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Pakistani fashion was celebrated amongst international fashion editors, film directors and esteemed marketing heads of huge corporations at the home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, The Kensington Palace for Fashion Parade. Encyclomedia’s young CEO Ammara Hikmat, thinks the project was successful in getting strong Pakistani aesthetics across borders making just the right connections with an international market. She says,
“The idea of Fashion Parade was to develop the finest entrepreneurial ecosystem for creative talent of the country outside Pakistan. This event is not just about exhibiting clothes, it’s about making meaningful connections, which will help stimulate new business in the field.”
Fashion Parade’s objective was to further retail and give Pakistani designers an international platform to showcase their creative abilities. The event was attended by many international names like Gurinder Chadda (film director of Bend it like Beckham fame), Zoheb Hassan, Sacha Stone, Ciro Orsini, Abbas Hassan and fashion heads like Ahlya Fateh of Tata Naka and Hiro and Radhika Harjani of Aftershock. The prestigious event was also attended by CEO of Vitabiotics Mr Kartar Lilwani, famous 90’s singer Sonique Clark and from the print world CEO of Asiana Magazine Ashok Dhawan also attended the show. A little star power was also added to the event by Ali Zafar in attendance who was invited by Marketing guru, Suhel Seth, to draw the raffle prizes at the event. Sadia Siddiqui, dynamic CEO of Mustang, who managed the event said
“Fashion parade was launched in London to bring the world of Asian Fashion to the capital and to show the wonders of Pakistsn design. It is important to me that UK sees another side to Pakistani culture.”
The event was successful in pleasing international audiences of the 7 designer collections that were showcased at the event. The opening of the event was done by the famous Faiza Samee, one of the pioneers of the fashion world in Pakistan, who showcased a bohemian collection that featured floaty printed jackets and block print palazzos. Light, luxurious fabrics in variety of silks employing a variety of textures and weaved in fresh spring colours seemed apt for the season and were aesthetically pleasing pieces. Ayesha Farooq Hashwani showcased one of her strongest collections giving rise to a perfect fusion of eastern and western embellishments and cuts.
Seher Tareen’s collection was a strong interpretation of Gustav Klimt’s paintings. A relatively new designer with a very drong design philosophy, her collection was very well received at the event. The fashion powerhouse Aashni & Co. chose to present Anamika Khanna’s most recent collection. The deeply feminine and sophisticated collection comprised soft tones of grey and delicate lace juxtaposed with either black or pops of vibrant colours.
The second half of the show was opened up by Zara Shahjahan’s famous lovebug collection. Her quirky prints and embellishments along with beautifully styled cuts came out to be a big hit at the London Fashion Parade. The collection was the right amount of edgy yet minimalistic fusion in the prêt pieces. Naznin Tariq’s bold ethnic jewelry pieces paired up with Romero Bryant’s sleek and beautiful dresses became one of the most impactful collaborations at the ramp. The strong embellished jewelry showcased the true ethnic celebration of Pakistani culture on the very western Romero’s red carpet dresses. The finale came with Nomi Ansari’s collection “Gravity” that was an instant hit due to its elaborate fashion pieces and perfect styling. Minimalistic make up and edgy accessories made perfect style statements giving the event a very apt closing. Keep it locked on Urban Asian for more updates!
