Sadia Zaheer
Lahore-PFDC L’oreal Paris Bridal Week day 3 came to a dazzling close with six brilliant designers.
The three-day event was a great success and a treat to watch the creations of amazing and talented designers. It would not be a wrong saying that this year the line-up of designers was impressive. The expectations from all the designers were very high but some of the designers could not keep up with their standards.
The final day opened with early evening bridal showcased by Zara Shahjahan and SAAI by Sahar Atif followed collections from Nomi Ansari, Asifa & Nabeel and Sana Safinaz and the evening’s finale was presented by the coveted House of Kamiar Rokni. Make-up was done by the creative team Maram & Aabroo, hair styling by Toni&Guy Lahore and male models styled by Khawar Riaz. Zara Shahjahan opened the show which was also her debut with collection titled ‘True Love’. The collection was inspired from the modern woman who remained close to her sub-continental ethnic roots. The collection consisted of dark colours echoing femininity, elegance, and beauty. The efforts she put in her collection with beautiful embellishments and a honeycomb pattern border could be clearly seen. Over all the collection was eye catching and appealing.  Next show was followed by Sahar Atif. The collection was of silk thread embroidered front-open long coat worn over a sari, oversized elaborate side motifs on shirts, appliqué work, a long-sleeved gharara, a broad-cuffed straight pyjamas worn with a loose knee-length shirt and a print chundri duppatta with kiran edging hues of red, orange and magenta pink which moved into deep purples and midnight blues. With amazing colours palette and embellishments, the collection made a mark on the spectators.
Nomi Anasri opened the evening show with full bang. His collection titled ‘‘Rang Mahal’. First the designer showed a Bank Alfalah-inspired credit card skirt worn by Nadia Hussain. The collection featured timeless pieces which could be described as being majestic, ethereal and melancholic, carrying the glory of the past in its elaborate pure and pristine ensembles. It was a splash of colours and patterns. Bright and muted hues, pastels and rich traditional bridal colours including acid greens, scarlet, ivories, corals and rani pink made the collection outstanding. It also featured men’s wear in a mix of traditional and contemporary groom’s wear that was a fun mix of vests, achkans and kurtas with diversity of colours.
To add some fun and entertainment, there was also a dance number pulled off by a Salman Khan look alike Faisal who performed to the tune of ‘Tenu Le Ke Mein Jawanga’ in a burst of energy and perkiness.
The designer duo Asifa & Nabeel was next with their collection which was inspired from the Indian Maharajas and Maharanis of the sub-continent. The collection was not up to the expectations. Fabric featured heavy traditional motifs and embellishments as hammering and gotta but apart from a few dresses none could gain the critic’s attention. They only focused on shades of black, off white and gold.
After a break, Sana Safinaz’s followed with the collection of traditional ensembles, with a twist. The collection was designed on tissue, kumkabh, net, silk chiffon, swarovski crystal, kora and dapka. It did not appeal to a lot of audience because of black colour and designs. Later on the collection was able to catch up with their reputation as they successfully pulled off white and black in bridals with intricate embellishments. The jacket cuts and designs seem good. All over the collection was good enough but not so much stunning according to their standard.
The night closed with the House of Kamiar Rokni with the glamorous grand finale. Collection titled ‘The Orientalist’ and as the name suggested, the collection was inspired by the glory and fascination that captivated the West when they first encountered the exotic East. The collection was a package of art, culture and imagination with each creation a celebration of the merging and blending of creative art and heritage from around the world. Over all the collection was the stunner of the night like celebrating all the cultures and crafts from around the globe.
Finale with such an amazing collection rocked the night. The renowned jeweller Reama Malik of GOLD created exclusive jewellery for the collection. Each creation drew inspiration from traditional, regional and global embellishments and silhouettes brought them together to form a bridal signature from The House of Kamiar Rokni. Cuts that varied in length, volume and diversity could be seen with fabrics.