With back to back fashion shows, this past month was more than eventful to say the least. First there was theKarachifashion week, then bridal couture week and this weekend marked the end of PFDC fashion week. Hoards of glitterati flocked to venues hoping to see some good clothes, to socialize with beautiful people and to amp up their otherwise banal lives. But after a few of these presentations you suddenly start feeling this urge to yawn, because after one or two of them all of the collections start to look very run of the mill and cliché
As models started to parade down the runway one after another at KFW , one couldn’t help but notice that a lot of clothes lacked that savouir faire,there were western rip offs of Jennifer’s jumpsuits and poor finishing on garments, inconsiderate colour choices and some even resorted to sorry act blatantly copying other Pakistani colleagues as well (most notably new menswear brand copying the older collection of Munib Nawaz).At the couture week, it was battle of extravagance through and through with embellishments so fine and fabrics so regal that they sometimes outshined the actors that wore them. At the PFDC shows,veterans such as HSY and likes stuck to their tried and tested designs ,however collections of some recently graduating fashion students and few others such as Khaadi Khaas,Ayesha Hashwani and Kamiar Rokni proved to be ray of hope in this dismaying situation.Nonetheless sadly all except few of designer’s lacked the commercial viability and only scored high on artistic craftsmanship and aesthetics.
Eponymous handful of veteran models such Nadia Hussain, Rabia butt and Faiza Ansari stole the show,with the exception of Iraj who at times was on the verge of runway overkill, the ever elusive Iman Ali also showed up at one of the ramps,Reema ,Shaan and Wasim Akram graced the runway.But all in all zombie-like walks of the newbie’s added much needed humor and explained lack of capacity building and training at model’s end pretty well.
To the press, organizers of such fashion shows touted of portraying softer image, development of indigenous economy, opportunity for export promotion and the likes. But I beg to differ, We all have heard this before, but at the end of the day the claims have failed to materialize .We cannot continue to burry our heads n the sand like ostrich not anymore at least. Just because we are having more shows it doesn’t mean the industry as a whole is prospering. Non- formalization of modeling contracts, Intellectual property rights violations, lack of sponsors/venture capitalists are some of the problems that still haunt the industry .Moreover It wont work for domestic textile industry because most designers use imported fabric from south east Asian countries or even worse illegally smuggled fabric from neighboring Afghanistan border.
Besides, the fashion fraternity may lack the essential espirit–de-corps but it should never mean that a country should have 4 to five representative bodies and hold numerous fashion weeks whenever their egos may desire. Can’t have one for the sake of having one. it should be taken seriously as a business and at the same time as a craft
All of this pejorative write-up should not paint a pessimistic outlook, We all are quite aware of the fact that Bridal couture, lawn series and T shirts sell like anything in Pakistan , and hopefully they will continue to do so in future as well
Given the unfavorable exchange rate and a decrease in purchasing power, the majority of fashion labels wont be viable in the long run if they continue to do business the way they do (by selling one or two avant-garde pieces or by selling designer lawn).We would have to reevaluate our business practices and probably our vision as a industry to if we aim to continue doing the business or otherwise it would flame-out like IT bubble in Pakistan.