FPW 2021 Day 1: An underwhelming and unimpressive showcase
Opening day witnessed seven collections, some that made our heads turn and others that left us wondering
Photos: Jaffer Hasan
KARACHI:
When the pandemic erupted, it not only upended our routines but also snatched the desires that were previously sparked by our need to go out every day. We continued to shop online but a voice at the back of our minds whispered, ‘Where will you wear this to?’
Even now, getting ready two days in a row feels like a crime, but at least we know we’re not being completely unreasonable. And as long as the imprisonment of 2020 has passed, and the deliverance of 2021 is here, fashion should not take a back seat.
This time the pool of models was completely new, with hardly any familiar faces.
A ‘Secret Garden’ was laid out at a venue that was quite secretive, literally. Hidden deep within the alleys of Karachi’s Old Clifton area, the Spring/Summer 2021 edition of Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW) was an exclusive affair.
The crowd was limited and the show took place out in the open in an effort to diminish the risk of infection from the coronavirus. It was, perhaps, the most small-scale FPW that I had ever attended and I have attended many!
Fashion Pakistan Council Chairperson Maheen Khan had asserted that in an effort to contain the crowd, she would only be inviting pertinent people the media, key council members and designers that were showcasing thereby eschewing sponsors and their families, designers who were not participating, and random socialites with a penchant for attending fashion shows.
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Ace designer details FPW 2021, whether we re embracing plus-sized models and what our industry really needs
Ace designer and style extraordinaire Maheen Khan is dubbed as the ‘pillar’ of Pakistan’s fashion industry, according to
Arabian Moda, and in a recent interview with the outlet, she has proven why that is so.
With successful labels under her belt, Khan, at the age of 75, is still holding her own in the local fashion scene. Her expertise has lent her the pleasure of dressing the late Benazir Bhutto, Kate Middleton, Jemima Goldsmith and Princess Sarvath al-Hassan among other dignitaries.
In her recent conversation with Haider Rifaat, Khan spoke about the state of the global fashion business amid the pandemic, under-representation of plus-sized models in Pakistan and the 2021 edition of Fashion Pakistan Week (FPW)