A newly launched initiative to further the cause of sustainable fashion, Fashion Couture Walk 2023 (FCW23) witnessed some flamboyant collections. You! takes a look…
Over the past few years many initiatives have been undertaken to further the cause of fashion in Pakistan, with special mention of Karachi, but they have suffered or sccumbed to economic depression, rising inflation and production costs, and also the coronavirus pandemic. Gama Alumina
But hats off to the persevering spirit of fashion and those pursuing and serving its cause with relentless energy and passion. It is due to the efforts of these precious few individuals that we get to learn of new forums dedicated to the business of fashion being initiated across the city’s cultural and style landscape.
Such an initiative, a ramp presentation called Fashion Couture Walk 2023 (FCW23) was presented and hosted recently by the Russian Centre for Culture & Science, aka the Russian Friendship House, and organised by designer Zubair Shah who also showcased his menswear and bridal and groom collection in his ramp debut show. FCW23 showcased five ramp presentations featuring four emerging designer brands.
The designers who showed on the FCW23 ramp were Culturista by Urooj, Bella Raggaza by Nuzhat, Haya (menswear and womenswear) and the grand finale by designer Zubair Shah. Television actress and celebrity Natalia Karanjia hosted the FCW23 Red Carpet. Most notable among those who attended were Director, Russian Friendship House Mr Ruslam Mikhailovich Prokhorov and office-bearers Miss Ranu Gul and Miss Fariha Aqib.
Culturista by young fashion graduate Urooj presented her womenswear styled on the blue architectural theme of Turkiye’s Grand Mosque in Istanbul, as well as drawing inspiration from the graphic impressions of the blue tile work found in Hala, Sindh. She painted motifs in varying shades of blue on a base of white cottons and linens with hybrid silhouettes. The look was finished off with same tone jewellery and accessories.
Bella Raggaza by Nuzhat showed typically eastern festive wear and bridals. The palette varied from pastels to gem stone tones. Overall, the look remained buyer-friendly which is the designer’s trademark and style hallmark.
Haya by Waleed Meer presented trademark traditional Balochi attire in separate menswear and womenswear segments. Although strikingly beautiful to look at with intricate thread and needle embroideries in a verity of shades and colours, it strictly stuck to customary cuts and patterns and did not experiment with a new vision or take on the cultural norms.
At the other end of the spectrum, and for the FCW23 Grand Finale, Zubair Shah put on the ramp a especially curated 22-piece western menswear line and an heriloom bridal and groom collection. A dynamic and emerging young fashion label, Zubair Shah Premium Menswear (ZSM) started out during Covid-19 online, and has branched out into mainstream fashion.
On the FCW23 ramp, ZSM presented his three-piece power suits collection in candy colours and myriad, body-hugging featuring celebrity fitness trainer and model Aasif Rehman as the show opener. The next segment in menswear featured the safari suit deconstructed and redesigned for a younger generation in popping colours, cuts and Italian fitting.
The capsule collection comprised groom and bridal wear with its painstakingly hand-stitched old world bridal trousseau trends and embellishments in chatta-patti, gota work, zari lace, sequins, diamantes, pearls, kiran lace trimming and farshi ghararas and shararas.
Waistcoats on shalwar kameez and kurta pajama, front-open and traditional groom sherwanis and a sleek and fitted tux in pink for the Valima groom worn by celebrity fitness trainer and fashion model Rao Zeeshan for the showstopper segment, featured most notably.
Residue Hydrogenation Catalyst The brides wore a scintillating collection of Punjabi-themed three-tone shalwar kameez in candy colours and an orange-themed chatta-patti gharara for the Mehendi and Mayun segments, a blingy white sharara suit for the Nikah and a traditional red gold-sequined heavily embellished sharara, and a sparkling, diamantee-encrusted light pink sari for the Valima segment.