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Neelam Muneer
 
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Hum Showcase Day 1 proved Zaheer Abbas is the king of couture


Other notable runway favourites were Nine Lines and Zonia Anwaar

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Sadaf Kanwal in Zaheer Abbas


The best collections at a fashion week are the innovative ones. There are pretty lineups and wearable ones but then there are those that recklessly push the fashion envelope, shrugging off commercial concerns, diving into a new blend of colour, craft or technique.

Hum Showcase, now in its third year, enjoys these dips and dives. The event’s greatest strength lies in its carefully curated lineup which frequently delivers upon heady whiffs of innovative fashion. As at all other events featuring the work of multiple designers, the runway does occasionally veer into commercial design but it also features bona fide couture, which is so rare to find in these days of fast fashion.

One day before Hum Showcase began, designer Zaheer Abbas pointed out to me: ‘There is a difference between catalogue and collection’. He was evidently pointing out brands’ tendencies to put forth wearable catalogs on the catwalk rather than innovative, out-of-the-box design that could then be translated to retail. I do feel that high-street brands can be allowed to be a tad ‘catalogue’ in their approach as long as they don’t get downright generic. Their identity, after all, is wearable fashion and most high-street fashion shows – some of the best of them – stay true to wearability while pushing the fashion bar ever so slightly.

Zaheer’s words do ring true, though, when it comes to couture houses that fall victim to commercialism. The creativity simply fades away and one may ask, where’s the craft? The new techniques? The new trends? What’s the point of a couture show if all it’s going to do is churn out cookie-cutter clothes that have been seen a zillion times before?

Of course, Zaheer Abbas’ show, kicking off this year’s Hum Showcase featured a collection and not a catalog. And what an absolutely fabulous collection it was…

Zaheer Abbas
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We loved that his collection didn't feature any embellishments


The opening show was easily the best show of the day. Zaheer Abbas’ ‘Conceptuelle’ was a symphony in cotton, falling in impeccably crafted layers, worked with intricate details that you immediately wanted to examine up-close.

There wasn’t an ounce of embroidery but fastidiously crafted pleats, cuts that fell into place perfectly and a play of multiple hues. The huge sombreros worn by some of the models added flavor – you could almost see those layered skirts twirling on a hot night under the Spanish moon!

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Extremely artisanal, the lineup was testimony to Zaheer’s finesse and eye for fashion. What a collection, Zaheer. Now, tweak it here and there and create a catalog out of it so that people can get buying!

Nine Lines
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Bring on the funk!


What fun! Nine Lines’ ‘Pop Kitschry’ throbbed to a youthful, upbeat tune, effervescent with colour and print. This was the brand’s runway debut but nevertheless, Nine Lines has been visible for quite some time and it stayed true to its signature. The prints dominated the collection and I craned my neck to see the slogans on some of the clothes.

One declared ‘Blogger hoon’, with a matching bag – I have a feeling that I might see it on the red carpet soon, worn by a blogger! A hot pink sleeveless short, paired with matching layered ruffle pants, said ‘Sweet and Saucy’. Another told you, ‘Fittay munh’! Showstopper Nausheen Shah walked out in a dress with a long trail, printed with images of pop icons.

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Very cool, very young. A special shout-out to the accessories: quirky bags and a giddy array of neon shoes!
 
.
Hum Showcase Day 1 proved Zaheer Abbas is the king of couture


Other notable runway favourites were Nine Lines and Zonia Anwaar

5cb9a4cc004e2.jpg


Sadaf Kanwal in Zaheer Abbas


The best collections at a fashion week are the innovative ones. There are pretty lineups and wearable ones but then there are those that recklessly push the fashion envelope, shrugging off commercial concerns, diving into a new blend of colour, craft or technique.

Hum Showcase, now in its third year, enjoys these dips and dives. The event’s greatest strength lies in its carefully curated lineup which frequently delivers upon heady whiffs of innovative fashion. As at all other events featuring the work of multiple designers, the runway does occasionally veer into commercial design but it also features bona fide couture, which is so rare to find in these days of fast fashion.

One day before Hum Showcase began, designer Zaheer Abbas pointed out to me: ‘There is a difference between catalogue and collection’. He was evidently pointing out brands’ tendencies to put forth wearable catalogs on the catwalk rather than innovative, out-of-the-box design that could then be translated to retail. I do feel that high-street brands can be allowed to be a tad ‘catalogue’ in their approach as long as they don’t get downright generic. Their identity, after all, is wearable fashion and most high-street fashion shows – some of the best of them – stay true to wearability while pushing the fashion bar ever so slightly.

Zaheer’s words do ring true, though, when it comes to couture houses that fall victim to commercialism. The creativity simply fades away and one may ask, where’s the craft? The new techniques? The new trends? What’s the point of a couture show if all it’s going to do is churn out cookie-cutter clothes that have been seen a zillion times before?

