The dance of fashion

A view of the YBQ Concept Studio - photo by Madeeha Syed

Yousuf Bashir Qureshi (YBQ) of the Commune Artists’ Colony recently held a show marking the launch of his first collection in Pakistan (“reflecting the hardships of life”) and that of the YBQ Concept Store in Karachi. Prior to the show, there was a lot of speculations as to what he would actually pull off, as the word around was that it involved just two models.

Arriving at the venue, I discovered that the main hallway remained shut for about an hour after the designated time, and once it was opened people were ushered in in two groups. Once inside, there was no ramp but only a black floor and a security belt marking the spot beyond which was a floor-to-ceiling screen set up on one wall.

As the lights dimmed, I discovered that the launch was actually a music/fashion video which featured actress/model Aaminah Sheikh and her husband, actor Mohib Mirza. The clothes, both men’s and women’s wear, were modeled by the duo. YBQ put his signature draping skills to use as the women’s wear featured fully-pleated large shirts over chooridar pajamas, almost A-line dresses, straight loose dhoti-styled pajamas, among others. The focus of the video was to show the details of the outfits. The women’s wear was completely in white whereas the menswear consisted of crisp dhotis, dhoti-styled pajamas, large pleated shalwars and colourful kurtas, one of which was a bright pink! Paying heed to the music in the video, the models could be seen walking, often moving in a mixture of kung-fu moves and kathak (“I did everything on the spot!” laughed Aaminah) with their moves accelerating and then slowing down according to the sounds.

The video also featured designer chappals and jewellery which consisted of solid metal circular karas, large stoned-crusted rings, etc. The styling was by Sadaf Malaterre, hair and make-up by Ayesha Motiwalla and music by Shallum Xavier.

‘I do’ to prêt

Come wedding season and the multi-designer outlet Labels launched its newest venture called The Upper Level in collaboration with Zenani. It showcases high-end prêt wear which includes express bridals (bridal wear that doesn’t take half a year to make) and formal wear. The launch which happened recently was attended by several models and designers, however missed was the presence of some of the more established names in fashion.

The designers who are stocking at The Upper Level include Zara Shahjehan who recently showed her debutante collection on the catwalk, Chamak by Saniya Maskatiya, Elan by Khadijah Shah who has been stocking her prêt wear at Labels for some time now, Jannat and Sadaf, Mina Hasan, Sanam Chaudhri whose collection was showcased at the recently held Pakistan Fashion Week, Sara Arshad Gilani and Feeha Noor Jamshed (Teejays). There weren’t many pieces from Feeha’s collection on the racks and one was told that she wasn’t able to send too many samples in time for the launch.

The Upper Level comes in place of the Photospace Gallery where photographic exhibitions used to take place, curated by Ayesha Arif. It has now moved to the space in Clifton which houses both Rizwan Beyg and Tariq Amin’s enterprises. Those who attended the launch included actress Ayesha Omar, VJ Anoushey, Naveen Naqvi, Freiha Altaf, models Rubya Chadhry and Fayezah Ansari, Daulat Rahimtoola, designer Syed Rizwanullah, photographer Ayaz Anis Khan and others.

In goat we trust

It was that time of the year again; during which every relative’s house smells oddly of freshly cut meat and it’s that Eid in which you don’t get any money from the older ones. Sacrificial animals, whether a cow, goat or a camel, have always held a fascination for the little ones and right from naming, feeding and showing them off to friends, they indulge in all of these activities with great enthusiasm.

Eventually as you grow older, you don’t feel the need to take great pains to name your goat especially if it’s going to die two days later anyway. And one fine Eid, you realise that the sacrificial animal your parents bought home really does smell. There is a general feeling of disconnect till a little one from your family–whether a cousin, niece or nephew–jumps for joy at the idea of interacting with the animal and you remember how it was to once share their enthusiasm.

For as long as I can remember, at least till before my paternal grandfather passed away, ‘Bari Eid’ was celebrated at his place and most of us grandchildren would find ourselves spending the night over before the first day of Eid. Early in the morning, whoever would wake up first would rouse the others and we’d all walk downstairs into the garage where we knew, eventually the butcher would arrive. Looking back, it feels a little strange writing about how, year after year, the butcher sacrificed the animal, ‘killed’ it literally, and we’d watch, without even flinching a muscle. None of us suffered any trauma when watching an animal die — despite the blood and gore, the sacrifice in itself was always considered a ‘happy’ act.

