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Does Pakistan really need a men's fashion week?

Does Pakistan really need a men's fashion week?

Answer: if done right, why not? But unfortunately a men's fashion week held in Karachi this weekend hit the wrong note
Updated 30 Dec, 2015

Menswear has long been on the sidelines of Pakistani fashion.

One look at the usual line-ups of the biannual Fashion Pakistan Week in Karachi and PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week in Lahore, and you'll notice that menswear presentations are few and far between. It averages to two shows over the course of fashion week, while womenswear designers enjoy the prominence of 30+ showcases. That is just disappointing.

The recently held 'Karachi Fashion Week - Mens Fashion' sought to improve the visibility of menswear designers. However, it offered exactly what almost every fashion week does to menswear: nothing.

Sure, KFW had an impressive designer line-up, featuring Umar Sayeed, Hassan Sheheryar, Amir Adnan, Rizwanullah, Deepak n Fahad and Emraan Rajput plus high street brands, but it failed to deliver. It made me wonder whether a men's fashion week is really necessary. I'd rather go to a circus to be amused, if that was the end goal of the two-day event.

Day 1: The big guns disappoint

On Day 1, the line-up boasted seasoned designers. Amir Adnan's collection was a regurgitation of his previous showcases across fashion weeks in the whole previous year.

The clothes were good, but the styling did more harm to the showcase than good.

Amir Adnan opened the show on Day One (R) but his collection wasn't much different than stuff he has shown in the past (L)
Amir Adnan opened the show on Day One (R) but his collection wasn't much different than stuff he has shown in the past (L)

Huma Adnan's FnkAsia, Amir Adnan's sister brand, seemed to follow the same route. I was left confused: who borrowed from whose previous collection? Repeat showcases are an injustice to an audience expecting to see new trends emerge from a fashion week.

FnkAsia switched things up with a sherwani-donning Atiya Khan as their showstopper
FnkAsia switched things up with a sherwani-donning Atiya Khan as their showstopper

Maaz Jee, on the other hand, showed a strong eastern couture collection that was in sync with the brand's ethos and a much-needed fresh presence on the runway.

Collections from mainstream highstreet brands Royal Tag and Kapray mainly comprised of wardrobe essentials. The styling, however, was slapdash, which was quite the turn-off. Shirts were rumpled, pants didn't hit the right length and accessories were mismatched. The one standout piece was Royal Tag's black patterned blazer.

Next up was Rizwanullah, whose collection was firmly rooted in blacks, greys and browns.

Rizwanullah rarely thinks inside the box and has shown very innovative menswear in the past. But this collection looked like something ripped out of an H&M catalog. Rizwanullah may have been trying to embrace normcore (an anti-label fashion movement that champions androgyny and function over form) but, if so, he took the concept too literally.

After a no-show at Fashion Pakistan Week Winter/Festive, Rizwanullah seemed bent on making the most of his show at KFW
After a no-show at Fashion Pakistan Week Winter/Festive, Rizwanullah seemed bent on making the most of his show at KFW

Rizwanullah can do better, and has done better with his menswear in the past.

Day 2: A brief respite

The collections on Day 2 proved to be better. Duo Deepak and Fahad have been in the industry for a while now, and one can see why they have persevered. Their collection of eastern wear was aesthetically pleasing and cohesive.

Deepak and Fahad presented a cohesive collection
Deepak and Fahad presented a cohesive collection

Emraan Rajput showed an impeccable collection of suits with his showstopper being the actor Faysal Qureshi. Even without the star power, the collection stood out for all the right reasons.

A very dapper Faysal Qureshi walked for Emraan Rajput
A very dapper Faysal Qureshi walked for Emraan Rajput

FHS by HUB showed an eclectic collection with good individual pieces that came together to form a disastrous presentation. Had they been styled better, they could have made an impact.

Umar Sayeed, on the other hand, came out with a strong presentation with beautiful sherwanis and eastern couture. The embellished shawl on one of the models was the standout piece.

Is this sherwani worn by one of the Ho Mann Jahaan boys?
Is this sherwani worn by one of the Ho Mann Jahaan boys?

HSY, however, showed a collection comprised of his previous pieces. Even though we had seen it all before, the collection somehow managed to save the KFW.

The event wrapped up with a HSY collection
The event wrapped up with a HSY collection

The value of men's fashion week

Pakistani fashion already suffers from a dearth of menswear designers. If they don't have the capacity to produce fresh collections for the only dedicated men's fashion week, the organisers need to reconsider the value of their initiative. The seasoned designers' decision to show their previous collections is perhaps a sign of how desperately Pakistan needs menswear to be taken seriously.

On top of that, poor styling choices ruined some of the presentations. Designers and brands should know how important details are. One simply can't scrimp on these facets of a showcase anymore. Because of these let-downs, the fashion week ended up looking like a poorly cooked dish made out of leftovers; it left a bad taste in the mouth.

While this fashion week is, in theory, a good step towards establishing menswear as an entity in the fashion industry, in practice it bodes something different.

It makes me wonder: if male-centric fashion weeks continue to be this poorly organised, do we really need this platform at all?

Comments

Haroon Dec 30, 2015 03:25pm
Well the answer is yes. Infact Pakistan needs a lot of social activity. We should welcome each and every social gathering as dearth of it causes anxiety in the society.
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shakil Dec 30, 2015 06:38pm
yes, as long as it's made in Pakistan, and not imported.
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ahmed hasan Dec 30, 2015 07:41pm
Faisal Qureshi, you are cool buddy !
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Mohammad S. Khalid Dec 30, 2015 08:37pm
Standards of men's fashion industry in Pakistan are extremely low. For men, our fashion industry is producing just cheap colored churidars ; strange type ghaghras and sharwanies; funky kurtas and shalwars; and funny turbans. I do not find decent suits, crisp dress shirts, tweed jackets, woolen mufflers, silky carves, ties, and bow ties of high standards produced in Pakistan.
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Hamid Bashir Dec 31, 2015 01:59am
Why not?
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Anne Khan Dec 31, 2015 04:20am
No I can't see why - all men wear the same uniform only colours vary a bit. Perhaps for wedding parties it may be useful.
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Anne Khan Dec 31, 2015 04:27am
@Mohammad S. Khalid There is probably no demand for change climate too hot for suits - on the other hand suits designed/ worn by men in other countries are of similar weight material and look very smart - cotton shirts also worn which are cool in hot weather.
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yaqut Dec 31, 2015 08:53pm
if you want to look for real charisma in men. pakistani men are the only one, from facial features to physique every thing is just perfect.
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