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Inside PLBW 2015 Day 2: Kamiar Rokni and Misha Lakhani dazzle

In other news, Fahad Hussayn did away with his signature headpieces and black is a coveted colour this season
18 Sep, 2015

The second day at PLBW15 finished off strong with The House Of Kamiar Rokni stealing the night.

Other collections on show were Sana Safinaz, Fahad Hussayn, Nickie Nina, Misha Lakhani, PFDC Introduces New Bridal Designers featuring SUFFUSE by Sana Yasir and MAHGUL.

Based on the collections, one trend you should look into adopting this season is accents of black in your ensemble.

Sana Safinaz:

Sana Safinaz started off very strong with a rich satin off-shoulder cowl neck choli and their signature lehnga. The first couple of pieces saw intricate embroideries on darker color tones set the right mood for upcoming winter weddings. From deep red and black to ivory and bright pink, the color palette was on point and regal.

French Lesage by Sana Safinaz — Publicity photo
French Lesage by Sana Safinaz — Publicity photo

The design house went back to its roots and revived its older motifs -- usually embroidered -- in heavy crystal embellishments. The runway has seen enough of the crystal embellishments, however, and Sana Safinaz's darker pieces that explored a deeper colour palette were more refreshing than their crystal pieces.

Sana Safinaz's dark ensembles were more refreshing from their crystal embellished ones — Publicity photos
Sana Safinaz's dark ensembles were more refreshing from their crystal embellished ones — Publicity photos

After an extremely strong collection last year, the design house had set the bar very high for their experimental and out-of-the-box bridal couture. We absolutely loved how that collection crept into this year's but would have liked to see more of it.

Fahad Hussayn:

'Matam' was a collection like no other Fahad Hussayn collection. Here, the designer steered away from his love of goth and added a lighter color palette, with a more festive feel to it.

Fahad Hussayn's metallic gold pieces were a hit, but the ruffled lehenga didn't find too many takers — Publicity photos
Fahad Hussayn's metallic gold pieces were a hit, but the ruffled lehenga didn't find too many takers — Publicity photos

There were definite hits and misses in the collection -- his metallic gold pieces were a hit and his ruffled layered lehngas a miss -- but what can be said about Hussayn is that his craft is extremely sound.

Some naach gana made up for the loss of drama with the absence of Fahad's ostentatious headpieces  — Publicity photo
Some naach gana made up for the loss of drama with the absence of Fahad's ostentatious headpieces — Publicity photo

The silhouettes, on the other hand, needed more work. Cropped cholis and ghararas do not do well together and are silhouettes that don't flatter everyone. Hussayn did step out of his comfort zone by doing away with his distinctive massive headpieces that often distract from the clothes. The evolution of the brand is definitely exciting and we want to see where the designer goes next.

Nickie n Nina:

Nickie n Nina has a very distinct aesthetic that is not everyone's cup of tea. While the motifs the design house used were strong, with shikargah-like scenes inspiring the collection, some of the colour selections did not work very well, especially the reds and lighter pinks.

Nickie Nina's loose kurtas were on point — Publicity photo
Nickie Nina's loose kurtas were on point — Publicity photo

As far as cuts are concerned, the loose kurtas were on point, but there were definite misses in the collection -- the misses being the peek-a-boo choli, for instance. Since the duo's last collection was so strong, one expected a lot from the brand.

Mira Sethi was the showstopper for the label — Publicity photo
Mira Sethi was the showstopper for the label — Publicity photo

Misha Lakhani:

The one word to describe Lakhani's collection is 'dreamy'. With shimmery pants and a soft color palette embellished with moqaish, lapa and appliqué work, the Misha Lakhani brand finds its ground in the couture market.

Misha Lakhani's collection was more trousseau than bridal wear — Publicity photos
Misha Lakhani's collection was more trousseau than bridal wear — Publicity photos

The line-up was more of a trousseau collection that can be used as a base to make bridals but the starting point is excellent. Lakhani delighted by using colors that are not commonly used in bridal couture. From the 'Pepto Bismol' pink to a dusty blueish grey, what stood out in Lakhani's collection was the balanced use of embellishments. While the link pink bridal was absolutely gorgeous what has us most excited was the sheer floor-length embellished shirts paired with plain high-waisted drain pipe pants.