Back in college, I once had exams scheduled for right after Eid-ul-Azha. The place I went to for extra tutoring was in a locality of a small community where each family secretly competed with the other on the number of animals they acquired to sacrifice on Eid. Where things looked normal on the street otherwise, a week before Eid, it was full of animals, their food, and their (stinking) excretions, etc. So much so, that one had practiced the art of holding one’s breath when getting out of the car to walking across the street to the venue. I even went to class on Eid day and that was an experience. The moment our car turned into the street, we were welcomed by the sight of blood everywhere with a few small patches of the road that weren’t yet covered by it. Children, adults, body parts of animals were everywhere and this time, crossing the road didn’t just require one to hold one’s breath, it also required one to hop over the blood and body parts lying around as well. It sounds disgusting, which it was, but instead of standing around making faces about the situation, one simply adapted to it.

One thing I’ve discovered is how one’s views on Eid-ul-Azha changes with time and age. From absolutely loving the idea of acquiring a sacrificial animal to feeling disconnected from the occasion, the Eid for me now is all about giving away money (I just handed over my due share of the monetary value of the animal they’ve bought to my parents) in return for everything God’s given me. Considering the astronomical prices at which sacrificial animals were sold this year, just handing over that amount was pretty hard to do. What I found amusing this year, however, is the way animal-sellers are marketing their ‘products’ from holding cow-walks in luxurious farm houses, where you can sit, have refreshments while cows literally walk the ramp for you to becoming downright tech-savvy: while going through an online classifieds website, I stumbled upon advertisements for sacrificial animals complete with photographs, age, weight and “personality” profiles with an option to pay via PayPal!

Somewhere in between a press conference & a photo shoot…

… LSA announced it’s 2009 winners.

 

Iman Ahmed from The Body Focus Museum

One walked into the venue expecting to attend a regular press conference: a small stage or podium where the organisers would be placed and would let us know what news they had to break while members of the Press sat in the chairs facing them. Instead, what I came across was a lounge-ish setting with sofas set on one side of the hall, a ‘red carpet’/interview section on the opposite side and in front, ace photographer Shamyl Khuhro was conducting a photo shoot of the Lux Style Award winners.

Promptly being handed a folder with the LSA winners, details of their selection, previous award winners and so on, what the organisers had arranged for was for us to ‘mingle’ with the winners while they got their photos done. Designer duo Sana Safinaz (winners in the Best achievement in fashion design — couture category) were there and adding to their elation at winning the award was the huge response their current collections received in both Lahore and Karachi, with the next stop being Dubai.
 

Iman Ahmed from The Body Focus Museum (winner in the Best achievement in fashion design — prêt category) was there wearing a stunning beige and black ensemble from her upcoming collection. During the photo shoot one noticed she stood very still and maintained a hint of a smile. “I tried remembering all of the tips I’d picked up from doing photo shoots,” she responded.
 

Maria Wasti (winner in the Best film actress category) looked stunning in an Akef Illyas haircut and an A-line dress by Maheen Karim. Noman Ijaz was dressed in a Hasan Shehryar Yasin (HSY) sherwani. Nadia Hussain (winner in the Best female model category) wore an outfit from Ayesha Farooq Hashwani’s recently launched debutante collection whereas actress and model Aaminah Sheikh (winner in the Best emerging talent category) preferred to don a Rizwan Beyg ensemble.
 

The somewhat shy menswear designer, Ismail Farid, could be seen beaming at the venue while sporting a pale grey suit. His much-deserved LSA win comes after he wowed audiences with his collection dedicated to the Armed Forces of Pakistan (titled Salute) in the recently held Fashion Pakistan Week.
 

There weren’t any performances of any sort, just a lot of ‘mingling’. And where there is mingling there is bound to be some form of gossip: rumour has it musician Najam Sheraz (winner in the Best song of the year category) who was conspicuous by his absence did not attend because he wanted to be compensated for his appearance. It was said that the Inn-Se-Nain popster didn’t have a problem accepting the award, but couldn’t see why he should participate in a photo shoot from which the organisers were bound to generate promotion, especially considering that they hadn’t incurred any expenses holding an actual ceremony for the awards.

Coming back, LSA plans to introduce a new category from 2010 of Best screenplay.

The LSA winners are: 

Maria Wasti from 'Ramchand Pakistani'

FILM & TV

Film of the Year: Ramchand Pakistani

Best film actor: Shaan (Zille Shah)
Best film actress: Maria Wasti (Ramchand Pakistani)
Best TV serial (terrestrial): Thora Sa Aasmaan (PTV)

Best TV director (terrestrial): Shah Bilal for Nautanki (ATV)

Best TV actor (terrestrial): Talat Hussain in Kabhi Aye Na Judai (ATV)

Best TV actress (terrestrial): Saima in Nautanki (ATV)

Best TV serial (satellite): Khamoshiann (Hum TV)
Best TV director (satellite): Babar Javed for Jhumka Jan (Hum TV)

Best TV actor (satellite): Noman Ijaz in Khamoshian (Hum TV)

