Thursday, February 20, 2014

Fashion Pakistan Week 2014 in Karachi

Fashion Pakistan Council (FPC) is currently putting on a 3-day fashion week in Karachi.  It is the sixth edition of  Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) showcasing Spring/Summer collections from 24 mainstream and upcoming designers.

Designers at the show include Maheen Khan, Shamaeel Ansari, Nomi Ansari, Hassan Sheheryar Yasin, Deepak Perwani, Fahad Hussayn, Faraz Manan, Amna Aqeel, Jafferjees, Gul Ahmad, Adnan Pardesy, Zainab Chottani, Tapu Javeri, Kamiar Rokni, Maheen Hussain, Nida Azwer, Ali Xeeshan and many more.

Here are a few select pictures of the event:






















Here's a Pakistan Pictorial:

 
Find more photos like this on PakAlumni Worldwide: The Global Social Network

Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Pakistan's Top Fashion Models

Pakistani Cover Girls

Life Goes On in Pakistan

Pakistan Fashion Week 2013

Karachi Fashion Week 2013

Veena Malik Challenges Pakistan's Orthodoxy 

PakAlumni-Pakistani Social Network 

Huma Abedin Weinergate

Pakistan Media Revolution

Protest Music in Pakistan

Resilient Pakistan Defies Doomsayers

Life Goes On in Pakistan

Pakistani Entrepreneurs Survive Economic Downturn

Silent Social Revolution in Pakistan

6 comments:

Fatima said...

They should now consider designing for Pakistani women as well. . .so far most of them were suitable for Indian/ western people.

Riaz Haq said...

Fatima: "They should now consider designing for Pakistani women as well. . .so far most of them were suitable for Indian/ western people."

Fashion shows are often targeted at international buyers and exports. Value added exports of textiles and designer clothes will help create more jobs and boost Pakistan's economy.

Unknown said...

but there is a vast market within Pakistan,western dress are much better made by western designers,
instead of promoting our local and pakistani fabrics and embroidery,and stabilizing fashion industry within Pakistan .

Ashraful said...

For most women wearing these clothes is not possible. Why don't they make something for the big local market.
The thing about doing it for exports I am not sure - local jobs and all

Anonymous said...

Maybe for the very high class women but not for rest of the public. You cannot wear this and go out of home because it is not acceptable in our culture.

Riaz Haq said...

Anon: "Maybe for the very high class women but not for rest of the public. You cannot wear this and go out of home because it is not acceptable in our culture."

Read this piece by Zahra Peer Mohammed:

Some attire is culturally unacceptable in some parts of Pakistan. However, in other areas – especially the urban areas of the country – it is a norm. Tragically, the media depicts only one side of Pakistan. PHOTO: AFP
A few weeks ago, I went shopping with my husband and on the way home, we stopped at McDonald’s to grab a quick bite. A deadly storm had hit Toronto just a few days ago, so I didn’t find it odd when a woman seated at a table next to us asked me if we had power at our house.

I replied in the affirmative and continued with my meal but the woman – a chatty sort – went on to say how terrible the Deputy Indian Counsel General was for under-paying her maid.

All good conversation, I guess…

Suddenly, she asked me which part of India I was from.

On letting her know I was actually from Pakistan, a mix of horror and sympathy flashed across her face.

“You must be glad you’re in Canada, eh?”

I was confused. Yes, I was happy to be in Canada, but I am never glad to rid myself of Pakistan.

I replied,

“I love my country.”

To which she immediately retorted,

“Why? Can you roam around in shorts in Pakistan without getting killed?”

At this point, my husband was getting rather irked, so we left and continued our shopping. But for some reason, the woman’s remark stayed with me all day.

In answer to her question, yes, you can wear shorts in some areas of Pakistan.

In fact, just yesterday a friend of mine celebrated her engagement party in Karachi, Pakistan and the dress-code at the event seemed to be ‘dresses’. Pictures she posted to her Facebook profile showed many girls wearing dresses cut well above the knees while some chose to wear dresses that were trailing on the ground.

Dresses are considered normal attire at movie premieres in Pakistan. PHOTO COURTESY VERVE PR
It is a fact that this sort of attire would be culturally unacceptable in some parts of Pakistan, even before the Taliban. However, in other areas – especially the urban areas of the country – it is a norm. Tragically, the media depicts Pakistan to be a country where men without a beard are an abomination and a liberal, independent woman is an alien.

To make up for what our media fails to depict, let me list down some facts about those people residing in Pakistan which you may find surprising:



The Pakistan you may know

Young men attend religious schools — called madrassas — where they dress in the traditional shalwar kameez, grow a beard, wear skull caps and study the Quran in great detail.

The Pakistan you may not know

Have you heard? A team of boys and girls is representing Pakistan in an international rowing competition!

Just yesterday, my brother informed me that he had made it to his school’s international rowing team and would be representing Pakistan in Dubai in February, 2014.



The Pakistan you may know

You may have heard of women suffering honour killings at the hands of their relatives if they dare to interact with men unbeknown to them.

The Pakistan you may not know

Did you know that there is a bi-weekly club scene called Fez Night in Karachi, Pakistan where rich young girls and boys get together and dance from dusk to dawn? It is a really exciting night with a live DJ and alcohol. Girls dress to impress, often attired in the latest creations of renowned designers like GUCCI and Louis Vuitton.

If you are reading this blog and have never been to Pakistan, I hope you can understand now that categories of simply black and white do not always work. There is always a grey area and understanding this is where the challenge lies.

My country has a lot of problems and I am the first one to criticise it for them but I will also stand up to defend it when it has been wronged or misunderstood.

http://www.pakistanaffairs.pk/threads/63812-%E2%80%98Can-girls-wear-shorts-in-Pakistan-without-getting-killed-%E2%80%99