Mahlia S. Lon
This last fortnight was rocking. It started with the Magnum Party in Lahore, which was more like a show. There was a mannequin wearing a chocolate gown greeting the guests, while a team of confectionary chefs from Scafa were customizing Magnum ice creams at a chocolate bar for the guests. There were models wearing Magnum inspired couture gowns and the piece de resistance was Meesha Shafi belting out her tunes wearing an LED lit Kamiyar Rokni show stopping voluminous evening gown. Next up was PLBW and this season it did not disappoint. At the brand new The Nishat hotel, Emporium Mall, Lahore, PLBW 17 was superbly organized by Sehyr Saigol and PFDC, Selina Rashid Khan and her expert Lotus team, Mustang Productions and the staff at The Nishat. Not only was the entire fashion week very professionally done, but it closed with a bang with Ali Sethi and Zeb Bangash singing soulful duets. Selina told me at the close of the proceedings that PFDC rightly decided that fashion weeks in Pakistan needed to change from entertainment to focusing on the business of fashion. Fashion is a huge money making enterprise and can be a value added export for the country if we keep heading in this direction.
As soon as PLBW ended, Élan’s stand alone show Champs de Patchouli took place. It was fittingly different in theme and tone; more a celebration of Khadijah Shah’s standing as a premiere designer and her astounding achievements in such a short time. There are many talented designers, but very few with the business acumen of this bright young woman. Next up, the spotlight shifted to Karachi on to the Hum Style Awards 2017. The show there was stolen by Ayesha Omar in a gorgeous Princess-y garnet coloured tulle ball gown sent over expressly by a Russian designer. Another standout sophisticated look was surprisingly Shoaib Malik’s. Instead of going for a loud suit like many of the other men, he chose a tasteful yet different Scottish tartan jacket. The rest of his suit spoke quietly and his shoes, which I always notice on a man, were those befitting a gentleman. Like they used to say in Virginia Slims ads, “You’ve come a long way, baby!”
But don’t just take my word for it, flip through GT and see for yourself.
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