Best TV actress (satellite): Sania Saeed in Jhumka Jan (Hum TV)

 

MUSIC

 

Best music album: Qismet Apney Haath Mein by Shahzad Roy

Best music director: Rohail Hyatt & Faisal Rafi for Charkha by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Best music video director: Ahsan Rahim for Laga Reh by Shahzad Roy
Song of the year: Khaboon Kay Rishtay by Najam Shiraz

 

FASHION

 

Model of the year (female): Nadia Hussain
Model of the year (male): Ameer Zeb Khan

Best Emerging Talent: Aaminah Sheikh

Best Fashion Photographer: Khawer Riaz
Best Hair & make-up artiste: Akef Illyas

Achievement in fashion design (couture): Sana Safinaz

Achievement in fashion design (prêt): Iman Ahmed of the Body Focus Museum

Best menswear designer: Ismail Farid

Best retail brand: Generations

 

Frills, trill and thrill

Strings on the ramp with a model wearing a Saadia Mirza ensemble

The fashion industry in Pakistan, it seems, never puts its feet up for a rest. Barely a week after the Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) which featured 31 designers in all, a group show was held in Karachi — the Autumn/Winter collections of select designers supported by a cosmetics brand which is beginning to do such shows on a bi-annual basis.

The show featured the likes of veterans Faiza Samee and Sonya Battla (both designers showed at FPW), Ayesha Farooq Hashwani and Zara Shahjehan (both of whom showed their debutante collections) and HSY and Saadia Mirza who had flown their collections in from Lahore.

Faiza Samee opened the show with a collection that was inspired by gypsies of the Cholistan region. She followed the current predominant trends of having large shirts over straight short and long pants with extremely loose sleeves. She chose to pair a few of her ensembles with velvet and some of the clothes were bordered with gota and paired with zebra-printed shalwars.

Verdict: The collection was similar to, but not exactly the same, as her collection shown at FPW. Ayesha Tammy Haq, the CEO of FPW seated among the guests, was also wearing a similar Faiza Samee creation so we’d already had a preview of sorts into the collection the designer was going to show. The collection was essentially very colourful, ethnic and traditional. It was a step away from the fully-embroidered shirts that one can spot here and there. Although well-constructed, the concept of the collection in itself wasn’t anything particularly new.

Model Mehreen Syed wearing a Sonya Battla creation

Zara Shahjehan has been stocking at a multi-designer outlet in Karachi for some time now and showed her debutante collection. Focused on the notion that it did not allow a woman to “let go of her heritage and yet not let it hold her back”, the designer stuck to the same trends that are well, everywhere: long, traditional A-line shirts and straight pajamas all shown to the beat of George Michael and Michael Jackson songs.

Verdict: The collection had its very small moments here and there but collectively failed to impress. It didn’t have her signature or a mark that would differentiate her from other designers, perhaps because she is still very young and has a long way to go. Zara Shahjehan played with sheer fabric on the sleeves as well as the shirts that was interesting to see — sheer being one of the current trends making the rounds on a global level. However it must be mentioned here that one piece by the designer, the long pink coat (dubbed “the matrix coat” in local fashion circles) that reached down to the ankles and paired with a gharara was something Hasan Shehryar Yasin (HSY) has already been doing for the past two to three years.

Saadia Mirza, another big name in fashion, showed her collection which was divided into the following sub-sections: vanity, voyage, visage, vintage and vision. This segment might be remembered more for its theatrics perhaps rather than the collection. After the opening model showed the layered, beige/pink mermaid skirt outfit — perhaps the only interesting piece of the collection — who jumped on stage but Faisal Kapadia belting out a popular Strings number.

He was joined by Bilal Maqsood and together throughout the show they sang several hits, including Munn Ka Qarar, Dhaani and Koi Aanay Wala Hai. Was it an attempt to make it look like a Victoria’s Secret fashion show which, in the past, has featured artistes such as Usher and Justin Timberlake? A similar thing had also been done at the first The Musik Awards in 2006 in which Ali Azmat’s performance was accompanied by the showing of a white fashion collection.

Verdict: On a personal note, one has always liked this designer’s creations but I was disappointed by what she showed: her attempt at a Turkish shalwar (a trend that is catching on fast among the fashion community in Pakistan) failed and the finishing on the outfits was such that there was an outfit from which one could clearly see numerous threads dangling loose.

Sonya Battla, as fabulous as she was in FPW less than a week before she showed at this show, still managed to wow all and sundry with her collection. Worked on with traditional pleating and draping, her collection was her attempt at showing an Indo-Pak kimono in which she experimented with architecture and especially the staircase was used as a definite inspiration. From a burst of colour at FPW she moved on to a mostly grey, eventually red, black and then a pale brown, double-shaded dress shown as the finale.

