Nomi Ansari's colourful signature shines the brightest on PLBW Day 3

Sequins and celebrities rained on to the catwalk – in equal proportions, it seems.

The third and last day of the PFDC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week (PLBW) was an impactful one where veteran collections followed promising debuts followed theatrics and elaborate headgear thanks to a Fahad Hussayn finale.

There was an evident joi de vivre in the air; the event had been done well, there had been some truly fabulous spurts of fashion and the fashion week machinery was well in place, working efficiently and effectively.

It is inevitable that the images most likely to filter out from this day will be of the celebrity parade it hauled in. Urwa Hocane, Mawra Hocane, Iman Ali, Zeb Bangash, Ali Sethi, Sajal Aly, Ahad Raza Mir, Aaima Baig, Amna Ilyas, Mikael Zulfiqar and Fawad Khan were all seen on the catwalk.

Read: Day 2 at PLBW was a very pretty flashback

Mahira Khan also made an appearance, announced in as the first Pakistani spokesperson for L'Oréal Paris Hair Care. In possibly her first public outing since the Ranbir Kapoor fiasco that took over social media, she announced, “Let nobody dictate who you are.”

It was a poignant speech clearly referring to her recent harrowing experience – it was also testament to L’Oreal Paris’ growing market share in Pakistan, having finally enlisted a local face to officially endorse their brand.

Predictably, the red carpet was overcrowded with fans trying to take selfies, the backstage hall sizzled with all the star power and sitting in the audience, my phone promptly ran out of battery as I sought to capture one celeb appearance after another.

And it was all very entertaining but a fashion week is supposed to focus on the business of fashion rather than get lost in celebrity razzle-dazzle. Luckily, at PLBW, some of the collections were truly good and although the stars added appeal, the fashion didn’t simply fade into the shadows.

As for the run of the mill designs, even a battalion of stars can’t really save the day – although they can ensure Instagram mileage which seems to be infinitesimally important in the times that we live in.

But if stars can ensure publicity for lackluster design, it brings me back to the question: should quite so many of them be allowed to walk fashion’s hallowed runways? Good fashion shouldn’t need a celebrity to sell it, especially at fashion week.

As an established platform for design, the PLBW should have at least restricted the number of celebrities on the catwalk. Or perhaps, it is high time that a precedent is set where stars can endorse brands by sitting in the audience while wearing their designs, letting the models own the catwalk. That’s the international way, you see, and it makes sense.

The earlier afternoon shows featured the work of Tabya Khan, Ivy Couture, Farah & Fatima and Zuria Dor. Amongst these, Ivy Couture’s take on wedding wear was wearable and pretty, delving into a range of fabrics including chiffon, net and lamay.

Zuria Dor sought to be unique, attuning its western sensibility to a modern fusion with certain outfits standing out, others not so much. Iman Ali took to the catwalk for Tabya Khan while Urwa Hocane and Mawra Hocane played out an ebullient sister act for Ivy Couture.

Moving on to the evening shows, Day 3 started strong with a collection by the man with a flair for magical, colourful kaleidoscopia…

Nomi Ansari

‘Qubool Hai’ was enchanting, whirling exuberantly, spinning out colour, dancing to tunes reminiscent of royal courts and romance.

The collection was accompanied by some beautiful jewelry by Hamna Amir and drifted from lehngas with chata pati borders to paneled skirts, a Dhaka pajama sweeping the catwalk, Mughal-inspired digital prints and a mélange of exquisite handwork: mukesh, zardozi, aar, marori and appliqué among them.

The old-world silhouettes and detailing was riveting. The small selection of menswear, meanwhile, was tasteful with same-toned embroideries and classic cuts. Nomi Ansari’s workmanship is in a league of its own and he cuts with characteristic finesse. He simply waltzed in with his bridal entourage and hit the ball right off the park. When does he ever not?

Saira Shakira

Saira Shakira could have so much potential should they choose to develop an identifiable signature of their own. It is something that they should have had managed to do by now. And yet, each showcase by the designer duo brings in a sense of deja vu.

It’s a pity for they certainly worked hard on this collection with its multiple swathes of embroidery on wedding dresses and trousseau options. The lamay shirt tied up at the waist in a kimono like style, for instance, caught the eye instantly.

There could be so much more to laud should the brand become more distinctive … if it could.

Nickie Nina

And then came Nickie Nina, dabbling with chunri and gota, endeavoring to create fashion-forward silhouettes that somehow got lost in construction.

Some of the color combinations were pretty and could work well at a mehndi.

That being said, there was nothing particularly awe-inspiring or memorable about this collection.

SFK Bridals

It is unlikely that a debut at a local fashion week had ever been anticipated so eagerly before for SFK Bridals’ first sashay down the catwalk also ensured an appearance by actor Fawad Khan.

The brand may be new but it is already quite well-known given that it is headed by Sadaf Fawad Khan, wife of Fawad Khan. It was good, though, that SFK Bridals was able to set aside its celebrity connections and deliver an elegant, minimalist ethos.

As debuts go, this was a strong one, although it did play it safe; presenting a range of fuss-free, wearable silhouettes that traversed the colours of the night sky; lilac, peach, deep blues and silver. The clothes were hand-embroidered but not overwhelmingly so – a heavily-worked dupatta and choli was paired with a tissue lehnga with relatively lighter embroidery; a shirt worked with gota was styled with well-tailored cigarette pants and a standout cape came coupled with an embellished bustier and pants.

It was never over-the-top, quite classy and hinted at Sadaf Fawad Khan’s designing potential. It was also good that while Fawad Khan did come onto the catwalk to accompany his wife for her final bow, he was not slotted in as a celebrity showstopper.

The fashion should be allowed to bask in the limelight, especially if it’s well worth the attention.

Fahad Hussayn

The opening music for Fahad Hussayn’s show seemed to have been lifted right off a macabre storyline, giving off dark undertones and warning one of impending horror. It was quite unnecessary.

There was nothing scary about Fahad’s prodigiously titled ‘Hoshruba: Dara Shikoh Aur Sunehri Churail’ although perhaps the models in the show would beg to differ, walking in wearing elaborate headgear, constructed into fantastical crowns, with dramatic metal pieces stuck on the faces of the two models that opened the show.

This styling is, of course, classic Fahad Hussayn and one enjoys the surrealism – although the models may not.

Sitting in the audience, happily crown-less with a metal-free face, one appreciated Fahad’s blend of Mughal influences and the amalgamation of design elements that are now identifiable to his work: the fine fabrics, the elaborate drapes, the low-waisted long dresses, the floral embroideries placed in geometrically unique ways and the concentric threadwork, enmeshed closely together in minute stitches.

One should appreciate that while Fahad certainly has an eye on bridal business’ lucrative potential – he showed some very heavy shaadi and valima options – he has adhered to his signature, melding his love for drama to slightly more traditional lines but never getting boringly conventional.

Amna Ilyas and Mikaal Zulfiqar played showstoppers for the designer along with Ali Sethi and Zeb Bangash who sang a song especially composed for the show.

It was to this music that the three-day long fashion week marathon culminated; a star-studded ending to a star-studded day. I’d rather just go starry-eyed over bona fide fashion. Let the stars dominate the movie premieres, not fashion week.

All photography by Faisal Farooqui and his team at Dragonfly