LAHORE: This weekend Lahore hosted the seventh PFDC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week (PLBW) featuring some of the most celebrated designers of Pakistan as they showcase the latest bridal couture collections. PLBW has always been one of the most talked about the event and as always, was an elaborate affair.
The event was attended by the who’s who of the fashion and entertainment industry to watch the country’s top models sashaying down the ramp carrying the stunning outfits elegantly. The evening shows at the final day featured designers Nomi Ansari, Saira Shakira, Nickie Nina, Sadaf Fawad Khan and the grand finale by Fahad Hussayn.
Nomi Ansari opened the evening bridal showcase with his collection ‘Qabool Hai’. The designer famous for his bridal wear showcased a collection with strikingly rich and intense colours. The colour palette ranged from peach, red and orange to vivid shades of magenta, blue and green.
Each ensemble of the 26-piece bridal collection featured both men and women designs and was a treat to eye for the audience.
The intricate work and details were inspired by the regal Islamic and Mughal iconography and was incorporated on each ensemble of the collection. Not only that, the floral motifs, birds and the digital print ensembles added a pinch of drama to the collection giving it a traditional yet contemporary vibe to it. The men’s collection featured sherwanis accessorized with a shawl and turban with embroidered motifs was another added point for Nomi. Maya Ali show stopped for the designer in a peach and pink lehenga choli with golden embellishments on the ensemble.
Next up was Saira Shakira with their collection ‘Artemisia’ featuring ensembles in pastel hues like grey, silver, mint green and maroon. The collection featured edgy silhouettes with traditional embellishments and intricate patterns on each ensemble. Tassels were again seen as a major part of the collection giving the collection a modern vibe for the modern brides.
The collection featured long kameez and lehengas, gharara pants, straight pants and cold shoulder kurtas. Not only that, it also featured heavily embellished full-length gowns and dupattas. The men’s collection was kept simple and sophisticated with solid colour sherwani’s in hues of yellow, mint green and pink. Iman Ali show stopped for the duo in a heavily embellished mint green full-length ensemble with a mermaid tail and cut-work.
The third designer for the evening was another dynamic duo Nickie Nina, who showcased their collection ‘ADEENA – Generation IV’ in collaboration with Gold by Reama Malik for the jewellery.
This collection was another colourful one for the evening where traditional met contemporary. Each ensemble had intricate Gota work, floral motif embroidered on traditional Chunri prints. Not only that, the collection featured Jamawar fabric for gharara pants, velvets, tissue and net tissue to create the eastern silhouettes.
The colour palette was vibrant with the gold, silver, royal blue, pink, yellow and red with gold and silver detailing on ensembles as the powerhouse celebrates the beauty, colours and grace of the East. Ahad Raza Mir and Sajal Aly show stopped for the designers in a golden and maroon sherwani accessorized with a shawl and a golden lehenga and shirt with red floral motifs and heavy embellishments on the outfit respectively.
The second last showcase for the night was debutant Sadaf Fawad Khan making her runway debut with SFK Bridal Collection ‘Elayna’ named after her daughter as the collection celebrates colours of the Moonbow (lunar rainbow).
Each ensemble was a masterpiece on its own. For a debutant, Sadaf Fawad definitely swayed us off our seats. The collection featured edgy cuts, modern silhouettes yet keeping it elegant. The metallic tones of red, blue, yellow, lilac and peach and green were definitely a treat for the eyes.
From lehenga cholis to sari’s this collection featured motifs with embellished zardozi crystals and appliqué work for outfits that shine and dazzle. It also featured crop tops, peplum tops, straight Jamawar pants and a heavily embellished silver cape giving it a contemporary silhouette for the brides who don’t want a traditional outfit on their big day.
Before the finale, the spokesperson for L’Oréal Paris Hair Care in Pakistan was revealed, who was none other than Mahira Khan. The superstar made a surprise appearance on the ramp and spoke about beauty and women empowerment.
The finale was Fahad Hussayn Couture showcasing their collection ‘Hoshruba: Dara Shikoh Aur Sunehri Churail’. As always Fahad tells the audience a story through his collection, this time depicting a parallel universe of current time and inherent taboos related to beauty, love and war.
The collection featured lehengas, dresses, straight pants, shirts and peplum tops adding the right amount of eastern and western silhouettes to the collection. Not only that, the designer stole the spotlight with his intricate silk thread embroideries, interlaced with delicate handwork on custom nets, organza, tissue, chiffon and other exclusive surfaces, alongside the in-house hand painted and vintage revival print.
The colour palette ranged from black, white, silver, red and pink with the details that caught the eye with one-off cuts, designs and accessories with detailing that combined the world of art, architecture and avant-garde adding the right amount of drama and colour to the collection.
The showcase featured a performance by Ali Sethi who wore a maroon trouser and shirt outfit supported by a shawl and Zeb Bangash in a cream coloured frock dress, who were the showstoppers for the designer along with Mikaal Zulfiqar who carried a black sherwani with a gold shawl and Amna Ilyas in a heavily embellished pink lehenga and kameez with gold work.