The collection was very geometric in places. There were intricate pleats on the hemlines, collars, throws, and the designer also made use of velvet and sheer fabric. It was a step away from the large flowing garments Sonya has been showing for the past couple of years, and it was interesting to see this more construction-based side of her.

Verdict: Although the pleats — an inspiration from Japanese fans that were a feature of some of the outfits — had already been done by Adnan Pardesy in 2008, Sonya took that trend and presented it entirely in her own fashion perspective.

One designer whose debut had been eagerly awaited by many in the fashion lot was that of Ayesha Farooq Hashwani (AFH). This designer has been maintaining a somewhat low profile for the past year or two while doing a minimum of shoots and not really putting herself out there. That didn’t prevent her from being spotted by local fashion aficionados though and her debutante collection, based on “confident, subtle, graceful and for the independent woman” did not disappoint in the least.

One of the predominant features of this designer is her tendency towards draping and pleating. Her dresses flowed on each model as she brought together the handkerchief skirt (Maheen Karim has to be credited for starting the trend in the local industry back in 2007), flowing kaftan, a ’70s-style black cat-suit with straight-cut pants and double layered dresses with a different coloured tube top inside the actual outfit, giving a somewhat teasing, peek-a-boo effect with the encrusted diamantes on the side. The jewellery for AFH’s segment was designed by Shehrzad Hashwani.

Verdict: There was no over-the-top embroidery or embellishments, no clichéd attempt at ‘connecting with your roots’ and being ‘traditional’ here. The only bling the outfits sported were the silver encrusted diamantees that every single piece seemed to sport. AFH had a very strong ’70s sensibility to her collection and presented it in a refreshingly modern light.

Ayesha Farooq Hashwani comes in for her designer's bow after showcasing her debutante collection

Hasan Shehryar Yasin (HSY) showed his Rogue Royale collection which was “an ode to strength, to independent women” among other things. The Rogue Royale woman wears red which “is a sign of desire, love, passion, knows no boundaries” etc. After the elaborate adjectives describing his collection were recited on the microphone, HSY showed his ensemble of clothes which were essentially, in a nutshell, his heavy bridals — which explains the red.

Verdict: The triple layered skirts, the fully-embroidered fabric, the models as blushing (‘strong’, ‘independent’ women, eh?) brides who arched their backs almost 90 degrees backwards when they came to the end of the ramp… has all been done and seen before (yawn). Perhaps it was an opportune time for Sheru to show his bridal collection, since the wedding season is around the corner, but didn’t add to the show or the larger cause of fashion itself. The bridals were beautiful, but nothing that he hasn’t been doing before. Simply put, the segment was stereotypical.

I hate to make comparisons, but perhaps in this case it’s inevitable. FPW, other than being one of the biggest things to happen to local fashion, was an exhausting event not only for the designers, models and organisers but also for its attendees. It was a platform on which quite a few new designers raised the fashion bar and to hold an event so close to it raised expectations about what was to be shown on the ramp.

Sonya Battla never ceases to amaze with her sheer innovativeness of thought. Ayesha Farooq Hashwani is a much-needed breath of fresh air, and she brings a western sensibility and her flavour of elegant chic to the local industry. Having said that, the whole long A-line shirt with short/long straight fitted pajamas has already been done to death, and having yet another designer show the same old silhouettes instead of something new and innovative is only going to result in an overdose.

Photography: Faisal Farooqui

Confessions of a shopaholic

It happens almost instantaneously. You’re happily walking down the street one minute and the next you find yourself inside a retail store trying staring at a pair of high-heeled shoes, your mind racing with a million reasons per second why, oh why you should definitely buy it. Those reasons could range from: they go with everything, the heel is perfect, it was what you always wanted, the style is very new and no one has it yet, it’s so ‘you’ etc. All you know is: you must have them. You ask the shopkeeper for a pair to try on.

When you do, it’s almost magical. If they fit right, you walk around the store and it’s almost as if a single light is shining down from the heavens spot-lighting you as you walk around the store. You see them from every possible angle: walking forward, backward, do a little dance move to test their flexibility. The shoes do everything right and you run off to the ATM hoping you have just enough money left to buy them. Incidentally you do and you go home happy with a package in tucked under your arm. Does it matter that, if you’re a habitual shopper, the chances of you actually wearing that must-have shoes are probably (5/365 days of the year)  one in 73?

One cardinal rule I’ve always followed is that I almost never venture near a market or a place which would feature something I’d want to get if I don’t have the money to get it. This has almost always worked in preventing me from feeling “deprived”.

