The fashion scene in Pakistan is getting bigger with each passing day. It seems that the coming of new designers in the industry every now and then is directly proportional to the number of fashion weeks being held in the country. Keeping that in mind, one must not forget the veteran designers who have made the industry what it is today right from the beginning. Thus, we introduce the new season of Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) Winter Festive 2017.
The fashion week kick-started with a grand solo show opening by couture queen Shamaeel Ansari at her residence on 11th September 2017. She presented a curated exhibition of ‘The Blue Tulip’; which was a first of its kind for Fashion Weeks in the country.
Shamaeel, who is known for presenting a unique set of collection, each revolving around a historical story, with the intricate work done on her masterpieces, each unique in its own way. This time was no disappointment, with a grand tapestry of colour from blues to golden, from reds to black, weave and exuberant designs, the designer displayed the collection in a fashionable walk-through solo show followed by a ramp show featuring top models like Sadaf Kanwal, Nadia Hussain, Sunita Marshall and show stopper Amna Ilyas, which received great appreciation from the crowd.
Rumi’s quote, “What you seek is seeking you” being the ethos for this fashion revelation, Shamaeel tells Pakistan Today that this had been all about research, curation inspired by Turkish Art, following the blue colour scheme, in an attempt to re-create Turkey, which was undoubtedly done amazingly. People from all around the world have been fascinated by the rich Turkish heritage that Shamaeel bought to life with her collection.
The show presented trendy jackets to embellished motifs of saw-toothed leaves, intricate embroideries paired with gold lattice on fabrics. Not only that, the detailing on each outfit caught the eye of every person present, from the long gowns to bridal wear, each with a unique cut including Ikat, which is cultural in Central Asia and Indonesia.
While talking to Pakistan Today about the collection, the designer was very excited about the show and said, “ I am very happy to have been given the opportunity to present the first solo show for Fashion Pakistan Council.”
“For being a designer who gives in to inspiration and curation, this is the best modality that I could do. As taking inspiration and creating something of your own takes a lot of research, how you want to turn things around,” she continued.
“For The Blue Tulip, I have put Ottoman gold work on my designs and given it a modern twist, so it is a metamorphosis of fabrics and creating a lot of ornate designs on each piece,” Shamaeel added.
The ambience at the Blue Tulip event was setting the right mood with the synchronized Turkish elements, including the authentic Turkish music, tapestry, recorded voice-over of Rumi’s quote and the ‘art installations’ which included paintings of Osman Ali Hamdi and Ottoman Sultans.
As we ran into Fashion Pakistan Council’s Chairperson Deepak Perwani, we asked him about what is in store for the next three days of the Fashion Week and about his feedback about Shamaeel’s collection.
“We are very excited about this new format for FPW and we absolutely love the gorgeous installations by Shamaeel.”
“The collection showcased today was lovely, each piece was a visual treat as far as art is concerned, and that’s what fashion is,” said Deepak, adding that “an artist with a blank canvas and she can paint as many colours as she likes; as we reveal FPW we are looking forward to the next three days which will feature fabulous collections by some amazing designers.”
FPW 2017 opening was surely a grand one, watch this space for more as we keep you updated on what goes on at the fashion week for the next three days.
