Romance with nature, circuses mark Pakistani fashion gala's ultimate day

The concluding day of PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week 2014 Sunday was devoted to a romance with nature and life with designers like Zara Shahjahan and label Saira Shakira showcasing designs inspired by jungle flora and circuses respectively.

Turning insects into motifs of fashion, Shahjahan's "Love Bug" collection at the Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC) Sunsilk fashion gala was based on silks, organza and sheer tulle.

Straight and structured silhouettes and insect-inspired 3D embellishments, developed in-house at the designer's studio, were some of the highpoints of her designs.

Shahjahan made sure to present true natural beauty with her strong selection of colour palettes. Solid colours on whites and off whites, lime green, lemon yellow, dark blue and black dominated the line.

"A classic Zara Shahjahan look is simple, beautiful and always in vogue. My design philosophy is to make clothes relating to a feeling... a feeling, which is an ode of individuality, femininity and sophistication," said the designer who is probably the first from her country with the necessary expertise to create her own motifs.

Some of the key trends that were highlighted through her designs were sheer surface fabrics, cropped tops and pants, boxy straight silhouettes and short tunics.

Designer duo Saira Faisal and Shakira Usman made their runway debut with their label "Saira Shakira", showcasing a pret a porter collection titled "Cirque du Vanite" that was inspired by the circus.

"The PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week is a huge platform for any designer. Initially awareness about our brand was achieved through positive word of mouth but we plan to create heightened awareness of our brand through this prestigious platform," said the designers.

For this womenswear collection, the brand had used a mixture of stiff, soft and sheer fabrics such as organza, chiffons, gold tissue and silks to create a structured yet feminine look. With a monochromatic colour palette, the collection was primarily based in black and white, with gold and deep red as accent colours.

Some of the key trends highlighted in their designs were floral, tribal and geometric prints in pleats and sheer fabric with high hemlines.

(Nivedita can be contacted at nivedita.s@ians.in)