Before readers begin to roll their eyes at the “pretentious” notion of being a shopaholic, let me point out that we all have our guilty pleasures. For some that could be books, clothes, cellphones, DVDs, even something as small as stationary, we all have at least one product type that we’re willing to spend a lot of money on every time we come across it. Added with more and more young people (including more and more women) actively working nowadays and having a greater disposable income results in a rapid increase in consumer culture. Why else would there be such a boom in advertising? In “money-saving” deals? The “exclusive” offers in just about everything?

It’s taken a lot for me to admit that I happen to be one of those victims of the must-have/must-buy syndrome, or a shopaholic as the modern pop term describes us. That realization dawned on me the day I looked around and discovered I have around 60 books I bought but haven’t read, more than a 100 magazines that suffer the same fate, some not even out of their packaging so as not to gather dust, a wardrobe full of clothes I’ve never worn and probably never will and around 10 pairs of shoes I spent a lot of money on but never really took out of their boxes. I even have around 10 pets, eight out of which I secretly wish I never bought. But I really hit rock bottom when I realized that one fine day, in about a matter of two months I had spent all my savings and I couldn’t, for the life of me, figure out on what?

Some like it haute

Top view of the venue - model wearing a Feeha Jamshed ensemble

The Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) that was held last week wasn’t without its share of controversies. It started out being dubbed as the second Karachi Fashion Week (KFW) — the first one was held in August 2008 — got delayed due to the socio-political conditions in the country, and then changed at the last minute from KFW to FPW. There were those who thought that it would never happen. But it did, and it set a new standard for how fashion shows are held in Pakistan.

Model Abdullah opens the Ismail Farid "Salute" segment

With a modified 88-foot ramp (from the original 100-foot ramp), a seating of around 450 people and a plethora of international media present, FPW encompassed four days with eight designers showing their collections each day. It was well-organised, started on time and ended timely as well.

Out of the 31 designers that showed there were some collections that stood out in terms of creativity, design and presentation. FPW also introduced several debutante designers whose collections were at par with the maturity displayed by established designers. They reaffirmed that Pakistan has a lot to offer in terms of fresh upcoming talent.

Sonya Battla opened the fashion week with a collection that was symbolic of her flowing silhouettes and luxurious fabricated garments of cotton, organza, linen and velvet. With a palette that encompassed white, red, beige, purple and black, other than flowing dresses she showed pleated Patiala-inspired shalwars paired with short shirts (a style that was predominant in the early ’80s) and black harem pants. The collection was styled with metal ensembles by Nyza Khan which outlined the feminine figure in bustiers, an outline of bras and even a chastity belt! In this collection Sonya Battla pulled off bold simplicity like no other.

One of Nomi Ansari's unconventional black dresses

Fahad Hussayn’s collection titled Love is Worth the Fall, inspired by his personal style, was a predominantly black collection with hints of red, gold and light blue in menswear, styled most notably by large black ostrich feathers on the hats worn by some of the models.

This was the first time the designer was showing his menswear collection and though his male models showed up sporadically in the middle of the collection, they seemed to be getting more and more covered as they appeared — from a turquoise-and-red printed bustier to a waistcoat and then a full coat. The collection had embroidered skulls branding the outfits. From slinky black dresses to a veiled black bridal gown, Fahad’s collection in a word would be: grand. An outfit that stood out for me was an almost backless black dress worn by Nadya Hussain, in which the fabric on the (backless) back portion had been designed to show the back of a skeleton.

In the menswear collection, Kash Hussain had some interesting pieces. He showed flared, pleated pants, single-toned kilts on the men worn with pants. The predominant palette he worked on was red, black, dull gold and blue. It was a collection meant for the metrosexual man who likes to be flamboyant with a certain measure of elegance. His black suit with the coat bordered in white, paired with a black shalwar displayed sophistication, and was definitely one of the better pieces from the collection.

A red outfit by Sonya Battla - the designer opened FPW with her collection

He’s had a presence in the industry as an individual for some time now but Syed Rizwanullah managed to wow quite a few in the audience with his debutante collection. Inspired by the ancient art of henna application, his collection was all white and what at first looked like intricate embroidery was actually henna design which was applied on the fabric itself. His models walked the ramp barefoot and his outfits followed silhouettes that are the current trend nowadays: large A-line shirts paired with straight to billowing pants. He also showed an outfit designed with a headscarf. Mahira Hafeez Khan and Feeha Jamshed (in saris) also walked the ramp for him. What’s refreshing about Rizwanullah’s collection is the painstaking work and the sheer innovativeness of thought.

Yasir Mirza of the M.i.r.z.a.y.a.n.o menswear line showed his prêt wear on the ramp. A designer who thinks anyone and everyone can wear his clothes literally did design for anyone and everyone. His collection comprising colourful printed pants, shirts, shorts and what not wasn’t anything out of the ordinary and his display of it managed to shock quite a few: models walked with a towel draped around their neck, scratched themselves, danced and what not. I give him full points for entertainment, his collection and his own approach towards it can be described in one word: anti-fashion.

