10 talking points from Pakistan Fashion Week(s)

Pakistan recently had a huge fashion fix: PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week took place in Lahore during the second week of March and Fashion Pakistan Week recently concluded in Karachi. We round up all the highlights. 

1. The House Of Kamiar Rokni steals the show:

The standout collection this year in Lahore was that of The House Of Kamiar Rokni. It was luxurious, modern and deeply inspired by Pakistan’s cultural heritage. Dresses and pantsuits were made with traditional fabrics; jamavar and karandi were adorned with hand embellishments using thread, ari, and a local Sindhi “Ralli” patchwork technique. 

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2. Kameez became risqué

The kameez got a sexy do-over with sheer fabrics, daring cuts and cinched belts – designers made this wardrobe staple so much fun.

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3. Sports luxe rules

Sure, it's been around but some designers managed to put their own spin on it. Sana Safinaz mixed masculine, boxy tunics and cropped pants with feminine floral prints. Muse Luxe used embroidery and added long sporty dresses to the mix. Ali Xeeshan added a rock chic edge. 

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4. High voltage glamour

Karma Pink’s Studio 54-inspired line was devoted to shimmer. Designer Maheen Kardar Ali sent shift dresses and structured coats down the runway, with a generous dose of sequins. Zohra Rahman employed metal with snakeskin effect, to make chokers, earrings and bracelets. Picture gilded snakes wrapped around necks!

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5. Cool cottons

With the 'The Dot That Went For A Walk.' high-street label Generation’s talented new creative director Khadija Rahman offered her take on the salwar-kameez. She added texture, movement and layers to cotton ensembles. What emerged was an earthy, experimental collection, with a strong boho-chic vibe.

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6. Comeback kid 

At some point the salwar had been replaced by straight pants. But now we've seen the return of the salwar, in many avatars: narrow and cuffed, wide set and even dhoti-inspired cuts.

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7. Button up 

This was a clear favourite. We spotted a classic white button-down dress at Zaheer Abbas; a sheer cover-up at Gulabo; and a denim-on-denim salwar-kameez at Zainab Chottani.

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8. Colour wheel

Zahra Shahjahan, Shamaeel Ansari and Sublime by Sara Shahid put out collections dominated by dusty pinks and oranges. While Shahjahan and Shahid experimented with unique cuts, Ansari mixed prints, embroidery and heavy layering to bring on the drama. 

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10. Fine threads

Zonia Anwer merged bold, tribal-esque embroidery in red, white and blue. Her line was inspired by Ukranian art, and featured feminine cuts, off-shoulder tops, and light skirts.

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9. Power play

Maheen Karim, Nida Azwer and Muse featured strong, structured suits. Maheen Karim and Muse went with head-to-toe print, while Nida Azwer added embroidery to her peplum jackets. 

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