Suffuse:

This new designer should have titled her collection 'A Tribute To The Fashion Greats'. The collection unfortunately was heavily inspired by Elan, The House of Kamiar Rokni and Fahad Hussayn. It is frightening how a young designer can be so 'inspired' and yet fail to make the collection their own.

Suffuse by Sana Yasir was heavily inspired by some of our fashion greats — Publicity photo
Suffuse by Sana Yasir was heavily inspired by some of our fashion greats — Publicity photo

Here, the diffused pearl and crystal detailing appeared to be taken from Elan's 'Bijoux' collection, and the maroon and gold kurta looked distinctly like something from Kamiar Rokhni's collection three years ago.

Mahgul:

This young design house just keeps getting stronger and stronger with a very distinct aesthetic that has refined itself with each passing collection. This year was no different with 3D embellishments and chunky mother of pearl detailing.

Mahgul's collection's 3D embellishments stood out — Publicity photos
Mahgul's collection's 3D embellishments stood out — Publicity photos

The collection was very structured and is mostly for the brave -- or at least, those who want to make a real statement this wedding season. With arm loops for dupattas, intricate cutwork and very trendy accessories, Mahgul's collection definitely had us wanting for more.

Mahgul also brought over Sara Haider for a performance of 'Ae Dil' during her showcase — Publicity photo
Mahgul also brought over Sara Haider for a performance of 'Ae Dil' during her showcase — Publicity photo

The House Of Kamiar Rokni:

Just when you think the design house has done its best it comes out with a collection that surpasses the last. Carrying on with the aesthetic from 'The Orientalist', The House of Kamiar Rokni refines itself even more. One of the most original collections of the night, it evoked a certain kind of quirky glamour that can only be expected from artists.

House of Kamiar Rokni's collection was the night's winner — Publicity photos
House of Kamiar Rokni's collection was the night's winner — Publicity photos

From its unconventional color palette of merging black with lighter pink accents and very detailed design, there are no words to explain the beauty of this collection. The design house plays to its strengths and displays master craftsmanship along with extremely well-defined separates. Each individual piece can be styled differently and worn many different ways, and that's what we loved.

Comments

Dipak Singh Sep 18, 2015 05:54pm
I realized, Pakistani Girls look different to Indian girls.. may be the taste of style, make up or dressed up..
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SHAZIA AFRIDI Sep 18, 2015 06:39pm
Wow, BRAVO! Totally stunning collections from our uber gifted Pakistani designers! As a fashionista, IMHO - Nickie Nina, Kamiar Rokni and Mahgul's eclectically unique designs are exquisite so a big applause to all for creating such beauteous masterpieces! Just hope Indian designers don't copy these which Indian designer Manish Malhotra has a habit of doing w/o giving credit to our fashion geniuses. Some advice to our Pakistani couture artists: Please have your designs copyrighted or patented in the UK and North America which should prevent others from stealing your hard work. Too many South Asian "designers" are engaging in illegal copy cat reproductions of top Pakistani fashion design houses and this needs to stop.
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SMR Sep 18, 2015 06:54pm
Amazingggggggggggggggg
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h. khan Sep 18, 2015 10:56pm
Looks great, at least women have stopped wearing those crazy long kameezes and open trousers -- That fashion can be voted as the worst thing that have ever happened to women's fashion. I hope that never come back because it was totally distasteful...................
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Patay Khan Sep 18, 2015 11:05pm
Beautifull! yes, Kamiar Rokni clothes have unique design on pleasing to the eyes colors.
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Raj Sep 19, 2015 08:08am
@SHAZIA AFRIDI As if Pakistani designers don't copy!!!!!!!!!!!! Take a good look at the designs here and that at Indian fashion shows in the last 5 years and you will know what I mean!!!!!!!!
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