Model showing one of Fahad Hussayn's outfits - one of the designers who made their mark in FPW

Ather Hafeez defined day two with his collection (Monk, Malang, Khusrau ke Rang) inspired by the poetry of Amir Khusrau which was written in admiration of Khawaja Nizamuddin Auliya. His collection had big, billowing Rajasthani shalwars, large full-sleeved A-line shirts, knotted backs and even an orange velvet dhoti. His collection was essentially ethnic with bright orange, yellow, purple, bottle green, turquoise, pink and black. The models were beautifully styled with traditional jewellery from jhoomars, large spherical gold earrings and necklaces, a garland of bells, gota armbands, large colourful turbans, etc. His collection, tinged with a hint of romance, brought the essence of Rajastani culture on the ramp.

Just when you thought you know what this designer is all about, Nomi Ansari managed to blow his fabulous bomb on the runway and opened the third day of the fashion week with a black western wear collection. The designer, formerly known for his brightly coloured, fully-embroidered bridal and eastern formal wear, showed a collection of short black dresses, skirts that emphasised the curves around the lower-behind, etc. The men wore shorts over stockings, black crimped coats among others. He closed his collection with fashion model Tooba sporting a short black bridal dress complete with a net veil. The collection was fun, funky and will be a hit with party goers.

Feeha Jamshed showcased her debutant collection titled Teejay’s Roxy dedicated to her mother which was a celebration of women in general as well. She followed the trend of having the models sport “boyfriend shirts” (menswear shirts on women), high-waisted, straight loose pants, large pockets, etc. Iraj walked on the ramp and saluted the audiences while the patriotic number Aae Rah-i-Haq kay Shaheedon by the late Madam Noor Jehan played in the background — possibly Feeha’s salute to the Armed Forces of Pakistan. She had fashion photographer Tapu Javeri open the show for her in a black shalwar kameez and also had fellow designer Syed Rizwanullah walk the ramp for her.

But the most powerful statement made on the ramp during the fashion week was by one of the most understated ones — menswear designer Ismail Farid — on day three. His collection, titled Salute, was a tribute to the Pakistan Army, “especially those who have lost their lives during past operations and continuous terrorist attacks”.

The bells that were styled on this Ather Hafeez creation added the panache that was visible throughout their collection

The monochromatic collection was extremely well made and displayed different aspects of the armed forces: we had the captain, the prisoner of war, the hooded assassin, the fighting soldier, to name a few. They were styled according to the role they played such as the PoW who had chains around his legs. The models walked on the ramp acting out the role they played, some saluted, some stomped, some faltered on the catwalk.

The make-up on the models showed slight bruises, symbolic of the hardships that the characters suffer. One critic commented that the theme was “very last year”, but I think it struck a chord and was very relevant to present times. Not to mention that each outfit was immaculately crafted.

Day four was a surprisingly dull end to the FPW, but despite that the collections that did make an impact overall continued to resonate even after the event had ended.

Other than creating a wave in the local media, FPW has received widespread coverage globally from the international press as well. What was interesting to note was that they preferred to stereotype the week as a “rebellion” against the Taliban — a perspective due to the tight security at the venue and general apprehension about an attack. The other response by the foreign media was on the “skin” that showed in a country that is stereotyped as having most of the female population “shrouded in veils/burqas”.

A model wearing Ather Hafeez's Rajasthani-inspired creation

Where getting the kind of international acclaim that FPW got is an achievement in itself, however, if any of the members of the international press had made an effort to go through the numerous entertainment channels the country has, they’d know that women here enjoy a modest display of “skin” in their everyday lives.

Designers who had shown at FPW

Day 01: Sonya Battla, Ayesha Varsey, Imbias, Samar Mehdi, Fahad Hussayn, Limited Editions, Kash Hussain and Shamael Ansari.
Day 02: Maheen Khan*, Rizwanullah, Datch, Zarmina Khan, Arshad Tareen, Yasir Mirza and Ather Hafeez.
Day 03: Nomi Ansari, Sanam Chaudhry, Abdus Samad, Mahin Hussain, Feeha Jamshed, Sanam Agha, Ismail Farid and Rizwan Beyg*.
Day 04: Faiza Samee, Pashmina, Tayyab Bombal, Asian Institute of Fashion Design, Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design, Adnan Pardesy, Kooki Concepts, Neelo Allahwalla and Deepak Perwani*.
*Designers were showing the collection they had showcased at the Milan Fashion Week

– Photography: Tapu Javeri

Yasir Mirza's "anti-fashion" collection

Papa don’t preach

Mother do you think they’ll drop the bomb?
Mother do you think they’ll like this song?
Mother do you think they’ll try to break my balls?
Mother should I build the wall?
Mother should I run for president?
Mother should I trust the government?
Mother will they put me in the firing line?
Mother am I really dying?

