Fashion, business at Pakistan fashion week

It`ll be a mix of glam and culture at the 3rd PFDC Fashion Week.

Lahore: It`ll be an interesting mix of glitz, glamour and culture at the third edition of the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week (PFDC-SFW) opening here Tuesday. Other than ramp shows, there will be puppet shows, Sufi evenings and much more to ensure that the guests, many of them from abroad, get an insight into this cultural capital of Pakistan.The four-day event, organised by the Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC), will see 26 designers showcasing their myriad collections on the runway at the Expo Centre here March 29-April 1.

For the first time, there will be voile (lawn) shows that will be held in the afternoon, followed by the evening events, as the organisers are trying their level best to help Pakistan`s nascent fashion industry grow. "We are committed to making Pakistani fashion a commercially viable industry, both domestically and internationally. We believe fashion week platforms encourage the business of fashion, create employment opportunities for skilled workforce as well as international and domestic retail to introduce new talent and creativity," PFDC executive chairperson Sehyr Saigol told IANS. "The success of our two previous fashion weeks has reinforced this commitment not only by contributing to the growth of Pakistan`s fashion industry but also by showing the world a Pakistan that is progressive and modern, with a resilient people and culture," she added. With Pakistan being one of the newest fashion destinations, the organisers plan to showcase the culturals aspect of Lahore to the international buyers and foreign media. For this, there will be puppet shows by the Rafi Peer puppet theatre group and performances by Saeen Zahoor, a well-known Sufi singer from southern Punjab. And not to forget some beautiful country villa parties in this lovely weather. On the business front, there is good news for designers as international buyers from India, the Middle East and Europe, including well-known outlets such as multi-designer stores Ogaan and Carma from India, Studio 8 (Dubai`s multi-brand retail boutiques) and Stijl from Belgium will attend the event. The designers who will showcase their collections on the ramp during the fashion week are Asifa and Nabeel, Ali Xeeshan for Crimson, Zara Shahjahan, Nickie n Nina, The House of Kamiar Rokni, Ammar Belal, Akif Mehmood, Republic, Saai, Yahsir Waheed, Sublime, Sara Salman, Mohsin, Fahad Hussayn, Muse, Hassan Sheheryar Yasin of label HSY, Burhan Khan, Khaadi Khaas, Rizwanullah, Feeha Jamshed, Funk Asia, Emraan Rajput, Zaheer Abbas, Adnan Pardesi, Sadaf Malaterre and Karma. The event is being produced by Frieha Altaf of Catwalk Productions and co-choreographed by fashion designer Hasan Sheheryar Yasin. Established in 2006, PFDC has over 55 designers as its members. According to Ehsan Malik, chairman of Unilever Pakistan, the association has given stability, continuity and an international platform to Pakistan`s fashion community. "It has also helped usher in the discipline to showcase two collections a year, as is the industry norm globally," Malik told a source. IANS