Last weekend I attended the highly prestigious Pakistan Fashion Week which was held in Covent Garden,London. The splendid central London location was home to 39 designers for the weekend, showcasing everything from casual prêt lines to stunning one-off bridal gowns.
Here is a round up of the most striking collections on show over the weekend.
Aeysha Aejaz: Tie/Dye was the main theme in this contemporary collection. The delicate ruching and draping look was given a dynamic boost with contrast embroidery shades and patchwork. These stunning pieces were meticulously finshed off with crochet lace borders, animal prints sashes and chunky metallic gold zippers. It certainly is fair to say that Ayesha’s collection was a breath of fresh air.
Amir Baig: Bright and bold, with a fusion of contrasting necklines and borders, Amir’s collection celebrated the true Pakistani passion of colours. A generic print seen in the form of borders and placements was the main theme behind the collection. The silhouettes remained mostly classic but modernised with off the shoulder and halter neck cuts.
Bombay Stores: Representing one of only 3 UK based designers; Bradford’s very own Bombay Stores were also showcasing their shamoise silk collection at PFW. Colours palettes ranged from greys to teals and cherry reds to deep blues with fusion of prints in stripes and polka dots. Mixtures of silhouettes were seen from classic kurta cuts to more avant-garde contrast sleeved forms. Still continuing with shamoise silk, there were jumpsuit and palazzo trousers showcased to complete the themed collection.
Maheen Khan: Dubbed as the Coco Chanel of the East, Maheen Khan never fails to impress. Maheen chose to showcase her Gulabo collection which is inspired by truck art of Pakistan. The bright hues and classic cuts of Maheen’s collection make it very wearable albeit unique. Another focus was on accessorising; using berets and multicoloured bangles to release any bohemian goddess.
Nomi Ansari: Nomi’s collection was a great visual wonder; varying from bold digital prints to subtle toned, yet heavily embellished bridal wear. The diverse collection showcased contemporary cuts to well crafted corsets and traditionally prepared Pakistani bridal wear. We also had an opportunity to see selected pieces from Nomi Ansari’s menswear collection.
Zaheer Abbas: Fluid tailoring was Zaheer’s theme for his vintage collection. Beautiful silhouettes were created using soft cottons and chiffons with embellishments in delicate vintage gold embroidery. There was a mixture of patterns on show from front button maxi dresses to the more adventurous sheath dress. Beautifully themed and brilliantly executed, Zaheer Abbas conquered PFW.
Zeeshan Bariwala: Zeeshan’s designs burst forth in all their glory, standing as a testimony to hard work and perseverance. On show at PFW was a gorgeous collection of long, flowing gowns with multiple panels and layers. The collections had a common theme running throughout and were all finished off perfectly with delicate embellishments, contrasting borders and encrusted necklines.
