Bright and beautiful: Gul Ahmed, House of Ittehad's PSFW 2015 showcase

Gul Ahmed's 'A Flourishing Journey of Prints' showcasing stylish options with unique embroideries tied in with glamorously flowing contemporary silhouettes to House of Ittehad's range inspired by global contemporary cultures - the Textile Day at the ongoing PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week 2015 was truly a celebration of country's rich tradition.

The eighth edition of the fashion gala started here on April 18 and day three on Monday featured dedicated evening Voile shows with Gul Ahmed, Shubinak, Warda Prints, Alkaram Studio, Harmony and House of Ittehad.

The day started with Gul Ahmed's chic and stylish designs. Inspired by Bohemian style, the collection was designed for the contemporary fashionista.

The aesthetic of the collection was modern and bright, depicting the spring/summer feel, while the flowing silhouettes seemed apt for evening get-togethers.

Gul Ahmed has always been a pioneer in prints and with 'A Flourishing Journey of Prints', the brand continued this enduring legacy.

Then brand Shubinak showcased their Voile collection, 'Pakistan United'. Taking inspiration from socio-environmental activism, Shubinak had made use of pure Pakistani cotton, organic cotton fabrics and recycled cotton bags with Jacquards reforestation theme's patterns embedded within.

In line with the brand's inspiration and theme, the collection featured a colour palette with naturals and organic dyed earthy tones and embellishments consisting of hand embroidery, crocheting, applique work, Ralli and stone carving from different regions of Pakistan.

The next evening Voile Show was presented by Warda Prints' whose collection was titled 'Chromatic Ecstasy'.Inspired by eastern prints and embellishments, the fusion in this collection was of motifs transcending boundaries and cut lines that could be easily interpreted as contemporary chic and classical eastern drapery. The fabrics used ranged from the luscious of silks to finest of nets with a mix of elegant organza and chicest of chiffons.

Alkaram Studio's collection tited 'Savoir Vivre' was inspired by traditional style and fused with modernity. It featured a blend of conversation prints with traditional ethnic and floral motifs based in a variety of fabrics ranging from lawn, chikankari to jacquard. A diverse colour palette with print-on-print and pure whites alongside laces, cutwork and innovative silhouettes made up distinct features for the brand's collection. Renowned music personality Mustafa Zahid of Roxen fame walked the ramp as the brand's celebrity showstopper.

After Alkaram Studio, Harmony showcased its 'Summer Rhythm' collection. Inspired by nature itself, the collection revolved around floral patterns and summery colours in the hues of warm blue, fiery red and sunny yellows. The collection was a mix of silks and chiffons with accents of gold sequins paired with black and white silk fabric.

Lastly, House of Ittehad's collection 'The Sumer Rouge' ended the day with aplomb. The collection featured floral and geometric prints with contemporary and stylish cuts and merged with the combination of conventional and unconventional embellishments.

Using bright colours with a little blend of pastels and earthy tones, House of Ittehad also showcased their menswear line, I-Man, and some of the key trends that were highlighted in the show were floral prints and colours.

(The writer's trip is at the invitation of the Pakistan Fashion Design Council. Nivedita can be contacted at nivedita.s@ians.in.)