Ali Xeeshan closes PLBW Day 1 with dramatic fervour

LAHORE: The change of the season marks the onset of wedding fashion shows which pretty much dominates the social calendars until the actual wedding season. It is where fashion-goers get a chance to translate the trends and designs from the ramp to reality. The Pakistan Fashion Design Council [PFDC] commenced its annual Bridal Week in collaboration with L’Oréal Paris (PLBW) on Wednesday in Lahore with an impressive lineup of designers which included Nomi Ansari and Ali Xeeshan, who showcased his collection in a dramatic solo show. Other designers who presented their collection included Hussain Rehar, Saira Shakira and Rema & Shehrbano.

PLBW 2018 officially kicked off with haute couturier Nomi Ansari presenting his collection titled Maya (Illusion). Nomi has recently been making waves designing costumes for all recently released films including Parwaaz Hai Junoon, Teefa in Trouble and Load Wedding.

Naturally, his collection was attached with high expectations and we are glad to report that his collection delivered. Nomi stayed true to traditional Pakistani fashion working with sumptuous tulle, pure organza and sheer layers to create voluminous silhouettes, including flowing skirts, wide pants and dhaka pajamas. Moreso, his collection was probably the most vibrant of them all with colours ranging from ivory to apple green, candy pink to yellow along with gold, red, magenta, midnight blue and noir black.

His menswear collection was also dotted with bright and heavily embellished sherwanis paired with straight-cut pants. The background music perfectly complemented the theme and setting of his show, pulsing the audiences.

As evident from his collection’s title, Nomi’s showstopper was none other than Maya Ali who looked absolutely gorgeous in an aqua green lengha choli with statement sleeves. Definitely, something someone in the bridesmaid’s party can carry with flair.

The other two line-ups in the grouped show, Hussain Rehar and Rema Shehrbano, passed in a blur. Rehar’s collection, an amalgamation of traditional and tribal elements, though being edgy and pleasingly minimalistic was a tad bit confusing. Most of his ensembles were short heavily embellished dresses.

Meanwhile, Rema and Shehrbano’s debut ramp collection Sophia was dominated by pastels and florals with a lot of gota work and to be honest, they have been overdone quite a bit. However, there were a couple of eye-catching outfits such as the midnight blue velvet shalwar kameez which screamed ‘winter weddings’. It was refreshing to see velvets for the first time in the night considering that they are a winter wedding staple. On the other hand, the final outfit donned by Mehreen Syed was a ruffled disaster along with the bright neon orange saree which was blinding, to say the least.

Saira*Shakira presented their bridal collection Fairuza, inspired by Persia, in a solo show, with actor Saba Qamar showstopping for them. Unfortunately, their collection dotted with white, grey and ivory outfits, was mundane. However, the designer duo presented smart and edgy cuts which were different from the other collections. The addition of beautiful hairpieces and jewellery somewhat made up for the dullness.

Ali Xeeshan closed the first day of the event with a majestic show complete with fireworks and a stunning set courtesy Dolce Vita Home. The background music added an extra layer of energy to his show, making it a truly unique experience.

Xeeshan’s shows and collections usually have a message attached and this year’s show highlighted how much the world today is attached to social media. However, the theme only followed until the viewing of his fashion video and apart from a few props here and there, there was little to no connection to the theme. Nonetheless, his collection, dominated by effervescent shades of red and black, was a mix of traditional and contemporary cuts and was nothing short of a visual treat, boasting wearable ensembles. His menswear collection was also impressive proving that Xeeshan is truly a league apart.

PFDC’s Fashion Week is one of the most coveted fashion events of the year and sets the tone for the season’s trends. However, the first day of the event did not give much to take home. Pastels and light colours with heavy embellishments continue to dominate the collections. It appears that in their quest to present ‘pretty outfits’ to the customers, designers limit their creativity.

The makeup was also low-key with light eyes and lips. Nabila stuck to the usual no-makeup look which is getting a bit boring now. It is time that makeup trends also undergo some kind of transformation.

Apart from a few eye-catching numbers from seasoned designers including Nomi Ansari and Ali Xeeshan, most of the show was nothing different from the previous fashion shows. Having said that, the rest of the line-up for the fashion week is impressive and we hope to see new trends during the next two days.