The 3rd Pantene HUM Showcase19 was by far the most elite fashion exhibition in Pakistan. The event was organized by Hum TV. Hum Special Projects Vice President Khalid Soorty, by no means new to the fashion industry or the media, was the brain (and the brawn) behind this event. The Special Projects team managed the event from start to finish.
If the show were to be described in two words, they would be ‘pure ingenuity’. It was fun and entertaining, with unique choreographed ramp sequences for each fashion designer. I had the feeling thoughout that I was watching a theatre performance and not another fashion show. Thematically tasteful and theatrically uplifting, the 3-day event was fun, fabulous and full of creativity.
Not a minute was wasted during changes. Even the music in between was well thought out and planned. The Pantene Hum Showcase 2019 also had the right crowd and the most welcome red carpet. Its selection of celebrities and socialites was perfect. After a series of great award shows and events for HUM TV publicity, it proved another feather in Sultana Siddiqi’s cap. Her vision shown through.
The collections derived inspiration from the colours of Spring/Summer. They were inspired also by every designer’s own interpretation. I had the feeling that some of the newer designers were trying to break a mould. They were inspired by a set of ideas – none of them stale or recycled. Yet none of them was shatterig the glass ceiling either. Relevance and context complemented individual style.
There was no doubt about the creativity buzz. One has to understand that the reason the elite fashion houses have been around is their consistent and prolific contribution. No matter what theme they undertake, their interpretation is always inspiring, trendsetting, ever changing in artistic expression and retaining recognizable individuality.
However, it is highly important that new designers too get exposure. HUM TV gave them the exposure and a great platform to display their work. The fashion label 9Lines took home the Pantene Rising Star Award and was a definitive crowd pleaser.
HUM TV’s progressive attitude showed in its selection of international models (Stanislava Ilieva was crowned the Ramp Queen). A highlighted feature of the show was host Kami Sid, Pakistan’s first transgender TV personality and now model, in their collections, on the cat walk. It is this very progressive attitude of using young talent, while respecting the sensibilities of the older generation, that makes such events enviable. The way HUM TV goes on with its work is key to its success.
The effort to define trendsetting fashion in Pakistan has not been in vain. Existing fashion in Pakistan has always been rich and imbued with style, texture, technique and conceptual design. Designers are not new to the world of ideas. The fashion and textile schools here have had a well versed generation of teachers and professors. The next generation is even better taught.
I noticed some students from the Asian Institute of Fashion Design. Their training in what really happens behind the scenes was interesting to note. Most of them were very mature. Some were bent on taking selfies. They must be given full credit for standing for several hours or guiding a massive crowd of people to their seats politely and with a great deal of patience.
The event had a select portfolio of carefully chosen established fashion houses. Powerhouse brands such as Deepak & Fahad, Wardha Saleem, Munib Nawaz, Natasha Kamal, Jazib Qamar Sara Shahid’s SS 2019 collection, The Sublime Sunset; all took to the runway. The execution was brilliant.
One of my personal favourites was the opening of the third day. Rizwan Beyg’s collection Pearlessence was an ode to the three decades in the fashion industry that the designer completed this year. We were also held captive by the colours of the fashion dynamo, Khaadi Khaas, who were simply brilliant. It was here that one saw Pakistani textiles elevated with the perfect combination of Eastern and Western sensibilities, retaining their now well recognizable global style. The grand finale on Day 3 was by Sana Safinaz, who displayed their signature aesthetic of femininity and elegance with Dynasty. The collection comprised statement separates and cocktail attire.
A beautiful address to the audience by Sultana Siddique, President of HUM TV, towards the end, was a feature which would lift the image of Pakistan. A visionary strategist, the HUM TV head provided an amazing exhibition of the finest in elite fashion. She is very proud of her professional family and their achievements and was happy to announce that her sons Duraid, the HUM Network CEO, and Shunaid, the HUM Network Board director, support the network in projecting Pakistani culture abroad.
Is this what Pakistan needs? I believe what Pakistan ‘needs’ is a very broad and general statement. To address it one has to take into account the ‘needs’ of people ranging from those in power to the average citizen – break it down into several mini segments – and to those living and working with lower or reduced incomes. Despite the economic disparity, what we do need is the support for all the artistic factions of our society, from entertainment to fashion, to literature – preserving and developing our traditions and culture for ourselves, and for the world. Shows like this actually do a great part of that, in their own niche. These shows are noticed across the globe and they project a soft image of Pakistan, and present diversity in ways that only art can touch.
What I can say with relevance, is that these fashion shows will provide the zing and the flavour towards a flourishing segment of the economy. A flavour which is highly important to our culture – in the world today. It is that note that will push us forward by artistic creativity which is shown and highlighted to the world as being a progressive, inclusive and an accepting society.
(The 3rd Edition of Pantene HUM Showcase featured Rizwan Beyg as show director, Raheel Rao as as Senior Fashion Consultant and Advisor, Team Nabila, N-PRO and NGENTS as the official hair & makeup partners, with backstage management by Production 021. Official photography by Arsalan Bukhari, and DJ Yousuf Kamal handling music, while Mind Map Communications is a partner on both digital & press management).
