Lakme Fashion Week

A model displays a creation by a Pakistani designer, during the Lakme Fashion Week at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai, 14 October 2007. The creative designes will be showcased in the upcoming Pakistan Fashion week. Fifty-four designers from across India and Pakistan will be displaying their collections during the five-day event in the western Indian city.
(October 14, 2007)

Models display creations by Indian designer Sabyasachi during the Lakme Fashion Week at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai, 14 October 2007. Fifty-four designers from across India and Pakistan will be displaying their collections during the five-day event in the western Indian city.
(October 14, 2007)

Models display creations by Indian designer Sabyasachi during the Lakme Fashion Week at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai, 14 October 2007. Fifty-four designers from across India and Pakistan will be displaying their collections during the five-day event in the western Indian city.

A model displays a creation by Indian designer Sabyasachi during the Lakme Fashion Week at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai, 14 October 2007. Fifty-four designers from across India and Pakistan will be displaying their collections during the five-day event in the western Indian city.
(October 14, 2007)

Fashion Designers PK: Vinnie's new avtar

She's been walking the runway for almost 16 years, but never could a fashion show have meant more to Vinnie than the one set up for the launch of her spring/summer collection of V9 lawn prints. She wasn't on the ramp that night, but her credibility was. Here was Vinnie reinventing herself as fashion entrepreneur and there was proof enough that she would be a hit at it...

The night belonged to Vinnie like never before. There at the artistic shed of the Karachi Commune, all fragments of the fashion and entertainment industry were taken in and somehow wielded together as one. They had all come to show support for the gorgeous woman who had always made so many of their fashion shoots seem a bit more beautiful. Nomi Ansari, Deepak Perwani, Umar Sayeed, Rizwan Beyg, HSY, Sonya Battla, Karma, Shamoon, Shahzad Raza, Yusouf Qureshi, Amean J...the list was endless and it extended to musicians like Zeeshan Parwez, Uns Mufti and even Ali Azmat. Always on the trail to new designers, Zahir Rahimtoola was obviously there to pick out any new potential and Amin Gulgee, who had lent his jewelry to the show, followed accompanied by the one and only Gulgee himself.

It was a night that crackled with energy where icy chilled cans of Red Bull flowed freely instead of coffee and hor d'ouvres replaced the lavish banquets that often accompany sponsored shows. The low-lit, smoky air of the shed provided a groovy reception to people who had navigated their ways through the confusing and run down gallis of Old Queen's Road to make it to the newly created hub of fashion that night. Vinnie had invited the world to witness her transition and she had put her finances, credibility and future on line. A huge risk to take, there was never a doubt that she could or would go wrong.

There never has been any doubt that is anyone could structure a business out of the expertise they hold, it would be Vinnie. Where most models in Pakistan tend to fizzle out with time, pursue parallel careers on television or retire to get married and have babies, Vinnie is the only professional after Frieha Altaf who has remained committed to the cause of fashion. V9 is the first step. This year she got six different designers to visualize what could be done with the fabric, but next year, she confirmed she would be designing her own line. It wouldn't be hard to imagine Vinnie taking a bow at Pakistan Fashion Week at some point.


Her plans don't stop there. Stepping on this roller coaster ride that Pakistani fashion is fast becoming, Vinnie has plans to branch out even further. V9 will progress to Casa V Casa, she confided to FashionPk, CVC being her line of bed linen. And with home accessories she plans to stock big. Unable to stock her lawn collection last year as the exhibitions were all sold out, Vinnie also confirms plans of opening up her own outlet by next year.

With all these plans buzzing in the air, it was no surprise that her debut show as designer was marked for success. Back to the show, with people packed in the shed, the delay in starting the show provided ample time for the industry insiders to catch up on latest gossips, forecasts and chit chat. It was indeed a noisy bunch that was eventually steered into the runway area.

With Vinnie as shepherd, there were no doubts that the show would boast of fashion's top models and there they were: Iman, Iraj, Nadia, Sunita, Tooba, Fayezah, Sanam, Misha, Gia, Rubab, Neha and the new Nadia Ali. Maliha Naipaul has never really made it as a professional model but her appearance just added to the air of camaraderie already present. ZQ and Tanya were missed. Shahzad Raza out did himself this time, as far as styling goes. With an individual look given to each girl, there was a trendiness to the way they looked and of course Shahzad managed to do that without compromising on them looking beautiful. With HSY on the choreographer's seat, it was indeed a winning combination.