Hush now baby, baby, dont you cry.
Mother’s gonna make all your nightmares come true.
Mother’s gonna put all her fears into you.
Mother’s gonna keep you right here under her wing.
She won’t let you fly, but she might let you sing.
Mama will keep baby cozy and warm.
Ooooh baby ooooh baby oooooh baby,
Of course mama’ll help to build the wall.

Lyrics from the song Mother by Pink Floyd from the album, The Wall.

“You’re from a family that dabbles in politics and you became a fashion designer,” I said to a young designer who showed his work at a fashion week recently. Knowing the odds that were stacked against him for his family approving of what he does, I couldn’t help but ask, “How did that happen?”. “It happens when you run away from school and go to fashion school!” he responded matter-of-factly. As if responding to my shocked expression he added, “I started working when I was on my O-levels to save up for college, so I wouldn’t have to rely on my family supporting me. When the time came, I got admission in a fashion school and I left.” He managed to graduate with honours and launched a successful clothing line, his family came around when they saw how settled he was in his profession and now accept it.

I have a friend, a Ms. B, who was a straight-A student throughout school, applied to a plethora of colleges and gained admission in most of them. The only problem was, her father forbid her from attending any of them.  Determined to get a college education no matter what, she started working for various publications and after two years made enough to support her education for the first couple of years. In between she applied for a short filmmaking course abroad and while there, interacted with the education counselors, showed her certificates and managed not only to get a transfer to the same college but also a 50 per cent grant off her total fee. Although initially reluctant to send her off, her dedication towards her goal had managed to convince (and I assume, elicit the respect of her father as well) her parents to let her go. She is currently abroad enjoying studying the degree she worked so hard to get the privilege of attaining.

I think slowly and gradually we’re moving beyond the traditional (read: safe) professions our parents want us to follow, namely: do your MBA become a banker, be a doctor, an engineer etc. that in no way implies that there aren’t those professions your parents might think twice before letting you follow them, or that there aren’t those who end up fighting for their right to pursue their dreams. With the boom in the media industry (which is just about now beginning to fade slowly) resulting in a sudden spurt in the interest surrounding professions that revolve around art and culture, young men and women today have more options when it comes to “pursuable” professions that their parents are more open to supporting. That may include anything from interior design, architecture, art, photography or even in some cases, choreography.

Where some may have to fight to follow the profession they want, there are other ways (although longer) of attaining the same. While conversing with some visiting desi musicians from the UK a couple of months back, I discovered one common ground in all of them: they had all gone out, attained “safe” degrees whether a bachelors degree as a software engineer or in business administration, and once that was true (“what our parents wanted for us,” they responded) they went out and did what they wanted: pursue music. “It’s not that our parents didn’t want us to pursue our dreams,” they explained, “but they wanted something concrete we could fall back on, a plan B. Once we had that, we could do what we wanted.” I think that statement explains the apprehensions felt by most parents.

I had another friend who wanted to pursue a degree in media sciences. Her father initially forbid her daughter from even considering the notion. It was later when considering the fact that with every profession there is a degree of risk involved and that people only excel in fields that they’re most interested in, that he granted her the permission to do so. With fingers crossed off course.

– Photos by Biya Shadab

Daada cool

A grandfather holding his grand daughter during her Aqiqa - Photo by Madeeha Syed

There was a time when grandparents (at least mine) were like the eastern world’s equivalent of Santa: you mostly only went to them yourself to get your Eidhi. At other times, they were the villains in your life who would catch you smack in the middle of a game with your other cousins for a hug or a kiss.  My grandparents were like those typical family heads that have a huge brood and their children to rule over – most of their time was spent solving problems, organizing meals and making sure everyone around them was comfortable. They had a strong presence but as children, for us, it remained more in the background; what was more important back then was deciding which cousin won the game at hand.

Fast forward many, many years and I find myself suddenly having an actual ‘interactive’ relationship with them. Their advice on life is now being dished out to me. I find myself talking to them more often, trying to know their personal stories, their perspective on issues, finding out how radically different our worlds are and yet there is a mysterious something that connects the both of us together.

The generation gap between my grandmother, for instance, and myself seems radically big on some issues, one of which was the levels of modesty that need to be observed in everyday garments. My grandmother insisted that religion dictated that women cover themselves from their ankles to their necks. The dilemma that posed for me was that current fashion trends dictated that several outfits be worn with a short, Capri-like pants, leaving the ankles and a bit of the calf in plain view. My solution to that was simple: I wore ankle socks. The moment she raised her eyebrows at my pants, I cheekily pointed out that she couldn’t deny the fact that, at least, my ankles were covered.

