Pakistan Fashion Extravaganza 8 - London 2015

I recently followed Pakistan Fashion Extravaganza 8 which took place a few weeks ago, showcasing a range of designers - I wasn't able to attend but a few people I know did, including a friend who does PR for these events, and I was able to see a few pictures of the catwalk as well as the backstage fun!

Here's a look at some of the models on the catwalk and various designers' collections - I can't post all of the designs so I'll post my favourites from each collection, but you can see more here.

Kuki Concepts
I liked that there were a range of colours in this collection, from soft pastels and whites to more vivid combinations and rich fabrics. The main thing I noticed was the longer hemlines with plenty of flowy skirts, making it a pretty collection - and  I loved the mix of colours with this one.

Texheeb London
I was quite glad to see this on the list of designers showcasing, as the flagship store for this is pretty near me and I love some of the collections they house. As well as carrying well-know Pakistani designer brands, Texheeb London has its own in-house designer for their own collection. These were a range of bridals, which I thought were lovely and pretty in-line with Pakistani fashion trends - their lighter coloured bridals were gorgeous, while they also had some lovely formals too.

Madiha Gohar
This was geared for a more semi-formal, Western look, with a lot of jackets, jumpsuits, printed silks and embroidered tops and kameezes. I thought this was pretty ideal for a 'fusion' style and a lot of these were very wearable for more everyday functions, while still being dressy enough. I loved some of the jackets which came in various lengths and would got with a lot of different outfits, both Western and Asian.

Revaan by Sidra Khalid
I really liked this collection, it was colourful and floral, and had a really good mix of styles - shorter hems, maxi dresses, capes and lenghas. There were also a good mix of colours, soft shades with metallics for a more richer look - my favourite were the shorter kamezes in this collection, which really made the floral embroidery stand out.

Saira Rizwan
This was another collection which made the most of the short hem trend which is creeping in, and looked really stylish. There were a lot of formals showcased in this collecction, and I really liked some of the embroidered pieces like the ones below - perfect for summer and very stylish with minimal bling.

Gul Styles
This is another brand I like seeing, as their main store is also near me, and I've seen a lot of their collections over the years. Gul's Style has a very traditional look to their style, and this continued through the collection on this catwork - plenty of beautiful embroidery and heavy work on their bridals and heavier formals. It's hard to see the intricate designs in these pictures but the work is pretty beautful, and gives the collection a pretty regal look.

Faisal Ishtiaq Ahmar (FIA)
I haven't heard of these designers before, but I loved the floral and motif designs on their collection. This was a mainly longer hem-line collection, with maxi dresses, longer kameezes and flowy bridals, but it didn't look too busy and I loved the colours used together.

Aliya Omar
I liked how rich the work on these were, and how classic some of them looked. There were a lot of straight-cut kameezes with slits, but they looked pretty elegant and played with colours and fabrics (like the two-tone one below, which reminded me of my childhood!)

Faika Kareem
This collection used a lot of rich fabrics and stones, and I thought it looked very elegant and slightly Mughal-inspired. The dresses are beautiful (and great modesty-wear!) with the focus being on the fabrics and colours rather than too much bling. I also liked the theme of long beaded necklaces to finish off the outfits, and

Mehdi
This was a very regal collection, lots of heavily embellished dresses and lenghas, and fuller hems. There were a a lot of bridals as well, which had pretty classic styles to them and were similar to a lot of their previous collections. Compared to the other collections, this one didn't stand out as much to me, but it did have the signature Mehdi style to it which would be ideal for brides-to-be who like the style.

Photography by Shahid Malik Photography

I really liked the fact that there were a range of designers and styles at this event, and it was nice to see different colours, fabrics and hemlines. I also was glad to see a lot of familiar names, and thought that there was a lot of inspiration to be had, both bridal and non-bridal!

I really liked some of the formal ranges, such as the simpler embroidered kameezes by Saira Rizwan, and would definitely look into the collection for potential Eid outfits.

Which outfits did you like the most?

Gul's Style Sharara & Rainbows

I love this Gul's Style outfit that my sister wore a couple of weeks ago to our Eid Party, which was a pretty red sharara with Gul's Style's signature flowered-and-sequin embroidery along the kameez and on the dupatta. She accessorised this with some sparkly rainbow bangles that looked really pretty with the outfit (although I did tell her to wear red lipstick as well but she didn't!)

