It was surreal to enter Karachi's Expo Centre and observe a red carpet filled with fashion designers and journalists. And afterwards, to enter a corridor where a bent catwalk became the overwhelming focus, flanked on the two sides via seats marked with assigned IDs. I was brought back to the time when entering such venues at least twice a year to see an entourage of designer showcases was easy to work. At the point when style weeks have pretty much become dull, credit goes to the Exchange Improvement Authority Pakistan (TDAP) for including a multi day style show as a component of the current year's Material Exhibition (TEXPO2023), carrying out the catwalk and uniting an originator setup which comprises of a few exceptionally interesting names.
Before the show started, people hoped that the catwalk would signal the return of fashion weeks and the fashion industry breaking out of its retail rut and becoming more exciting. One recalled fashions that had been on the runways in Karachi and Lahore weeks before the coronavirus outbreak, including some memorable collections.
Unfortunately, the first day of the TEXPO2023 fashion show featured few such collections. The show was very efficient and moved flawlessly enough. Nubain Ali arranged well and the styling by group Nabila working behind the stage was a treat to see. However, after beginning on a high note, the fashion quickly began to alternate between the positive, negative, and ugly.
One had imagined that Pakistani design might have had supernaturally increased its down now and become zeroed in on advancing heavenly, restless assortments. Instead, the fashion at TEXPO2023 won some and lost some, just like it did at those pre-Covid fashion weeks.
Naturally, there is more to Rizwan Beyg's design prowess than just the finely detailed and intricate hand embroidery that regularly emerges from his atelier. One has always known this. He has been seen working outside of the realm of embellishment, focusing solely on silhouettes and patterns with a needle and a gimlet eye.
Despite the fact that Rizwan's most recent runway encounter and social media fashion shoots have been dominated by embroidery and bling, one was aware of this but may have forgotten about it. So, Rizwan was trying to remind us of this show, and what a reminder it was!
He made a flouncy skirt, a wispy summer dress, a light cowled shalwar, and an easy-going men's shirt by tweaking and draping viscose fabric on an ivory canvas. The only accessories were bright leather belts, leather bags, and a variety of chunky silver jewellery. The material flowed in layers that were seamless.
It was effortless high fashion, minimal, and exquisitely tailored. It was a breath of fresh air in a world filled with embroidery, glitter, and excessive design.
Why has Adnan Pardesy been away from fashion for so long? How is it that he could do as such, when he is equipped for making such a champion style, of taking a nonexclusive texture and embellishment it in compelling new ways? He did that to himself and to Pakistani fashion as a whole. How could he do that?
The planner had skillfully played with denim back when he had quite recently begun his vocation, wowing pundits and setting up a good foundation for himself as one of design's most encouraging new names. This occurred in 2011. Now, in 2023, Adnan went back to the fabric and treated it, dyed it, washed it, bleached it, woven it, added pin-tucks, pleats, and applique, changed it to 50 different blues, and made catwalk magic on it. The sleeveless shirts and the kurtas, the layered skirts and the laser-engraved hot jeans, the shoulder-less dress with the long path and the cowl shalwars, all decorated by OTT metal adornments planned by Adnan's better half Rija Miabhoy — this was dressy meets easygoing, couture meets road wear and for the most part, extremely, cool.
No comments: