PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week 2015: Day-1

The Pakistan Fashion Design Council [PFDC] in collaboration with L’Oréal Paris, the world’s leading beauty brand, presented the fifth PFDC L’Oréal Paris Week 2015 which officially commenced today, marking the fifth consistent year of the bridal couture platform. The platform is set to define and present contemporary and traditional Pakistani Bridal fashion, while fusing hair and makeup trends to create looks for the upcoming bridal season of 2015-2016.

The first day of #PLBW2015 opened with Karma Red, followed by Ali Xeeshan Theatre Studio, Sania Maskatiya, Bank Alfalah Rising Talent Show and showcases by Republic by Omar Farooq and Élan respectively as summarised below. Make-up for Day-1 of PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week 2015 was done by the creative team at N-Pro for womenswear and N-Gents for menswear.

This year, the PFDC L’Oréal Paris team also aims to redefine both bridal hair and make-up, whilst the styling and makeup teams presented their trends for the season using L’Oréal Makeup Designer Paris and Excellence Crème products.

In addition to this, L’Oréal Paris exclusively previewed their latest innovation in digital beauty and augmented reality: Makeup Genius. The global smartphone application, Makeup Genius, acts as a virtual mirror allowing users to test products and recreate looks using their smartphones or tablets. The application provides a customized, premium and unprecedented beauty ‘e-routine’ for all women. L’Oréal Paris also published their signature newsletters showcasing looks created by the PLBW make-up teams using L’Oréal Makeup Designer Paris products along with a special addition dedicated to Excellence Crème. L’Oréal Paris Excellence Crème also showcased their ‘Legends Collection’ on the runway and hosted a celebratory event in tribute to the Legends.

In terms of further patrons and sponsors, the success of PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week continues to prompt private sector associates to grow in their engagement of the platform to launch new products, marketing campaigns and promotional activities sharing a common vision with the PFDC to develop and promote Pakistan’s fashion industry. In this same spirit, this year the PFDC welcomed global giant Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. as official sponsors of #PLBW2015 as black carpet hosts and official digital partners who introduced the much anticipated Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ and Galaxy Note5 at the event.  The PFDC further welcomed premium interiors brand Marina Homes to PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week, who first partnered at #PSFW15 and introduced a new line of exotic fashion furniture through an exclusive lounge at #PLBW2015 along with luxury jewellery brand Amrapali Jaipur as an Associate Sponsor, Shoe Planet as the official Footwear Sponsors and Coca-Cola as the official beverage partners.

In continuation of their support for the platform Bank Alfalah as the Official Banking Partners and patrons of the rising talent showcase, Bank Alfalah along with Samsung, Marina Homes, Amrapali and Shoe Planet also hosted custom-designed VIP lounges at the event.

PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week [#PLBW2015] is produced by the in-house PFDC production team with HSY as the event director and show choreographer, Nabila/NGENTs as official hair and makeup stylists, front stage management by Maheen Kardar Ali, backstage management by Product 021, Sara Shahid of Sublime by Sara as the official spokesperson for the PFDC, logistics and operations by Eleventh Experience, digital support by Pakka Papita, photography by Faisal Farooqui and the team at Dragonfly, Urdu1 as the Official Media Partners, CityFM89 as the Official Radio Partners, Vision East as the official Live Stream Service Provider, PIFD Students for backstage and front-stage support with all media management by Lotus Client Management & Public Relations.

Bridal Showcase: Karma Red

PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week 2015 Day-1 was opened by Karma Red, led by design director Maheen Kardar Ali who showcased their bridal collection titled “Shehzadi Rang Aur Samarkand Ki Rani”. ‘Shehzadi Rang Aur Samarkand Ki Rani’ consisted of two capsules collections setting the Fall/Winter 2015-16 mood of the Karma Red Atelier as exquisite, feminine and dramatic. Shehzadi Rang is a bold, bright, beautiful, firecracker sexy, tongue in cheek flirty, color mad collection for the desi diva whereas Samarkand Ki Rani is romantic, pure glamor and quintessential in essence. This season Karma Red is about intense luminous color, traditional handicraft, modern application, gota, gold embellishments inspired by Karma’s signature rose with detailed finishing and statement silhouettes on heritage inspired vintage-esque pieces. The emphasis was on sheer and tailored fabric with a modern play on cool separate linings and camisoles, closures and tassels. Handcrafted organza, tissue and net in pure cranberry, violets, ink, chartreuse, tangerine, chalk white and blood rouge set the tone for a strong, ethnic, sensual, classic Karma aesthetic this winter.

