Now in its ninth edition, the Pakistan Fashion Design Council’s (PFDC) annual bridal week powered by L’Oreal Paris is the most talked about fashion show of and in the country. The fashion show touched its pinnacle in 2012, where the who’s who of the fashion and media industry rubbed shoulders at this giant of a platform. With the arrangements and mechanism behind making it happen remained the same, it is the line-up that determines whether the premises will attract traffic or not. The F-Rowers have shifted and changed over the years as well as the red/blue/black carpet attendees but the consistency with which the show keeps taking place makes us believe, PLBW is a force to be reckoned with, regardless of the once four-day fashion week now spanning three days. On Saturday, which was the concluding day of the coveted and the prestigious fashion week, a total of seven design houses exhibited their distinct bridal collections. Some wowed us, some entertained us, some made us yawn but most engaged us. Here’s a roundup of them all.
FAHAD HUSSAYN — you cannot expect a Fahad Hussayn show without drama. His collection was titled Labyagawachi – The Musical and as the name suggests, there really was a storyline attached to the showcase; there was a lot of dancing, twirling and swinging. Orange peshwases, red gota work angrakhas, black men’s sherwanis and red bridals were some of the most beautiful pieces from the designer’s collection. However, actress and producer Hareem Farooq who showstopped for the designer came out wearing quite an ill-fitted choli, regardless of the fact that we loved the stunning lehnga and the jewellery that came with it.
FAS — next up was FAS Design Studio with their collection Parwana Husan. Lacking a standout appeal, the jewellery was noticeably better than the outfits, especially menswear that came across as ill-fitted in unpractical colours and very tight pyjamas. The monochrome shalwar kamiz and black sherwanis added nothing new to what we’ve seen already. Giving forced volume to lehngas where it wasn’t even required was a deal breaker for bridals. Having said that, actress Kubra Khan’s gold lehnga choli was spectacular indeed but we wished the same for the otherwise gorgeous Aiza Khan whose bridal was not only visibly ill-fitted but the net neckline was a complete eyesore. Imran Abbas and Amanat Ali also showstopped for the designer. The collection comprised of luxe fabrics with floral fiesta created with 3D fleurettes and micro-pleating. We saw a lot of shararas, ghararas, and straight and long shirts as well as waistcoats and traditional turbans.
HSY — and at the end, the king of couture finally showcased the most awaited collection of the fashion week. The designer is definitely the king of contrasts with a rich and royal appeal to the outfits. Burnt orange paired with coral for bridal, beautiful peshwas and lehnga choli with black sherwani coats paired with straight pants were some of the most beautiful outfits. The collection was titled ‘Empire’. Lighter and darker shades were put together to create elegant outfits. Unique motifs and embroideries like dhagas, Resham Kora and Naqshi Kada were visible.
MNR DESIGN STUDIO — young designer Mohsin Naveed Ranjha opened Day 3 with his MNR Design Studio bridal collection Chahar Bagh. A lot of Eastern silhouettes that depicted art and architecture dominated the collection. We loved the soft colour palette, the embroideries and embellishments showing leaves and block printing. Outfits were apt for nikah ceremonies or mehndi functions. Outfits were graceful and sophisticated. Actors Maya Ali and Sheheryar Munawar showstopped for the designer.
NICKIE NINA — the veteran designer duo deserve a pat on the back as they nailed the bridal look altogether; the outfits were coherent, unique and experimental with lots of bling and east and west fusion. The colour combinations like silver and peach with lots of intricate detailing reflected the designer duo’s fashion acumen. The jewellery was stunning and perfectly complimented each look. Their bridal collection was titled Gulabkaar. There was a lot of delicate gota embroidery with crystal and mirror. For the collection, precious pearls were intertwined amongst floral patterns in karchob, sequins and stones on the traditional chunri prints. The signature vibrant pops of color in gold, silver, crimson, and salmon were featured across the collection. Actress Hira Mani showstopped for the designer.
NOREEN NEELAM — Noreen Neelam made her ramp debut at PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week (PLBW) 2019 with her collection titled Mumtaz Mahal. A lot of mukesh blended with stone work, crystals, sheesha work, gota and dabka was done on velvets. The designer could’ve worked well with contrasts as baby pink and blood red seemed off. It wasn’t just the colours that had bad contrasts but so did the fabrics. The fabrics for lehnga choli were different and were a complete mismatch.
REPUBLIC BY OMAR FAROOQ — the second last show of the day was by Republic with their collection titled Adamah. Perhaps the design house should stick to suits, boots, ties and pants as they eastern wear for men just didn’t work. Sherwani coats atop shalwar kamiz for men looked a bit ill-fitted and unnecessarily layered. The logo patchwork on front was out of place too. Following up, the suits, boots, ties and pants made us swoon and sigh. Perfection in their stitching, standout appeal to their colours and the quality of it speaking from afar made us realise why we love Republic so much. Model-turned-actor Emmad Irfani showstopped for the brand.
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