Show one of QMobile HUM Bridal Couture Week (#QHBCW) on day two started with “The House of Arsalan Iqbal’s” Dhanak, followed by Aness Malik’s Paheeli, a whirlwind romance of dreams, poems and riddles. Charcoal was the third to present their collection on the runway which was followed by Mashal-e-Rukhsar by Shazia Kiyani. Show one concluded by Erum Khan’s festive collection titled Nawabzaadi, a collection enthused by the defined history of our dynasties.
Read: Everything you need to know about HUM Bridal Couture Week day one
Show two of #QHBCW started with the Husn-e-Janan by Chinyere, which was followed by Hina Butt’s Ladli Begum Sway to Rhytm of Storytellers. Day two of three-day bridal extravaganza concluded with Munib Nawaz’s star-studded showcase titled Moonlight Romanticism.
Mohib Mirza and Munib Nawaz showstopped for The House of Arsalan Iqbal while actor Emmad Irfani walked for Charcoal. Fizza Ali added grandeur to Shazia Kiyani’s collection while Rizwan Jaffri performed on the ramp for the brand. The stunning Saba Qamar walked the ramp for Erum Khan while Sadiya Khan and Mikaal Zulfiqar show-stopped for Hina Butt. The finale of Day 2 was a star-studded affair with Osman Khalid Butt, Hassan Niazi, Mooamar Rana, Wali, Noor, Jana Malik and Noman Jawed walking the ramp for Munib Nawaz.
DESIGNERS’ INSPIRATIONS:
THE HOUSE OF ARSALAN IQBAL:
The House of Arsalan Iqbal’s bridal menswear and women’s wear collection ‘Dhanak‘ (Rainbow) for QHBCW is inspired by the designer’s belief in the importance of fostering happiness in one’s life with hope and love.The multi-layered emotion of love is represented by the superimposition of multitude kaleidoscopic rainbow hues, subtly layered on top of each other in each of the artisanal garment pieces. Dhanak’s menswear and women’s wear are melded together using luxurious custom pattern weaved silks and merino wool blends for men, with innovative weaving techniques buoyed by four shaft jacquard looms. One of the challenging highlights of the collection is the incorporation and weaving together of up to eight colours into a multi-dappled symphony of hues with the women’s wear comprising of mostly embroidered pieces using painstaking techniques. The capsules eschew standard embroidery treatments and are buoyed by myriad unique and advanced weaving methods. The silhouettes for the menswear comprises a slew of sherwanis and jackets in varying lengths, with the women’s wear dovetailing vibrant ombré with contemporary, flattering shapes and classic traditional silhouettes. Dhanak is indubitably a celebration of colours and a tribute to Pakistani and sub-continental culture, kindness and generosity. This is the first time in Pakistan that a fashion designer has made a concerted and creative effort to produce an in-house music track to complement their showcase during a Fashion Week. The track entitled ‘Saja Hai Aaj’ used for The House of Arsalan Iqbal’s “Dhanak” is a fusion of rock and qawaali and was melodiously rendered by the gifted singer Hamza Akram, a scion of the Abu Fareed Ayaz family of legendary Qawaals with the music produced by Mubashir Admani of Bonafide Studios.
ANEES MALIK: Paheli is Whirlwind romance of dreams, poems and riddles; rewriting the story. My Paheli collection was inspired by my love of folklore, from the way each piece has its own story to tell, from how that piece is created to who is wearing it. Deep rooted in its tradition, the art of storytelling has always captivated me and this collection of jewels is thus inspired by it. In a time before mass communication women in the village would gather together and sing songs and act out scenes, often depicting wedding scenes.
“I took influence from the art of kalamkari, from how their folklore was embedded into the fabric and taken from village to village to dramatise and tell ancient stories. This compliments the feeling surrounding the bride, the way she is made up to her best, adorned and paraded in all her finery ready to be given away on her wedding day. We have, therefore, used these ideas taking kalam kari duppatas that portray doli motifs and a wedding procession. The outfits are from KianE couture, designed by Aneesa Kiane, a UK based designer who takes inspiration from South Asia and Persia within her creations. The design aesthetic is graceful, demure and innovative with flattering cuts that act as a perfect canvas to complement the jewellery I have created. You will see an amalgamation of traditional Polki jewels with pieces of pachikundan as well as some fusions pieces we have conceptualised for this collection.”