Bridal Showcase: Ali Xeeshan Theatre Studio

Following Karma Red, The Ali Xeeshan Theatre Studio showcased a bridal collection of menswear and womenswear pieces titled “Tufaan” inspired by the movement and effect of a storm in the desert and the transformation it creates in its surroundings. Once the storm has subsided and passed, the desert transforms its character and mirages into a different form. These distinct characteristics have been infused in ‘Tufaan’s’ silhouettes, form and cut. The collection employed the latest techniques of laser cutting and makes use of new materials such as leather. Lustrous gold roses were also been integrated into the fabric to achieve a refined and glorious impact. ‘Tufaan’ also used traditional block printing but with an edgy, contemporary twist and uses rich Pakistani embroidery like Tilla and Succha work that use fine gold wires. The colour palette for ‘Tufaan’ comprised of the earthy tones with reference to the desert which later turn into different shades of gold as the sun sets over the desert making for an interesting combination of earthy tones and a fiery sky. Renowned Film personalities Meesha Shafi and Sohai Ali Abro participated in the designer’s showcase as showstoppers.

Bridal Showcase: Bank Alfalah Rising Talent Show

The Bank Al-Falah Rising Talent Show featured individual capsule presentations by 4 designers:

Faiza Saqlain showcased her bridal collection ‘The Regal Dawn’ at the Bank Alfalah Rising Talent Show at PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week 2015. The collection encompasses the glory of Elizabethan Era when Queen Elizabeth 1 reigned. The collection took deep inspiration from the Queen’s gowns which were gorgeously hand embroidered giving a very prized look, mirroring the prosperity and energy of the age. The opulent dresses were a mixture of sheer and opaque. It included self jamawars, kundun zari net and a variety of other pure textured fabrics. The garments included couture details and finishes and silhouettes come out as a fusion of both eastern and western cuts. There was a strong emphasis on the motifs of the garments relating to that era having intricate embroidery details including pearls, stones and other contemporary material used in hand embellishment. The color palette included variation of skin tones and gold along with teal and magenta colours. This year’s bridals include the use of sheer fabrics giving a whimsical and romantic feel to the silhouettes. It included full skirts cinched in at the waist; regal look remains a statement this season. One may have found exaggeration in the garments having puffy sleeves and exaggerated collars reminiscent in that era glory.

JEEM by Hamza Bokhari showcased the bridal collection titled “Ruzzkiy Kukly” as part of the Bank Alfalah Rising Talent Show at PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week 2015. “Ruzzkiy Kukly” is a tale of the journey of a Babushka Doll who visited Pakistan. The collection amalgamated rich fabrics; tissue, net, velvet and silk which transgresses into designs that represented elegant sheerness. The sophisticated structured silhouettes were adorned with twisted embellishments accompanied by a royal colour palette inclusive of jewel tones ranging from gold to ruby and magenta, paired with the luxurious effect of purple and teal.

Maheen Taseer showcased her new bridal collection, “Vailliant”; the French word for Valiant, at the Bank Alfalah Rising Talent Show at #PLBW2015. The collection aspired to revive traditional designs in a contemporary way and focused on the rich legacy of our traditional fabrics – silks, brocade and velvets with antique embellishment techniques set in opulent colors of maroons and reds. Maheen envisions the MGT bride as being a good wife, a nurturing mother and yet have the courage to follow her heart and be a highly qualified professional as well, setting an example for change. “The collection is dedicated to my brave husband Shahbaz Taseer who has taught me to stand tall in adversity – who’s courage and values I am in awe of and inspired by every day.” It is no coincidence that the name of the collection was Vailliant; the French word for ‘valiant’, or to mention it’s other meanings- brave, heroic, bold, and determined.

