Lahore’s MAIDEN fashion week kicks off

By Ali Usman

LAHORE: The city's fashion scene got a great shot in the arm with the opening of the first ever fashion week here, organized by the Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC), at the Royal Palm on Tuesday. The crème de la crème of Pakistan's fashion industry was present at the opening reception of the "PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week". The four-day event will feature fashion by over 32 designers, encompassing both leading names from the industry as well as emerging talents from Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. Each day will feature eight ramp shows, with eight distinct designers who will showcase 20 creations from their respective collections. Governor Salmaan Taseer and US Consulate Principal Officer Carmela Conroy were the special guests at the opening reception.




Thriving: The designers who showcased their designs on the first day included Nicki and Nina, Nida Azwer, the team of Body Focus Museum, Khadija Sha- Ela, Asifa and Nabeel, Sara Shahid (Sublime), Ali Zeeshan and Yousaf B Qureshi. A hairstylist from Hollywood Jamal Hammadi, who has come to Pakistan especially for the fashion week, said he was happy to be in Lahore to witness the event. He hoped the fashion week would prove to be helpful in promoting the fashion industry of Pakistan. Also, while talking about the event, PFDC Chairperson Sehyr Saigol said, "It is an occasion of immense pleasure for PFDC to bring its first ever fashion week to Lahore. Along with presenting both cutting edge and classic designs of over 32 designers from across Pakistan, this event will also work towards formalizing the processes needed to help commercialize Pakistan's fashion industry. Indeed the main objectives of this week are not only to showcase the country's diverse repertoire of creative talent but to cerate meaningful business relationships, and to facilitate interaction between the designers, the buyers and the media". "We are honored to be a part of this event and to be showcasing our couture collection here in Lahore. We have drawn inspiration from the courageous women of Swat, and our spring/summer collection is a tribute to their dignity and honour," said Nicki and Nina, the opening designers for the event.