Fashion & Beauty Tips

Pakistan’s very own top designers and models held their first-ever Fashion Week, even as extremist group and the government’s army are making bigger headlines. The event, which was held for four days, has had postponements twice, amidst fears and security issues.

And yet, as one of the designers presented said, the show must go on.

And it did, even quite well received, actually.

The collection presented was a mix of high fashion couture and ready to wear styles, many of which had models baring their navels and shoulders, which was unusual for a country where women were, by culture, often dressed all covered up. Models cruise the catwalk wearing shorts and sequined T-shirts, spiked bracelets and body armors. Some even had tattoos exposed.

The show was a liberation. It was a celebration of strong women everywhere. Says Sonya Battla, one of the designers who featured such a bold collection (as opposed to what their culture mandates) — “I’m a very brave woman. I’m not going to be scared and no one’s going to judge me.”

Ayesha Tammy Haq, who heads Pakistan’s Fashion Week says: “This is our gesture of defiance to the Taliban. There is a terrible problem of militancy and political upheaval, but that doesn’t mean that the country shuts down. That doesn’t mean that business comes to a halt.”

Fashion Week Pakistan was held at the Marriot Hotel in Pakistan’s financial district. Because of security concerns, the supposed plan to feature even designers from abroad was scrapped, hence Pakistan’s Fashion Week featured all local talents and was a rousing success.