Karachi Fashion Week 2010
Karachi Fashion Week 31st January – 3rd February 2010
Karachi Fashion Week Workshop – Certificate Distribution Ceremony
17th January 2010
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The organizers of Karachi Fashion Week 2010 conducted a training workshop for individuals and fashion houses, from 13th January to 17th January 2010, at Fashion Apparel Design & Training Institute (FADIN).
Trainings were offered in Pattern Making, Sewing, Fashion Illustration, Draping and Computer Application of Design (CAD/CAM) by Mr. Gauhar Ujmal, Graduate of Pakistan School of Fashion Design.
Karachi Fashion Week 2010 being organized from 31st January – 3rd February, 2010, is Pakistan’s platform on International Fashion Week circuits joining Paris, Milan, New York, Sydney, London & India. This is a platform which encourages the business of fashion, awareness of fashion and infuses new and fresh talent in the industry.
The Certificate Distribution Ceremony of this workshop took place on 17th January 2010 at Fashion Apparel Design & Training Institute (FADIN). The ceremony has not only persuaded the participants on their learning but has also highlighted the efforts that the organizers are putting in for the development of the textile sector in Pakistan.
While addressing to the audience, the Chief Guest of the ceremony Dr. Mirza Ikhtiyar Baig, Federal Advisor to Prime Minister on Textile, highlighted the importance of textile sector in the economy of Pakistan. He also emphasized that the right time has arrived for us to capitalize on our assets and strengths present in the fashion and textile sector, in order to make Pakistan’s economy strong and inline with the tremendous potential that exists within us.
The faculty Mr. Gauhar Ujmal, enlightened the audience with the significance of such workshops for young fashion designers, as they provide them with hands on experience and learning from industry professionals, which is the very need in such turbulent times of the world economy.
The Organizers of the Karachi Fashion Week, Mr. Arshad Siddiqui, CEO Triple-E Pvt. Ltd, told the audience about the magnitude and scope on which the event is being planned and the core objective of business development for the entire nation’s textile sector. He also stressed upon the need to organize such events in the business hub of Pakistan, Karachi as it improvises and depicts a softer image of the country globally.
KFW Workshop was designed for prominence of the significance of professional fashion & designing education and training to individuals and small fashion houses. The main thrust of this workshop was on the industrial application of creativity which translates into the production and exports of value added garments from Pakistan.
This workshop was part of the organizers objectives to encourage, promote and facilitate the development and growth of the fashion industry in Pakistan, make it competitive in the international market, to build on relationships with buyers and foreign designers and to promote investment in the industry. Young and emerging Fashion Designers were invited at the workshop, for learning the latest techniques of fashion designing & manufacturing.
Karachi Fashion Week Workshop
KFW Workshop is designed for highlighting the importance of professional fashion education and training to individuals and small fashion houses. Training is being offered in Pattern Making, Sewing, Fashion Illustration, Draping and Computer Application of Design (CAD/CAM).
Young Fashion Designers are invited to register for the workshop, and get equipped with modern techniques of fashion designing & manufacturing.
Workshop Details:
- Date : Jan 13 – Jan 17, 2010
- Timings : 09:00am – 04:00pm
- Tea Time : 11.00 am (10 min)
- Lunch Time : 01.00 pm (25 min)
- Venue : Fashion Apparel Design & Training Institute (FADIN), 24-D, Block 6, PECHS, Karachi.
- Faculty : Mr. Gauhar Ujmal (Graduate of Pakistan School of Fashion Design)
- Registration fee : Rs.3,000/- per trainee (payment to be made through cross cheque payable to Excellent Events & Entertainment (Pvt) Limited)
- Registration : On spot
Before we begin reviewing the work that was shown at the much-touted Karachi Fashion Week, let’s get the basic fact of what a fashion week really is out of the way.
Fashion weeks in most fashion capitals are biannual events held to showcase designer collections, traditionally in the spring/summer and autumn/winter seasons.
In some cases, the weeks are more specific in their overall theme of the collections that are being displayed, for example Couture Fashion Week, Bridal Fashion Week, Miami Fashion Week (focusing on swim/beachwear), Portland Fashion Week (showcasing designs on eco-friendly fabrics), Prêt a porter Fashion Week and so on and so forth.
They are attended by buyers/retailers who then end up ordering selections from the collections that are shown for their stores/outlets, fashion journalists/the media, members of the entertainment industry and other fashion aficionados.
Originally, a fashion week was a trade-only event, which basically meant it was held to generate business and/or sales for the fashion designers/house. Of late, they’ve morphed into complete entertainment/media events, allowing musicians to perform along with the collections that are being displayed. However, the underlying theme of a fashion week is still geared towards a) getting publicity b) showcasing collections to buyers to generate business/sales/revenue whichever term is preferable.
The Karachi Fashion Week(end) — referred to as KFW — held last week was an event that had been generating, at most, a certain level of curiosity among regular fashion aficionados and members of the fashion industry. Although the event boasted the participation of quite a few big names from the local fashion industry (some of which weren’t even aware that they were participating), no one really knew what was going on until the Karachi-based fashion council (Fashion Pakistan) ‘adopted’ the event.
According to designer Deepak Perwani, a member of the council and who showed only a part of his collection for the Miami Fashion Week 2009, it was important for KFW to happen as it was the first (baby) step for the fashion industry that needs to begin hosting bigger, more nationwide events. Keeping this bigger interest of the industry in mind they decided to take it on, even if it was at the last minute.
