PSFW: High street fashion rule the ramp

Lahore: Street art, twinkling stars, Mughal royalty and facets of human soul -- with myriad inspirations, high-street fashion and pret-a-porter trends were seen in full glory on the concluding day of the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week (PSFW) 2015 as a string of designers came forward to present colourful creations.

Taking PFDC's (Pakistan Fashion Design Council) commitment to sustainability and discipline within the business of fashion and the facilitation of Pakistan’s retail industry forward, the gala, from April 18-21, endeavoured to define and present trends for 2015, focussing specifically on fashion for the region's long hot summer months.

PFDC chairperson Sehyr Saigol even announced plans to establish Pakistan’s first ever craft based Design District, a multi-purpose specialised facility that would assist in developing and enhancing the arts and crafts industries, which are an integral part of Pakistan’s rich cultural legacy.

In addition to being a centre for skill improvement and capacity building, the Design District would also house a first-of-its-kind Textile Museum.

The official spokesperson of the PFDC, Sara Shahid of Sublime by Sara also announced the official dates for the Council’s next fashion week, PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week 2015 which is scheduled to be held from September 15-17.

Meanwhile, the fourth day of PSFW on Tuesday featured high-street fashion shows by the House of Arsalan Iqbal, Erum Khan, Chinyere and Hassan Riaz and designer pret-a-porter shows by Sana Safinaz, Republic by Omar Farooq, Syeda Amera, Huma & Amir Adnan, Sania Maskatiya and HSY.

The celebrity quotient was added by Pakistani musician Goher Mumtaz and his wife Anam Ahmed, and popular actor Fawad Khan, who walked the ramp as showstoppers for debutant Erum Khan and Republic by Omar Farooq, respectively.

Leading fashion brand The House of Arsalan Iqbal showcased a collection titled ‘Devolution Chic’, inspired by global street art. Along with menswear pieces, the collection also included in-house footwear and jewellery made in collaboration with pioneering Karachi-based street artist SANKI.

Erum Khan's debut show at PSFW was titled ‘The Untainted Shine’, which took inspiration from the sparkle of twinkling stars and a walk on pearl dew in the morning; fashion brand Chinyere showcased ‘Mizaj-e-Shahana’, an ode to the era of the

Mughal royalty and their imperial aesthetic; while Hassan Riaz's ‘Contained Shadows’ collection was inspired by the diverse facets of the human soul.

Among the designer showcases in the evening, there was Sana Safinaz, whose works were inspired by monochromatic structured looks with pops of colour.

Menswear brand Republic by Omar Farooq showcased a collection titled ‘Que Sera, Sera!’, and a high point of the show was Fawad, who was later seen seated in the front row with his wife.

The third pret show was presented by designer Syeda Amera, who made her ramp debut with ‘The World of Sea’, inspired by love for the enchanting underwater.

A special show was by husband and wife duo Huma and Amir Adnan, who showcased a joint collection for the first time at a fashion exhibition. Both Huma and Amir feel that as a couple they share their lives and draw synergies, and so, their collection was aptly titled ‘Symphony’.

Thereafter, designer Sania Maskatiya took audiences on a fashion journey to ‘Paristan’ - a fairytale place; and couturier HSY presented the finale show ‘INK’, a collection inspired by Asia and specifically HSY’s journeys to The Land of the Rising Sun.