For her debut collection, she’s tried to keep each cut different from the other, so the versatility of her aesthetic shined through. The collection incorporated luxurious materials; brocade, velvet and net adorned with embellishments of Swarovski crystals, pearls, antique dabka and gota. The cuts are centered around eastern bridal cuts – voluminous and floor scraping lehngas and gharararas. The color palette was based on the spectrum of reds and maroon with hues of gold.

Fashion designer Zarmisha Dar showcased her new bridal collection, “Gullistan” at the Bank Alfalah Rising Talent Show at #PLBW2015. The collection’s design philosophy was to magnify femininity while working with fine materials delicate embroideries with outstanding quality and paying immense diligence to stitching. The inspiration was derived from the Turkish word “Gullistan” which translates to “Garden of Roses”. The aim of the collection was to provide something luxurious yet simple combined with sophistication and sensual style with short lengths whether it be a straight shirt or with lots of volume in this collection infused with sheer fabric. With a pastel colour palette and soft, sheer sleeves with hints of lace, the collection featured a lot of net, clean cuts and use of traditional gota and dabka cora, incorporating thread work in this collection.

Bridal Showcase: Republic by Omar Farooq

Republic by Omar Farooq showcased their “Rosa” collection for PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week 2015. The collection was inspired by the works of designer Madeleine Vionnet with embroideries reflecting Greek ornaments and flowers and hints of the art deco era. In-line with their inspiration and the name of their collection ‘Rosa’ which means floral in latin, the collection featured Madeleine Vionnet’s unique draping technique creating flowing and voluminous silhouettes with the right amount of flare. The color palette featured muted golds, silvers and shimmering pastels. There was much use of embroidery in the form of ribbon work and fabric-based embroidery in the collection which featured menswear designed by Omar Farooq himself and womenswear designed by Sana Omar.

Bridal Showcase: Élan Meets Excellence Crème – The Legends Collection

The world’s leading beauty brand L’Oréal Paris celebrated their latest ‘Ambassador of Fashion’ platform collaboration with renowned fashion design house Élan with a ‘Legendary Showcase’ on Day 1 of PFDC L’Oréal Paris Bridal Week. The ‘Ambassador of Fashion’ is a beauty and fashion collaboration in Pakistan with coveted hair colour brand Excellence Crème as its flag-bearer. The Legends Collection paid tribute to three fashion and beauty icons: Madam Noor Jehan, Tahira Syed, and Babra Sharif.

For the ‘Legends’ collection, leading fashion house Élan designed a bespoke capsule collection, inspired by the Excellence Crème color palette and the style of these three legendary women, which was showcased in an allocated segment on Day 1 of PLBW 2015. The ramp looks were recreated by image consultant, Nabila, who was also the stylist behind the Legends collaboration. The showcase featured L’Oréal Paris official spokesperson Mehreen Syed, and leading models Amna Babar, and Cybil Chowdhry. The music for the ramp showcase was composed by True Brew Records. Nadir Firoz Khan of NFK Photography was the photographer for the campaign.

Bridal Showcase: Élan

The finale of Day-1 was presented by Élan where they showcased their bridal collection “The Jasmine Court”. The “Jasmine Court” paid tribute to Sub continental Royalty’s romantic era of the late 18^th century. The Maharajas and Nizams of the princely states were heavily influenced by the “gora” sahibs and “memsahibs” of the British Empire and thus ensued a tide of court fashion marking an entanglement of Western sensibilities with eastern decadences. This marriage of civilizations resulted in an innovative mode of dress of that time with some becoming modern day staples like the ‘blouse’ and ‘petticoat’. Élan opted for a demure sensual silhouette steeped in tradition this year. The tones were vintage with deep accents interlacing unexpectedly with the gold, nude, yellow, lime, pale blue and jade color palette. Sheer Fabrics, velvet and brocade have been printed in house and worked with traditional forms of embroidery and embellishment; age old techniques of workmanship have been revived and co-opted with Élan’s signature embellishment to produce truly inimitable and striking bridal couture. Traditional fabrics, silhouettes and embellishment came into focus – short heavily gilded kurtas, kalidar angrakhas, voluminous peshwas, farshi ghararas and rich detailed zardozi beheld the interest this season – the Indian Princess Bride with a demure sophistication enveloped in tradition and heritage took centre-stage. The collection featured menswear, womenswear and childrenswear.