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