BCW’17 Day 1: A night all about glitz and glamour

The fashion industry as we have seen in the past has upped its game and has become one of the leading industries in the country.

As this trend has increased, the number of fashions has proportionally increased; and so the 14th edition of Q Mobile Hum Bridal Couture Week 2017 kicked off in Karachi on Friday.

Just like old times the bridal extravaganza is being hosted by HUM Network for three days to display the bridal trends for the upcoming season.

It may be just another fashion show, but what caught the attention of the audience were the collections displayed by eight designers on QHBCW’17 Day 1.

From Amir Adnan to HSY, Day 1, has certainly been a treat to eyes for some collections and for some

it hasn’t, thus raising the bar higher to Day 2.

The first show on Day 1 started with a bang with Amir Adnan opening the bridal week with his collection ‘An Ode to Heritage’ which was the perfect blend of elegance and simplicity. The work and embroidery have been inspired be generations of culture and heritage. The pastel colour palette was appealing to the eye, which was further appreciated because of the intricate work is done on each piece.  This collection has paid tribute to the old heritage and history by following the cuts and designs that remain timelessly elegant throughout the years.

The next in line was Yasmin Zaman‘s Jashan e Bahar, which as the collection’s name suggests was about celebrating colours. The bright colours were not only displeasing to the eyes, but the idea of the props along with the work and cuts did not make it to the top of the list for us.

Next up, was one of the few collections that couldn’t have done it better than it did at the show last night was Rizwan Ahmed’s ‘Sonehri’. This collection was inspired by the old traditional cuts and experimenting with his signature style. He wanted to revive the use of golds through his remarkable collection. The use of fabrics like silk and chiffon, incorporation of colours in the embroidery along with the long silhouettes made it one of the best collections from the opening show. The gorgeous Sara Khan and Agha Ali walked the ramp as showstoppers for Rizwan’s collection.

As the night continued, Impulse by Aisha Farid displayed her collection ‘Mughal Mahal’ next, which was inspired by the Mughal era architecture, beauty and interiors. It was all about the power of ‘Maharanis.’ This collection was neither pleasing nor displeasing to the eyes. The colour palette was a mixture of traditional golds and pastel along with purples with intricate work done on each piece. This collection witnessed a number of show stoppers like Aizah Khan, Danish Taimoor, QYT, Zahid Ahmed, Noor Khan, Sami Khan and Sana Fakhir.

The show 1 finale was a combination of eastern and western put together by Naushad Imdad. The collection was titled ‘Eminence III’. Even though it was a prequel to his collection ‘Eminence IV’ displayed in previous and it was all about the modern man looking for a contemporary look, this clearly didn’t seem appropriate for the bridal week. The heavy embroidery done on the velvet suits, along with the colour palettes used for the designs was very displeasing. The collection could have been better if the idea of mixing ethnic wear with tailored suits was not taken up.

Overall the first show was something good, something bad, could have been better, but the audience did have a great night throughout.

Just as the show ended and everyone headed back to the red carpet to enter for the next show, we were able to spot a few celebrities gracing the show. Among them was veteran actor Javaid Sheikh, Jewellery designer Samreen Vance, Sara Gandapur among others.

And so we headed towards the next show for the night. Show 2 displayed collections by designers Arslan Iqbal, QMobile star, Gogi by Hassan and one of the veterans in the industry HSY.

Arslan Iqbal’s collection ‘Zauq’ was a fun collection with a lighter colour palette of blues, goldens and reds. The neatly done sherwani’s had improvised versions with dhotis, kurtas and so on. The effort put in the collection was clearly visible from the embroidery done on the dyed raw silk, woven Merino wool and silk weaves. The embellishments were hand-done in the most delicate of zardozi, padded for a bas-relief effect. This collection was a good start to show 2, with little infants walking the ramp with the models as show stoppers, along with the very handsome Ali Kazmi.

Following that was a special segment featuring QMobile star Gogi by Hassan- a collection which gives tribute to the grandeur of the golden era for a Pakistani bride. It brings back the old traditional bridal designs, giving patronage to the rich culture and heritage of the east. It displayed the traditional heavily designed gharara, along with the organza fabric used made it a unique collection displayed during the show. The idea of depicting the culture that goes back to the heart and soul of bridal fashion made it one of its kind. The use of props which the models held as they walked the ramp connoted the idea that the bride is off carrying the ‘jahaiz’ with her as she gets married.

Lastly, the first day’s finale was none other than the best HSY. This collection titled ‘1909’ was all about the old times. It has been inspired by the time when the HSY Mansion first opened in Karachi. The clean work and embroidery done on the sherwanis were no match for the others. The traditional colours, red and gold could be seen in the majority of the pieces which not only redefined vintage glamour but stole everyone’s breath away. The fabrics used, texture, surface embellishments, colours is everything a woman in today’s world would highly appreciate. Not only that, a cherry on top of HSY’s display was the show-stopper Bilal Ashraf walking the ramp with his dimple.

Overall, the second show should be given bonus points for putting up a better show than the previous one. Thus, concluding Day 1 of QHBCW’17. Everyone now waits for the display on the second day of the fashion week.