Three Bangladeshi designers — Bibi Russel, Emdad Hoque and Rina Latif — also participated in the event as Perwani made it clear that Fashion Pakistan wasn’t inclined towards inviting Indian designers to participate.
From the Bangladeshi designers, Bibi Russel opened the show on the final day of the event. With ‘fashion for development’ the underlying theme of her collection, the outfits were dominated by strong, bold colours and layers. The styling consisted of scarves worn around the neck and the head in the manner of a turban. Her trademark colour palette included hues of orange, red, purple, pink, bright yellow and black while some of the blouses for her saris had knitwear halter necks. Each model carried a look of the bold, emancipated woman deeply rooted to culture and tradition.
Emdad Hoque’s collection concentrated predominantly on prints and fabric as much as on the design of the overall garment. The styling, hair and make-up remained simple. Nadya Hussain opened his collection in a magnificent white sari with a characteristic large red bindi on her forehead. The colour palette in this collection was restricted towards red (more closer to rust), white and shades of black. He was also the only Bangladeshi designer to showcase a menswear collection. Hodque and Russel were similar in how their designs (other than a reflection of their individual styles) were deeply embedded in their indigenous culture.
A Parson’s graduate, Rina Latif left one absolutely wowed by her collection. She was the only Bangladeshi designer who broke away from the throes of awami traditionalism and brought a touch of modernity to it. Starting with softer hues of white hand-painted saris, her collection slowly graduated towards more formal wear. Her blouses were an absolute delight — creatively done, some had frills lining the neckline or bows tying it together at the back, a predominant feature throughout her collection. A symbolic moment for me while her collection was being showed was when Nadya Hussain walked the ramp in an elaborate sari wearing a black opera coat. The music incidentally was also the same. The resulting effect was nothing less of (if you may) fierce glamour and of understated drama.
Out of the local designers showing that evening, the two that stood out were from the relatively newer lot. Adnan Pardesy, predominantly a couture designer, showcased his much-worked-upon collection that he initially meant to launch at the Pakistan Fashion Week. Inspired by Japanese fans, his collection seemed like a futuristic take on fashion with hundreds of yards of fabric painstakingly ironed and stitched into pleats. Having previously showed at Lakme India Fashion Week, this was Adnan’s first major show in Pakistan.
Zarmina Khan, a fashion fledgling from Lahore, definitely showed promise. The length on her garments was distinctly longer. In one of the opening outfits Iraj wore a fur-trimmed poncho, and where it was liked by some others thought all she needed was a pair of fur-trimmed boots to be transported into the stone age. The designer’s colour palette mostly consisted of whites, off-whites and browns. She recently began stocking at Maheen Khan’s flagship store in Karachi.
Other designers who showed their collection at the KFW included Munib Nawaz, Hajra Hayat, Nadya Mistry, Samar Mehdi, Amir Adnan and Monia Faruqi amongst others. In a brilliant display of colours and variety, Fashion Pakistan decided to showcase an assorted mix and match of the outfits by the designers on their council, the models were categorically asked not to tell anyone who they were wearing. Other than providing a brilliant variety in design, it was a visual treat as well.
Notwithstanding the spirit with which the KFW was held, it wouldn’t be accurate to refer to it as a ‘week’… yet. Considering that the event wasn’t attended by (even) local buyers or business bodies seemingly interested in the sort, the objective again wasn’t to generate business or sales. It was, in short, simply a showing of collections by designers and must simply be referred to as that only — predominantly a presentation of the work by designers who are members of Fashion Pakistan. Having said that, one has to start small as mountains aren’t moved in one day. With one fashion body having taken the first step (irrespective of the fact how they took it), it just might signal the beginning of something new.
– Photography by Fahim Siddiqi
Karachi Fashion Week 2010
a pioneering trade event for regional fashion industryThe fashion industry of Pakistan is comprised of individuals and organizations who are all playing vital roles in enhancing their respective fashion markets, including the designers, textile manufacturers, accessories manufacturers, stylists, beauty and health product companies (including cosmetics), models, makeup artists, hair stylists, choreographers, and the fashion media. They work together as a whole industry, each individual piece as important as the next in collectively completing the fashion industry jigsaw puzzle.
Karachi Fashion Week is a completely integrated showcase, aimed at encouraging increased collaboration between the fashion design industry manufacturers. Its main aim is to uplift the fashion industry of Pakistan, and its approach is multifaceted. In a country where apparel manufacturing maintains world class quality and reputation, the aspect of fashion design has not yet been fully developed, in spite of the tremendous potential available. KFW seeks out and encourages promising young designers, to be part of this international showcase, gaining the opportunity to interact with and learn from working designers, as well as exposing their designs to markets with high potential.
By encouraging Pakistani designers to use local textiles and crafts in their designs, we actually help to boost the related industries as well. All of this combined creates a sustainable local fashion industry, constantly offering opportunities for future young designers, career growth options for existing designers, and building upon the success of the local textile and apparel industry for the benefits of all.
The concept is successful because it benefits everyone involved: designers are provided with a single platform to unveil their coming collections to their potential customers; trade buyers attend a single event to preview, plan and order their lines for the next season. The event is also a platform for the media, which acts as the main channel through which the latest trends, designs and colour coordinates are communicated to a wider target audience. National and international fashion/lifestyle/business press are accredited during this event, comprising both print and electronic media.