Here are the best looks from Hum Showcase Day 2

It was a day for fashion’s young and old, for high-end luxe and minimalistic casuals, for a couture-centric smash hit opening act and an energetic, savvy finale. As it wound its way through the many facets that define the fashion paradigm, the second day of Showcase was quite a good day for fashion.

It wasn’t very good, though, due to a few errant collections that put forward the humdrum, the badly constructed and the implausible.

Also, it wasn’t a good day for the red carpet with a large fraction of the celebrity community heading off to the Cake premiere taking place on the same night and another fraction going to a dinner in celebration of the Pakistan International Film Festival which is also taking place this weekend. This is, simply, how we roll in Pakistan. As Ramadan draws closer, we go into panic mode and sandwich as many events as we can into one single, befuddled week.

But who cares about the red carpet and its thin smattering of star power, when the fashion’s this good? And it was good so many times….

Rizwan Beyg

Top picks: the asymmetric denim shirt with flared pants, the sari in denim and white swiss lawn, the denim skirt worked with sequins and those blingy denim bags!

Rizwan Beyg turned a gimlet eye towards denim and gave it a facelift. This was Rizwan, the fashion pioneer, showing the industry’s young how it’s done: the finishing, the superb cuts, the generic fabric transformed into couture and the sequins, cut into flowers and leaf shapes and intricately stitched by the village women that the designer predominantly works with.

What woman wouldn’t want to wear that denim waistcoat or that sari and pit it against white swiss voile and Irish linen? Luxe evening wear, wedding wear, red carpet wear … whoever knew denim could be all that?

Faiza Samee

Top picks: the cowled shirt paired with block-printed culottes worn by Fayezah Ansari, the black and gold lehnga-choli, the block-printed skirt worn by Abeer Rizvi.

Here was another veteran, paying ode to the craft that has always been part of her ethos. Faiza Samee’s signature Eastern style was played out on a predominantly indigo palette and embellished with thread and gota embroideries and metal-work. The indigo dyes were all naturally created and applied into variant fabrics like velvets and brocades and cheerful poppy block-prints popped here and there.

It was classic Faiza Samee, steering away from OTT statements and eccentric silhouettes, and instead, being firmly dedicated to tradition, craft and indigenous techniques. One could easily handpick some of these outfits for Eid or a wedding.

Munib Nawaz

Top picks: Neat work-wear for men with jacket-shirt-and pant sets.

Munib Nawaz’s ‘Sinnerman’ wasn’t quite as sinful as the collection’s name implied. It was austere, more than anything else, and the lineup of short jackets and suits presented neat, well-cut options for the modern man. With the exception of some wintry options, which will appeal more once the weather gets chilly again, it was all very wearable and there were some interesting patterns.

One missed, though, the ‘zing’ that had once been Munib Nawaz. The magic he used to mix in with retail-friendly prêt and the eccentric signature that unfortunately seems to have simmered down. The focus on retail is appreciable but Munib needs to make it more exciting.

Kuki Concepts

Top pick: The black waistcoat worn over a black kurta, perhaps.

One appreciated Munib Nawaz’s restrained ethos once Kuki Concepts waltzed ‘Dora Sayath’ out on to the catwalk. Shirts, vests, shorts and coats were showcased, in salmon pink and black, with umbrellas, butterflies, flower and script printed upon them. The shirts had ‘Kuki Concepts’ written on them, just in case one got confused. Why was this collection not edited before being included?

Nickie Nina

Top pick: The all-white embroidered outfit with a black halter neck.

With ‘Mehrunisa’, apparently inspired by a Mughal princess of the same name, Nickie Nina chose to walk a pretty route but in doing so, they went completely overboard. A plethora of design details were plunged into every outfit – embroidery meet feathers meet tassels meet beads meet crystals. It was all far, far too busy.

Word has it that Nickie Nina do quite well business-wise and perhaps there is a market that appreciates their particular aesthetic. But it is not one for a fashion catwalk.

Unbeatable By Shahla Rahman

Top picks: The oversized white shirt worn by Amna Ilyas and the draped dresses.

Unbeatable started off well enough with crisp white shirts, a play of hemlines and draped dresses. But then, designer Shahla Rahman made the mistake of overdesigning; there were hackneyed cotton-nets, not very distinctive embroideries and far too many golden accessories.

With temperatures soaring, an all-white collection can easily be a hit but Unbeatable didn’t quite manage. Their lineup could have had been so much better.

Zonia Anwaar

Top picks: The backless little number worn by Hira Shah, the long striped dress, the summer jackets, waistcoats, kimono-sleeved top paired with culottes, the flirty little shift dresses … basically everything.

Zonia Anwaar made one want to zip off to the south of France and sip a cool lemonade wearing one of her designs. Her collection sang of summer, the beach, stylish little soirees and breezy evenings. The lightly hued palette merged with denim blues and multicolored stripes and it was all so well-cut and minimal that there was not one outfit that one didn’t like.

Alas, Zonia Anwaar sometimes doesn’t bring her best designs out to retail. Often they become catwalk hits only to be seen on local red carpets and never make the all-important jump to generating actual business. But this collection is too good to merely be shown on the ramp. Do make a big sell with this one, Zonia!

HSY

Top picks: The multi-tiered dress paired with a coat worn by Amna Ilyas, the androgynous basic cotton kurtas, the lightweight cotton wraps, the black belted kurta worn by Sadaf Kanwal.

‘Luxury’ has always been HSY’s middle name but not this time. With ‘Musafir’, the designer chose to travel right out of his comfort zone, shedding the baggage of embroideries, and walking out on a new route. The clothes were cotton-based, fuss-free, embellishment-free, intrinsically androgynous and utilitarian. Making the basic silhouettes stand out were the accessories: wooden beaded neck-pieces and handbags in distressed leather.

It had a youthful, carefree vibe to it all and is perhaps indicative of the brand’s evolution. HSY, the luxury label, has always been highly priced but prices for this linen-based line will begin at Rs 3000 and will be retailing online as well as at the designer’s high-street stores.

Shero has always designed for the sophisticated modern woman but it looks like he’s now got his eye on the more casual millennial market. ‘Musafir’ may just have them riveted.