Conventional (fashion) wisdom states that every model has a moment. No, in fact, every model, designer, retail house… each has their own moment in which they shine. In that moment they are the center of the universe. The hype and sheer adulation surrounding them never seems to end. But all bubbles have to burst eventually, and so do those in fashion. Those in the industry recover quickly and move on to the next big thing. It may be a tad bit heartless and cruel, but survival is the name of the game they’re playing and absolute glamour comes at an absolute cost.

An interesting aspect of how the industry works in this part of the world is that events and activities are postponed throughout the month of Ramadan – everything goes into a hibernation of sorts. The post-Ramadan period is packed with fashion shows, releases, launch parties and what not, one after the other since most are trying to do as much as they can before Moharram starts. In that month again, all activity stops, so the time-frame in which to do something for a great part of the year, is very limited.

This year in fashion kicked off while the nation was still recovering from the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.  Moharram immediately followed.

Keeping the above in mind, it was no wonder that the first signs of fashion activity were received with open arms. Rehana Saigol launched her and her husband, Shakeel (Chand) Saigol’s sari collection at The Ensemble in Karachi. Needless to say, the saris, some of which Chand had painted over himself, were a huge success; so much so that the husband and wife duo hosted a fashion show at the same venue later that year, in which Rehana Saigol also introduced her bridal collection as well as Chand Saigol’s ‘Ming’ sari ensemble.

Perhaps one  of the bigger events this year was definitely the Midsummer Night’s Dream fashion show, also hosted by The Ensemble in the Spring/Summer 2008 season. Although the outlet launched sometime last year with a show in which veteran designer, Shamael made a comeback of sorts, they’ve singlehandedly managed to revolutionize, in their own way, how fashion is retailed in Pakistan. Zeba Hussain, the owner of the establishment, is already known for flying in designers from across the border for the annual TRC event, the Carnivale De Couture. It is therefore, no wonder that Ensemble has a generous portion dedicated to showcasing collections by Indian designers. The outlet is currently handled and overseen by Zeba Hussain’s daughter, Shernaz Hussain.

The Midsummer Night’s Dream fashion event, showcased collections by Kamiar Rokni, Nilofer Shahid, Faiza Samee, Sadaf Mallaterre and Omar Sayeed, and was significant for two reasons: it marked the coming out of Kamiar Rokni after his departure from the fashion house he helped launch, Karma. And held a rare showing by Omar Sayeed, who outdid himself in a collection with a colour palett of black, white and hot pink.  Sadaf Malaterre also created a bang for showing a collection vibrant in colour and in varied design, however, this particular collection seemed heavily ‘inspired’ by foreign runway shows, as quite a few people recognized some very familiar designs.

The Karachi Fashion Week, an event that was adopted by the Karachi-based fashion council, Fashion Pakistan, was also held this year. Although it was limited to the interests of the fashion community in Karachi, and was held without retailers or buyers to begin with, but it was significant in the sense that at the very minimum, the council and the designers came together and collectively hosted an event. Adnan Pardesy, who has in a very short span of time established himself as a force to reckon with, showcased his collection – inspired by Japanese fans – that he initially meant to launch with the now-defunct Pakistan Fashion Week.  He also showed at the Autumn/Winter 2008 show held by The Ensemble, however this time, his collection was inspired by honeycombs. The designer who has been stereotyped as a couturier or a costume designer who does not create ‘wearable’ clothes is currently working on his prêt-line but doesn’t make any promises about its ‘wearability’.

Zarmina Khan, a fashion fledgling from Lahore, showcased her launch collection at the event. She currently stocks at the Maheen Khan store in Clifton, Karachi. The KFW also hosted a showing of collections by Bangladeshi designers, Bibi Russel, Emdad Hoque and Rina Latif – out of which Rina Latif, a Parson’s graduate, outshone them all, by her sleek and ephemeral view of the sari.

The Autumn Winter 2008 show by The Ensemble are an example of how the people working in the enterprise still have some surprises up their sleeves. Other than Adnan Pardesy, that night veteran couturier Rizwan Beyg also showed his black and white collection, a prelude to what to expect from him in the Carnivale De Couture, which has now been postponed indefinitely because of the underlying tensions in both Pakistan and India.

A major surprise that evening was a first time on the runway ever, showing by Bridal couturier, Bunto Kazmi. Her collection was traditional and yet progressive. She showcased front-open overcoats with improvised gara embroidery that displayed motifs from peacocks to horses with Mughal-era men and dolis. But the evening clearly belonged to Sana Safinaz. To quote from a previous article, “In a splash of colour and airy volume, the collection by Sana Safinaz opened the night with a delightful bang. With empire waists, halter necks and skillfully cut skirts on dresses that ranged from an amalgamation of prints to singular bold colours in lime-green, orange, deep red and blue, the duo’s collection came with an attitude that was as celebratory as it could possibly get. With these colours of spring, the Sana Safinaz woman celebrated the return of a self-assured and vibrant femininity.”

The socio-political conditions of the country, though affect the fashion industry in a very small, minute manner since its audience is limited and clientele only a very small, but influential niche in the country, it has affected how fashion is showcased, at least on a grander scale. The Carnivale De Couture, which was postponed last year as well due to the mulk kay halat is the single-most, high profile event looked forward to by the entire community. And it has not been able to take place, predominantly out of respect for those affected by the politics of our countries and security issues.

Having said that, events have been happening, but on a smaller scale. A prime example is that of how Ensemble has managed to consistently host shows at their venue. The Designers, which opened their “runway store” in Karachi is also an example of how fashion retail enterprises are willing to support the designers in the industry. Seeing how it managed to survive through this politically tumultuous year, simply speaking, fashion rocked 2008, and much is in store for 2009.