So was the case with the Karachi launch of a 'new and improved' version of a hair removing cream followed by a fashion showing of 'new collections' by Karachi-based Nomi Ansari and Lahore's Karma. Since Nomi has recently opted to publicly support and join the nascent Lahore-initiated fashion council whose other members include Kamiar Rokhni, one-half of the label Karma, it was interesting to see the two designers together on one unruffled platform.
Like all the au courant events, this one, too, was inaugurated with the ubiquitous 'red carpet' which has become quite a wannabe phenomenon as a whole, especially if the 'celebrity quotient' is at a minimum as it was with this show. Most of the audience was peopled by women who looked like they might be customers of the product in question; and a smattering of front row 'celebrities' including Aijazz Aslam and Humayun Saeed without their respective wives; choreographer Imran Kuresihi, actress/models Aisha Toor and Rubya Chaudry.
A pre-show cocktail hour under a dusky Kashmiri pink canvas tent, in which guests were feted with milk shakes, tea and coffee and bland prawn hors d'oeuvres segued into a scripted introduction by socialite/actress Sanam Agha who made very little eye contact with the audience and boring multi-media presentations by marketing representatives. A poor sound system interrupted this lacklustre interlude and not even 'Veet' girl Katrina Kaif on the large screens could save these hiccups.Show producer and choreographer Freiha Altaf conceptualized the presentation/fashion show as a 'Forbidden Garden' and one couldn't help being prejudiced about this maverick manipulation. The pre-fashion show mime performance by the Oops! troupe was posited as the battle between 'Good' and 'Evil' with Lahori model Daniyal and a svelte Gia Ali acting as Adam and Eve, respectively. A bald and rancorous looking Omar Butt acted as the luring devil who, in an exercise in tacky marketing ploydom, represented "commercialization and the harmful products that plague women."
Model/actor Naeem-ul-Haq reprised his role as a good angel (also seen in Ali Azmat's 'Na Re Na') and did an Actor's Studio worthy performance, perhaps representing the company as he guided Gia and Daniyal towards life-size rose pink and apple green boxes of the product in question. Both Daniyal's and Gia's Eden-inspired leaf ensembles looked like the type of cheap, plastic outfits a Hula girl would wear on a less than par Hawaiian cruise boat.
One was almost offended that such a hallowed tale as Adam and Eve's banishment from the Garden of Eden should be reworked artlessly for the sake of crass commercialization. One almost pities our paltry few choreographers when they are 'forced' to follow the brief of their clients and try to find creative and tasteful ways to merge commerce, art, entertainment and fashion. The two young supernova designers were also told to follow the theme of Good versus Evil and each chose to express this dichotomy individually, either through a gradual variation in colour, or modification in silhouette.Nomi Ansari, famous for his use of bright and vibrant neon colours, chose to play with both variants. "I had a lot of fun doing this collection. There weren't the usual restrictions of straight-laced shalwar suits or bridals. However, I couldn't be too avant garde as I have to sell," he said. Nomi said he cherished the fact that he had an opportunity to work with different silhouettes and textures and mix and match colours. "With this collection there was more of an emphasis on western silhouettes with skirts, bustiers and jackets juxtaposed with Eastern ensembles like sherwanis and saris. I also paid attention to the styling and used butterfly brooches as adornment."
The collection was inspired by 'desire, romanticism and myth' and began with an electric slew of neon lime that included Tooba in a lime sari with a '40s striped, cupped bustier and Sunita in a plush green long flute skirt worn with a bow-embellished silver top with net inlay. Nomi describes his shalwars not as merely patiala anymore but "part MC-Hammer part harem and part cowl and made with crepe and chiffon."This was evidenced in a tamarind yellow variation worn with rhinestones by upcoming super Fayezah. Nomi also created an ultra-modern silhouette with slit capris, especially the silver chun chun tasselled slit capris that were paired with a fitted lime green jamavar sherwani worn regally by Nadya Hussain. Nomi then moved his colour palette to pinks with Vinny in a short sleeveless kameez and cowl shalwar and Maha in soft pink polka dotted slit capris with circular gold embroidery. Lahori model Mehreen Syed vied for attention in a soft bubblegum-pink sari worn with a spangly rhinestone encrusted blouse. Tanya Shafi looked boho-elegant in a spangly kaftan sleeved top worn with an oversize Patiala shalwar.