Of course, Zaheer Abbas’ show, kicking off this year’s Hum Showcase featured a collection and not a catalog. And what an absolutely fabulous collection it was…

Zaheer Abbas
5cb9a573baa8c.png

We loved that his collection didn't feature any embellishments


The opening show was easily the best show of the day. Zaheer Abbas’ ‘Conceptuelle’ was a symphony in cotton, falling in impeccably crafted layers, worked with intricate details that you immediately wanted to examine up-close.

There wasn’t an ounce of embroidery but fastidiously crafted pleats, cuts that fell into place perfectly and a play of multiple hues. The huge sombreros worn by some of the models added flavor – you could almost see those layered skirts twirling on a hot night under the Spanish moon!

5cb9aaff0b35f.jpg



Extremely artisanal, the lineup was testimony to Zaheer’s finesse and eye for fashion. What a collection, Zaheer. Now, tweak it here and there and create a catalog out of it so that people can get buying!

Nine Lines
5cb9a50c4ef54.png

Bring on the funk!


What fun! Nine Lines’ ‘Pop Kitschry’ throbbed to a youthful, upbeat tune, effervescent with colour and print. This was the brand’s runway debut but nevertheless, Nine Lines has been visible for quite some time and it stayed true to its signature. The prints dominated the collection and I craned my neck to see the slogans on some of the clothes.

One declared ‘Blogger hoon’, with a matching bag – I have a feeling that I might see it on the red carpet soon, worn by a blogger! A hot pink sleeveless short, paired with matching layered ruffle pants, said ‘Sweet and Saucy’. Another told you, ‘Fittay munh’! Showstopper Nausheen Shah walked out in a dress with a long trail, printed with images of pop icons.

5cb9ab11bf108.jpg



Very cool, very young. A special shout-out to the accessories: quirky bags and a giddy array of neon shoes!
What in Gods Grace is this? What is this? What is this ? Why how ? What neurological impulses led to whatever this is ?
 
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The third and last day of Hum Showcase was a very strong day for fashion wrapping up with glitz and color.

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And how it sang! His best collection yet. Until the next one.


The fashion was going to be great, it was predicted prior to the third day of this year’s Hum Showcase.

The designer lineup, after all, boasted well-known names: two menswear designers, veteran labels from Karachi and Lahore and one of the country’s most renowned couturiers. But the prediction didn’t completely ring true.

The third and last day of Hum Showcase was a very strong day for fashion but it was also a day when menswear died a slow, garish death.

It was a day that was uplifted quite frequently by celebrities on the runway rather than the fashion itself. The celebrity entourage was huge: Faryal Mehmood, Asim Azhar, Feroze Khan, Sarah Khan and the entire lead cast and filmmakers of upcoming movie Chhalawa. Celebrities always guarantee plenty of eyeballs and you may have been seeing images from the shows trending on social media – because of the stars, not because of the fashion in most cases.

Fashion-wise, it was the couturier who had the first show of the day that ended up dominating.

Rizwan Beyg
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Whenever Rizwan Beyg has a fashion showcase, I inevitably hear someone murmur afterwards: ‘This is his best collection yet.” And then, a year or so later, the next collection is also declared to be his best. Rizwan has the heart of a couturier, an eye for construction and when it comes to design, the temperament of a meticulous drill-master. The amalgamation of these traits ultimately results in creations that are amongst his very best.

‘Pearlessence’ was the designer’s romance with pearls on an ivory palette and one couldn’t help but fall in love with it. Pearls, sequins and hand embroideries twinkled, painstakingly handcrafted by the craftswomen from Pakistan’s rural regions that he works with constantly.

The silhouettes were familiar and yet not-so-familiar: hybrids were created of the shalwar, there were breezy culottes with slits, jackets, blazers, masterfully constructed sleeves and rigorously sculpted shirts. The embroidery had an elegance to it, sometimes running down the entire length of a garment and at other times, holding its own on a single pocket or a collar; always coherent, never over-the-top.

The result was exquisite. These were timeless pieces that a woman would want to treasure for life and yet, at the same time, so fashion forward in their implementation. Rizwan Beyg doesn’t believe in overt advertising. You may not see him putting out paid social media content incessantly or blowing his own trumpet in multiple interviews. Instead, he lets his work sing out his praises.

And how it sang! His best collection yet. Until the next one.

Wardha Saleem
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Block prints have long been a consistent part of Wardha Saleem’s maison and a separate label by her, dedicated solely to the technique, makes so much sense.

Her ‘Jhirki’ made its first appearance in a panorama of color ways that ran the gamut from subtle greys and blues to bright pinks and yellows, and there were so many patterns flitting about its landscape: paisleys, geometric shapes, poppies, sparrows, herons and horses, among them! The medley of Eastern silhouettes was quite festive, dabbling with variations of the shalwar, slinky saris, jackets and structured tunics.

