Falling in love with fashion all over again at BCW in Lahore
Some of the standouts on Day 1 of the Hum Bridal Couture Week were Fahad Hussayn, HSY, Fais Couture, Almirah and Nizka, among others.
The House of Amir Adnan’s Darbar SS26 show was held at the iconic Khaliqdina Hall on main M.A. Jinnah Road in Karachi last Sunday, where its young CEO, Parishae Adnan, introduced the brand’s shift to the runway-to-retail operating model.
This move signals a “strategic shift” in how the brand aligns creative presentation with commercial execution. Parishae explained it thus: “Select looks from the collection will be available across retail channels from the day following our show, shortening the traditional gap between runway debuts and customer access.
“Our focus is on building a system where creative direction, production planning and retail timelines are in convergence with one another. By reducing lead times and bringing the runway closer to retail, we can respond more intelligently to demand, manage our inventory with greater precision, and create collections that are both culturally relevant and commercially viable.”
The world over, international design houses employ the runway-to-retail approach to streamline production, minimise excess stock and ensure that key pieces reach customers, all the while ensuring that the relevance and momentum of a showcase remain intact. The approach also reflects a broader effort to strengthen supply chain coordination.
Even though the smell of burning ashes lingered in the air due to the Gul Plaza inferno a short distance away, the well-heeled and the fashion set flocked to the venue in support of the young CEO of the House of Amir Adnan.
Parishae’s Darbar collections did not signal a dramatic departure from the brand’s design and craft identity; instead, they extended the House of Amir Adnan’s legacy of quiet luxury, detailed craftsmanship and high couture standards.
Dressed in a body-hugging black-on-black embroidered long dress with an illusion neckline and a button-down back, show opener Daniya Kanwal launched the show with a custom-written rap song that narrated the essence of the Darbar collection. It addressed social hierarchy, fashion as currency, and the invisible power dynamics that shape who is seen, valued and remembered.
The collection unfolded as a three-part narrative — “inheritance”, “tension” and “command”. The opening segment featured rich handloom brocades, flowing silks and sheer organzas in soft pastel shades. Pearls were used to accentuate the embellishment factor, and a pearl halter top bustier stood out prominently, as did another print choli lehnga ensemble. In menswear, ornate, multi-tiered and layered panel sherwanis stood out in rich fabrics, as did an angarkha-cut shirt worn over a dhoti shalwar.
The mood then intensified with richly textured surfaces and intricate hand-embroidery before concluding with sharply tailored silhouettes in matador-inspired capes and costumes.
Velvets, brocades, deep maroon and Goth-black with gilded accents presented the next fashion statement, with embroidered lapels and panels on jackets that denoted authority and control, as well as a brocade pantsuit in women’s wear.
The show’s direction was led by Almitra Mavalvala and DOP Ayesha Noor Kurd, with grooming by Ngents, styling by Tabesh Khoja, and hair and make-up by Nabila’s.
Built in 1906 and now a designated cultural heritage site, Khaliqdina Hall is a masterwork of Palladian architecture designed by the celebrated Iraqi-Jewish architect Moses Somake. It now functions as one of Karachi’s most historic libraries and a community landmark.
Khaliqdina Hall was once a venue for British colonial courts and the famous 1921 Trial of Sedition, the British crackdown on the Khilafat Movement, with the Ali brothers (Muhammad Ali Jauhar and Shaukat Ali) among the defendants. The trial became a symbol of resistance to colonial rule, with the accused defiantly challenging British authority, cementing the hall’s historical prominence. Its enduring structure and civic purpose make it an ideal setting for an event rooted in sustainability, cultural continuity and modernity.
The choreography made full use of the spacious teak-panelled side exits, with models making their way through them and weaving through the seating aisles before stepping on to the improvised ramp, which had a large suspended centrepiece inscribed with the Urdu script. The movement of the models and their visibility in proximity to the audience was executed with precision and impeccable timing.
Venue partnership and on-ground coordination for the show were supported by Numaish-Karachi, directed by Saima Zaidi, with core team members Durriya Kazi, Zoya Alina Currimbhoy, Nabiha Ahmed and Sabeen Nazeer facilitating the execution of the showcase at the historic site.
Parishae herself can be viewed as a work in progress, who is being inspired by and drawing strength from The House of Amir Adnan’s decades-old credibility and legacy, while armed with her own vivacity, vitality and the business acumen that has been shaped by her student days at the London School of Economics.
Here’s to even bigger and greater things from her in the years ahead.
Originally published in Dawn, ICON, January 25th, 2026
Cover photo: Talking Point