The mood and colours became more darkly decadent as a supremely confident and gorgeous Eman Ali strode onto the triangular runway that was festooned with floral arches, vines and caged parrots in a burnt sienna Patiala shalwar worn with a cafe au lait sleeveless top embossed with spangly and glistening emerald sequin work.
Another model looked elegant in a gold jamavar long flared flute shaped skirt worn with a Mandarin collared top. "I used chocolate brown as my base dark colour as it is very much in fashion these days," explained the designer. This colour choice manifested itself in Rubab wearing chocolate brown slit capris worn with a spangly brown top with emerald work and oversize pink flowers and accessorized with a long strip orange dupatta.Vinny looked elegant in a flowing chiffon pin-tucked skirt with applique flowers worn with a black and pink spangly bustier. Gia Ali, who said she later missed another beautiful sari entrance because of poor backstage management, more than made up for it in a dramatic red bordered black sari with silver gilt work. Tanya made a dramatic entrance in a beige fitted short opera coat with oversize collars worn with a panel skirt which had floral chiffon as an inlay. "I draped this jacket and it has a couture quality to it," Nomi said.
Karma's collection was buoyed by glamour, glitter, sparkle and shine and worn by goddesses who "embody fashion." Karma also used retro jamavar seen in a lime green gharara with turquoise paisley embellishment and a sand-beige Patiala shalwar worn with a dove silver top and dupatta. Vinny looked soignee in a jamavar gown worn with an oversize opera shawl.
Standouts in the eclectic collection included Sunita Marshall in a short asymmetrical top that was embellished with long multi-coloured ribbon-like mesh strips and worn with black culottes. Tanya also looked ravishing in lime silk trousers worn with a one-shouldered asymmetrical poncho embellished with gold work with a lime inlay. Rubab elegantly sashayed a satin burnished orange and pink ombre (tie/dye) high yoked A-line flared top that was worn with emerald culottes. Eman stole the show in a black three-layered chiffon skirt and trumpet sleeved top brandished with a dramatic embroidered blue obi sash.
Another bold ensemble was a black kaftan-shaped poncho with an oversize Native American print worn appropriately by amazon Nadya. Karma also let their freak flag fly with their oversize gharara-cullotte hybrid and overly long dupattas. Gia looked cutesy and garnered appreciative shouts from Humayun Saeed as she traipsed onstage in an asymmetrical pink baby doll top worn with black trousers. Nadya's heavily embroidered black velvet blouse that was worn with a Rajhastani pink sari, Parsi style, was an interesting ethnic mix.However, one wished that both designers had worked on more specific capsule collections rather then their frenzied amateurish experimentation, although this writer really liked the myriad skirts that both Nomi and Karma crafted, especially Karma's final piece, Iraj in a sparkly cafe au lait skirt with a spangly silver top.
"For once the clothes fit perfectly and flowed beautifully without the use of pins," said Vinny.
The choreography which Freiha described as "old as the world and desi" helped the designer's presentations. "The formation of all the models coming out in one go, and then doing single walks helped Nomi who showed eight lime green, eight pinks and eight chocolate brown ensembles," she explained. "So you immediately saw a wash of colour which also helped the concept."
She said that Karma preferred to exhibit individual, show-stopping pieces and so there was only a group formation at the outset and then only solo entrances." What also might have added to the show's ebullience was the magic of veteran fashion show make-up whiz Tariq Amin who finger scrunched some of the models' hair and gave them polished, full-of-health visages. The flower arrangements were by Batul Haji."My brief from the company that makes Veet was very clear," said Freiha. "As it was the launch of an A-plus product, they wanted supermodels, good fashion with variations in colour that matched the concept and a good crowd." It was a pity then that the fashion was tainted by an air of concept-contrivance that even a good angel could not wish away.
