Debutante and fashion’s usual stars shine

KARACHI: Maheen Khan

Maheen Khan’s feminine berets might make their way into your wardrobe in all their blooming glory, but teamed with printed ‘monumental’ jumpsuits and pants, they tread precariously on the fashion tightrope. Her otherwise chic, casual look that boasts enough colours to brighten a dull, autumn day has enough appeal to drag us to Gulabo this season. The cropped pants and kurtis with standout markhor prints are statement pieces that gracefully fuse culture with high street fashion and resound elegance. And if you want to inject a pop of colour into your look, just lace up with the ultra-hip sneakers.

Shamaeel Ansari

With fall leaf prints on clothes and spring flowers in hair, Shamaeel Ansari’s opening outfits displayed warm oranges reminiscent of autumnal leaves, appliquéd on cream silk and lace outfits. Cybil and Neha’s hair bloomed with white flowers of spring that raised expectations. What followed were soft, flowy, tunics knotted and tasselled to perfection, and paired with soft, baggy lowers. One-shoulder, peak-a-boo sleeves, tassels and lace appliqué were some of the main features of Shamaeel’s collection — elegant and certainly high on craftsmanship.

Deepak Perwani

Deepak Perwani’s Frieda Khalo from Kharadar to Defence collection fused monochrome with floral prints — a delicate balance that paid off. His opening look donned by Iraj was a hit — a bright yellow, printed shirt paired to perfection with monochrome turn-over pants embroidered with a bright, bold border. The black knee-length skirt with traditional pink and white threadwork, coupled with a Victorian-inspired black, chiffon top with delicate lace detail was praiseworthy in all its sheer beauty.

Sometimes the simplest looks make the strongest statements, and this was definitely the case with Deepak’s collection. His short, mullet dress with soft folds and a striped jumpsuit with floral detail, oozed sophistication. But unfortunately, the sophistication was gunned down by the red and white flowers that adorned Neha’s hair. Too much and too little can be dangerous when it comes to styling — designers please take note!

Ayesha Ibrahim

Sheer catastrophe is what we’re labelling Ayesha’s night gown-like collection. Each look was dotted with confusion; the white shorts, if you can call them that, seemed more like cropped men’s Bermudas and cut off at a very unflattering length. The chiffon dresses with silk brocades and sequinned embroidery were a far cry from the elegance exuded by Deepak’s dresses and the colour blocking had a lot to be desired — black and turquoise clearly being an unpleasant match.

Ahmed Bham

A nice suit can make any man look dapper and sophisticated, but we can’t pay that compliment to Ahmed Bham’s latest collection. Either the models had pumped up some iron just before the show or the coats were intentionally too fitted from the chest. The sharp and clean cuts were funked up by an unusual colour palette. Although the overall collection was not very tasteful, the bow ties were redeeming and the black suit with thin stripes was borderline classy.

Umaima Mustafa

Umaima Mustafa’s debut collection for the Pakistan Expo on the second day of the Trade Development Authority Pakistan’s (TDAP)fashion segment displayed an array of outfits that embodied both, day and night wear. She used a softer colour palette of nudes, beiges, whites and dull golds, adding edge with black at times. Her nude sequenced and quilted blazer worn over a lace top and baggy shorts was bang on trend and effortlessly chic. Her design with dull-gold, chiffon palazzos and a black and gold cropped top was a winner. The quilted back which also collared the front of the shimmery crop top made this the best outfit of her collection. Crinkle chiffon palazzos, white cotton front-open long tops clinched at the waist with gold chains and appliquéd mummies gave her collection an Egyptian goddess sophistication, complete with Egyptian gold bands worn on the forehead. The feminine cuts and intricate designs were definitely impressive for a first-timer. Unfortunately, her maxi dresses were a disappointment. The white silk dress with a slit on the side could be taken for a night gown and the black chiffon maxi dress with gold wings on the back was far from angelic and definitely not innocent.

Fahad Hussayn

Metallic Mohawks, tie-and-dye pants, leather corsets and leather-bound shins spell fashion disaster. Fahad clearly missed the mark with his Palatial Kitsch collection. Although nude and silver make for an interesting combination, the outlandish collection was inspired by an array of fabric and cuts that made for a clumsy collection that fell flat on the fashion front. The over-the-top headgear — a signature Fahad Hussayn addition to his ramp collections — didn’t do any wonders either.

Huma Adnan for FnkAsia

Huma Adnan’s Merchant of Spice collection lived up to its name with belly dancer waist chains and metallic medals pinned to fabric. By keeping her outfits minimalist with single coloured kurtis and printed tights with appliquéd calves, Huma tried to stay safe but the collection made no impact. Beyond the metal show, which was interesting, the fabric was too stiff and thick, taking away the femininity from the long, kaftan-like silhouettes.