CHARCOAL:Since its debut in 2008, Charcoal has transformed its brand into an eponymous label by bestowing a new meaning to the way Pakistani fashion is perceived around the world. Bringing the Class into formal menswear, the prolific designs boasting a sublime aesthetic, have earned them recognition from other retail brands. At this QHBCW, Charcoal’s intricate collection derives its inspiration from the European colonies and creates a sleek pleasure of bold and English tones with enhanced stitching and fabric combination. The Intricate collection gives all Charcoal fans a huge reason to celebrate as it consists of a wide range of festive outfits which are available at a whole new price range which makes it easier for Charcoal to target a massive audience.
SHAZIA KIYANI:Mashal-e-Rukhsar collection is a tribute to my root, the land of Persia. Complexity and intricacy of persian Culture fascinates artists universally and I am no exception. Tried however, to fuse the persian traditional motifs with modern sensibilities.The Outcome look It’s Classic feminine collection with detail work of Zardozi,Dabka,Kora, Wasli, and marori work for women of 20th century. It is inspired by cultural heritage and architecture of persian art. My color palette corroborates my theme as I’ve borrowed the gold and ivory from the Mashhad architecture and the reds and blues from the carpets of Kachari era. While the paintings of the Pahlavi period provides the inspiration for the silhouettes.Mashal-e-Rukhsar , Certainly, is a Step forward as for my journey as a designer.
ERUM KHAN: Nawabzaadi, the bridal collection is signified by the defined history of our dynasties. The collection infuses colours such as shocking pink, maroon and red to merge the Mughal era of Maharajas with contemporary designs. As the name suggests, the collection presents the convoluted gold and silver handwork to give it a majestic look. Whereas aqua, grey and lighter tones compensate the beauty of a woman. The combination of the work and colours give a complete picture of a “nawabzada”.
CHINYERE:Husn-e-Janan describes the beauty of the beloved. The intricate detail takes the beholder to the imagination that is beyond words. The rich colour palette intensifies the stages a lover has to go through, creating an eccentric connection between love and beauty. The ornaments blend with the extraordinary unity, at the heart of the paradoxical duality of knowing oneself and knowing the lover, making the extravagant embellishments a prerequisite for reaching harmony with the beloved.
HINA BUTT: LADLI BEGUM Sways to Rhythm of Storytellers is inspired from the Kathak dance form that prevailed during the Mughal era in the late 18th and 19th century. The word Kathak means ‘to tell a story’, and it is traditionally attributed to the travelling bards of ancient northern India, known as Kathakars or storytellers. While Kathak amalgamates story-telling with abstract rhythm and movement, our collection puts together the grandeur and richness of the Mughal era with contemporary designs and cuts. In our intricate silhouettes, we revisit the dancing girls’ elaborate bell work, dazzling turns, and the fleeting, transient glimpses of their beauty in motion. The motifs are inspired by the architectural style of the extravagant Mughal courtyards where the dancing girls swayed to storytellers’ rhythms. We revisit the pronounced domes, the slender turrets at the corners, the palace halls supported on pillars and the broad gateways in our details. The collection will be displayed as a depiction of royalty and grace, seeking inspiration from conventional jewellery, beautifully crafted out of fine quality of gold and silver laden with multiple premium quality gemstones, pearls, and beads. The fabric used is pure and sheer, ranging from tissue and organza to jamawar in the form of kamkhwab. Through the use of precious stones, rich fabrics and intricate details in our outfits, we delve into the unparalleled charm and beauty of the Mughals.
MUNIB NAWAZ: Munib Nawaz presents his fall winter 2016/17 wedding trends in Moonlight Romanticism, attribute to romance and glamour of glory days. The collection symbolises the romance between modern fabrics and age old craftsmanship that embellishes the special night when two human beings join in matrimony for better or for worse. The collection is based on poetry, romance and being in love. “Taking poetry in calligraphy as our inspiration, we embellish our new age fabrics that have been influenced by the colours of the earth under the moon. Colours for this season are based on deep dark earth and modern technology creating a look and feel never seen before.”