I also discovered that grandparents tend to become partners-in-crime especially when it comes to facing opposition from your parents. Be it needing a wing-man to get permission from your parents, condoning an act done that you know you will get in trouble for, right down to sneaking in a midnight snack in the kitchen, grandparents are willing to do it all with you.

When I first saw my own parents and how they behaved with my niece and nephews, I was happy but a little surprised as to how grandparents nowadays bonded with their grandchildren. They literally become babies for the babies they’re babysitting and I can safely say that for their grandchildren, they’re their best friends. The fact that they themselves have a relatively smaller family to look over and therefore more time to give individually to each grandchild is a factor that contributes to the cultivation of their relationship with their grandchildren.

Most people from the older generation equate the downfall of good old family values with the fast extinction of the joint-family system. But when I see little boys and girls instinctively learning how to take care of their grandparents, or great grandparents, by observing how their parents behave with them, I somehow see different generations coming closer to each other than drifting apart. when I see grandparents agreeing to chase their grandchildren in play, along with a bad back and advancing arthritis, I know that the bond is being cultivated both ways.

Pichal Pairee: The reinvention of Overload

“I can guarantee that whoever comes to our concerts will leave dancing,” said Overload drummer and band leader, Farhad Humayun once. One doesn’t find that hard to believe. Even when the Lahore-based band is performing in a city like Karachi where audiences in comparison tend to be a tad more inhibited, one has seen people get up and shake their backsides to Overload’s performances.

The band created its big bang when it came on our screens a couple of years ago with a music video for the track Cursed which featured the likes of Pappu Saieen and co. Since then, the largely percussion-based band has been making waves doing the kind of music they do (a fusion of eastern and western percussions supported by almost tranquil piano work by Sheraz) and have managed to amass quite a fan following. Back then Farhad once stated, “The people of this country are more attuned to songs with lyrical content in them, they need to have the song’s meaning spelled out to them. We’re out to change that notion.” And they did precisely that.

In an environment in which the sheer structure of the music industry is undergoing a change because of rapid digital online distribution of media and the world wide web making media not only instantly accessible to users but also providing them with a direct link to the artiste, Overload chose to go the way paved by Radiohead: they released their second album online on their website www.overloadbeats.com for free. The album titled Pichal Pairee has been downloaded by thousands of users not only from Pakistan but also from abroad. They’re perhaps one of the few mainstream artistes who completely own their material as well since they chose the riskier path of not signing up with a record label, relying on them for promotion or release. “Make music and just put it out there,” commented Farhad, “what are you waiting for? We’re already working on new material.”

The band has an additional member in the form of Meesha Shafi, model/actress/artist who has been exercising her vocal talents with the band in their performances both in India and in Pakistan. Hasan Mohyuddin, who used to play the tumkinari in the band, is currently pursuing a degree in the UK and had to make an exit although he contributed creatively to the title track. Meesha adds a whole new dimension to the band and her unique vocal tone at times reminds one of Amy Winehouse (especially in the song Pichal Pairee) and at times of the eccentric, but incredibly talented Icelandic-singer Björk, case in point, the track titled Amjad Khan.

Although some of the tracks still feature the popular dhol, it is not the main focus in the album. The band has fused their signature use of percussions with electronica in a majority of the tracks, and in some, has played around this new element with traditional western instruments, thereby adding a whole new dimension to their music.

After listening to the album several times, one believes that it was meant to be heard in one go, all at once. The mood of the album changes as you progress through it, beginning from being uplifting (Dig Dag, Dhol Bajay Ga – a song that is getting a lot of airplay on local radio channels, Pichal Pairee – which doesn’t even sound ‘desi’ and Amjad Khan). It moves to a more mellow, almost intimately thoughtful tone in Vichar Gaye and a track titled A Thousand Miracles (although when downloaded it displays the title as 50 Years). Mela Kariyay is basically the track Cursed from Overload’s first self-titled album with Meesha’s vocals over it. Kaykra and Saat Mein which close the album bring the pace of the album up again.

How do you articulate an almost abstract sense (in this case sound) accurately into words? That was the dilemma faced when reviewing the album since a most of it is largely focused on the music element of it. The album Pichal Pairee is a reinvention of the band although it does not serve to completely redefine it: we see the band experimenting with their music and are introduced to new facets of their work and abilities. The introduction of Meesha adds a whole new feel to the band as her tone and manner of singing is not only uniquely different from the rest of the female pop vocalists dominating the local music scene but also embodies a certain independence from them. One is looking forward to seeing what facets of her abilities are uncovered as she journeys with the band, but having said that, the rest of the band members embody a strong presence in the album as well.

– Illustration by Osman Hyder