I thought this was great inspiration for a mehndi event, particularly for a bride looking for a more colourful look with focus on jewellery and bangles.

Regardless, my sister got plenty of compliments when she wore this beautiful outfit (not to mention babies crawling all over her to  get the sparkles!)

GETTING THE LOOK: Gul's Style Bridal Look on Asiana Magazine

I saw this in the Asiana Wedding magazine today, and loved the look. I loved even more that inside there was a break-down on how to get the look. While I think she has a LOT of accessories on, because the outfit is not too full on, it looks really pretty together (although neither the wedding lengha nor the accessories come cheap!).

I'd like to look at different ways to get looks, and also perhaps some cheaper alternatives, as not all of us may have the cash to spend on a luxurious look, but I also do think there are a lot of alternative shops out there for those who are looking for similar accessories but would like to spend less!

I'll probably have to look around the shops and do some research, but in the meantime, enjoy the breakdown of the make-up and the outfit. I LOVE the soft, yet dramatic make-up done on the model here, it's just at the right tone and it's something you can try to replicate for different occasions.

 Image taken from Asiana Wedding Magazine

Copycat DESIGNS & DRESSES #5: Gul Style's Ombre & Sequinned Dress

Another dress in my wardrobe, one of my favourites this time because of the vivid colour and flattering shape of the dress. It has a lot of similarities to the design below by Gul's Style, although with different colours and my version is less heavier and the original. My dress was not really an intentional copy of the Gul Style design but as I liked the dip-dye effect and the embellishment so much, it ended up looking very similar.

My actual dress is below, with  bright shades of blue, green, teal and navy blue, and bronze esequins and beads. It was originally sleeveless by I added sheer navy churidar sleeves, and the dress also came with royal blue churidar bottoms. The dress itself was made from georgette, which was fully lined to add some weight to the dress and make it more swishy. It is slightly A-Line shape with a velvet and bronze hem, and pom-pom balls.

The embellishment of the dress is mainly bronze sequins and beads compressed together, along with various shades of blue embroidered flowers all over the bust to compliment the dress. There was als some diamante along the bust and the ankles of the churidars, to make it look more sparkly.

 

THE GOOD: I love love LOVE the colours of this dress, the vibrant peacock blue, bold navy and aquamarine green, which blends together so well. These have always been one of my favourite colour combinations, and coupled with the bronzey-gold work and the rich velvet hem makes a lovely outfit. I also loved the beaded  pom-poms (above) hanging from the dress and from the ends of the dupatta, as it gives a slightly traditional look to it. The weight of the dress felt lovely when on, as the shape of the dress was very flattering without being too fitted and uncomfortable. I'm sure you can tell I absolutely love this dress (indeed it was love at first sight for me when I saw it) and I can't say enough about how much I love it. I also love that this is a long lenght dress which still had churidar trousers, rather than just being a maxi style, which felt a little more modest and also stylish.

THE BAD: The dress was bust of the dress was little big, even after I had this taken in, and that's due to the amount of work on it which made it slightly harder to take in more without damaging the work. Also, the hem of the dress would have looked nice with a bit more embellishment on it rather than just a bronzey hem and velvet work. But that's not really a complaint than an afterthought really.

THE UGLY: The price. Yikes. This dress did not come cheap, although it still brings twinkles to my eyes.

OVERALL: This dress felt very glamorous on, and the colours (the colours!) were beautiful, and met my tastes completely. This is one of my favourite outfits in my wardrobes because of it glam-factor as well as the fact that it still has a slight traditional twist to it. I've seen this dress made in several other colours (orange and purple, however, didn't take my fancy) and I think I got a good deal. It may not be quite up to the level of a Gul Style dress but it's still a very pretty dress. Although this is quite a formal wear outfit, which means I can't just wear it anywhere, it's not too overdone or heavy, and it looks satisfyingly sparkly when on :)

DESIGNER MODE: Gul's Style

Designer Pushhun Yar Gul of Gul's Style, has really taken a lead on traditional-style outfits, whether bridal or occaison wear, making each piece something very beautiful and unique. Below are pictures from Gul's Style contribution at the Asiana Wedding Exhibition in April 2011:

 All pics belong to Gul's Style website

This is more traditional than the East-meet-West fusion that Gul's Style's range had last year, and this year's outfits certainly experimented with more colour and a twist on the usual traditional joda. Gul's Style is a popular choice for many, although the price tag that comes with it is also a feature to take into considerdation.