scene here.
The first to showcase was Burhan Khan, who unveiled a chic line of cool and casual contemporary designs for both men and women. Models strutted down the ramp in leather jackets, asymmetrical slim-fit trousers and crinkled dresses. Their grungy look further highlighted the collection with the heavy metal being played in the background creating the right ambience.
Burman Khan, a product of University for the Creative Arts in the US, launched his label Beekay in 2009 and first showcased his collection in Barcelona. This was his first show in Pakistan.
Likewise, Mohsin, who made his debut at Karachi and mesmerised with his designs, replicated the same effect on the audience here with his interesting headgear.
The USP of his collection was asymmetrical drapes – he draped ‘chaddars’ (sheets) in various styles. In fact, when he used a crinkled dupatta to convert it into a dress by using pins, many felt the young guy has in it him to push the boundaries.
But the best bet of the day was Muse, a label by Moeed Yousaf-Faryal Aftab. The duo presented a refreshing line, dominated by pastel colours – peaches and nudes with a dash of green, red and navy blue in the pattern. The colour combinations were delightful, so were the cuts of the garments.
They emerged as the stars of the evening.
Designer Fahad Hussayn, known for his draping skills, stuck to what he does best. Inspired by Portugese mythological characters, he used gotta work and embroidery on chiffon, velvets, nets, cotton, linens and silks.
Zaheer Abbas, another young designer, showcased ruffled, pleated dresses in purple, burgundy and grey colours and didn’t repeat any of the designs. The line was a mix of long gowns, mini dresses, pleated tops teamed with flared trousers.
Sahar Atif, one of the senior designers, showed a line that was dominated by hoops in various forms and sizes and he also used Kashmiri embroidery and cut work in the hues of black and white.
But, the disappointment of the day was Yahsir Waheed. His collection was inspired by the Gandhara civilization – he used digital imprints of the Buddha and lotus on kurtas and velvet track suits but failed to transform his inspiration perfectly. As a result of this, his collection turned out to be a distasteful curry.