Quite cohesive and centered around a subcontinental craft which is timeless and inherent to the subcontinent, ‘Jhirki’ has all the makings of a retail success!

Munib Nawaz
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Munib Nawaz’s ‘Dash’ had its redeeming moments. For instance, the navy blue jacket worn by model Walid Siddiqui and some of the more austere suits. There was a lot more that I felt couldn’t possibly cater to the wardrobe of the urbane man who forms Munib’s target clientele. The plaid shirts and track suits and the mish-mash of layers didn’t make much sense.

Natasha Kamal
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Natasha Kamal is quite popular in her home-base Lahore and tends to have a strong knack for pretty, wearable design. With Lilium, she took inspiration from the extraordinarily twirling lilies created by painted Georgia O’Keefe and translated them into some beautiful prints and three-dimensional embellishments.

There were sunsets on clouds laced with magenta, unfolding on some of the summer dresses. Unfortunately, there were also some badly fitted dresses and layered shirts that didn’t quite work.

The prints in Lilium had a lot of potential but having witnessed Natasha’s more artistic collections, this one didn’t raise the bar.

Khaadi Khaas
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Khaadi Khaas pirouetted out, flouncing its colors with the spirit of the flamenco dancer. There was clever styling at play, which uplifted the embroidered shirts that are Khaadi’s leitmotif, injecting a boho gypsy vibe to them. Capes, waistcoats, long and short tunics and a variation of lowers – you could take most of this collection straight from the catwalk right on to retail racks.

It was a whirl of color, splayed on to the catwalk in heady concoctions. Another strength was the wearability of every single look, testifying to Khaadi’s prowess in the retail playground.

From catwalk to the red carpet to Khaadi Khaas racks where it can easily cater to the steady market for festive-wear, this collection can be a hit absolutely anywhere. I hope that it does.
 
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Designers often have specific visions for the looks that they want to project on the catwalk.


Fashion shows aren’t just about the clothes. The truly fabulous shows also pack in plenty of style statements via hair and makeup trends, shoes, bags and statement jewelry.

Designers often have specific visions for the looks that they want to project on the catwalk and over time, some of these trickle down to the latest street-styles. Lucky for those of us who want to look fashionable but are too lazy to go shopping for clothes!

We’ve been scouring the catwalk of the recently concluded Hum Showcase, zoning in on some of the accessories and some of the hair and makeup created by the team at Nabila’s. And here are our notes on some of the trends that can make you look like you’ve stepped right off the catwalk.

Let your eyes shine white!
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Thick white eye-liner was applied full-socket to the eyes of models in Mahgul’s show on the second day of Hum Showcase and it added in a dash of drama to the designer’s evening-wear.

The statement lip
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For some reason, most of the designers opted for nude, pale pink lips. This was a bit disappointing, especially having seen some very flamboyant lip colours just a few days ago in Fahad Hussayn’s show at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week.

At HUM Showcase, Sadaf Kanwal’s fluorescent pink lips in Hussain Rehar’s show were winners. And Outfitters show was fun with all the many lip shades complementing the brand’s street-style: tangerine, vermilion and lilac, among them!

Let your hair clips do the talking
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Hairstyling can be such a pain and we spotted some fun hair accessories on the catwalk. The models’ hair in Zonia Anwaar’s show hung loose, pinned on the side. And the accessories in Outfitters’ show were great fun.

Neon on the eyes, any time!
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Neon’s trending all over the world and Ayesha Omar’s eyes, painted a neon orange shade, looked fabulous. This trend is not for the faint-hearted and of course, the very adventurous, super-stylish Ayesha Omar carried it off easily.

Neon accessories, any time!
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We also loved the neon accessories that popped out on the catwalk. There was plenty of neon to be spotted in Nine Line’s eccentric lineup: bags, clothes and even translucent, neon-hued boots!

The tiny ‘it’ bag
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Implausibly tiny little bags are all the rage internationally, best associated with Jacquemus’ show at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year. Zonia Anwaar brought the trend to the runway in collaboration with handbag brand The Wraps. Too tiny to hold anything more than a lipstick of your car keys – but quite on-trend!
 
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Ammara Butt, one of the newbie Pakistani actors to watch out for


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There is a new firecracker in town that has caught everyone’s attention and she goes by the name of Ammara Butt who has taken the small screens in Pakistan by storm through her versatility with the characters she plays.

The budding starlet made a name for herself after delivering a sizzling performance in the drama serial De Ijazat and continuing the impressive streak with Sarmad Khoosat miniseries Akhri Station where she proved that she is here to stay.

Ammara is definitely a new face on Pakistani television to watch out for as she is racking up praises for her current drama serial as well alongside Imran Ashraf, titled Ranjha Ranjha Kardi where she essays the supportive role of a naïve college student.
 
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