It's also interesting to see the contrast and similarities in styles and designers between the Pakistani designers on show at PLBW and the Indian designers at AICW previously, which probably had just as much glitz and drama but slightly different trends.
Ammara Khan
I really liked variation of styles from this designer, I've seen some of her work before at exhibitions so it was really nice to see that she's explored more colours, styles and hem lengths. Having said that I could still see some of her signature details on a lot of her pieces!
Fahad Hussayn
I've always been a fan of this designer, mainly for the rich colours and detail and the truly regal look that his outfits have - and this collection entitled 'Matam' was no different. I loved all of these pieces for the vintage-y, old-era Royal style it had ans I thought that it all went together wonderfully, some seriously beautiful bridal pieces here.
Ali Xeeshan's signature style is always something to look out for, whether it's the elaborate headpieces, the dramatic skirts or the beautiful mix of colour - all of these were strongly present here, and. This designer's pieces had a lot of heavy work on most of them, making funky bridals with a twist (not to mention a little dance between Mickey and Minnie during the show, dressed in the designer's clothes, complete with jewellery!)
House of Kamiar Rokni
I thought this collection was quite interesting, it was a good mix of heavy and lighter pieces, with plenty of layering which actually worked well together. I love how these were all pulled together with red lipstick and bright colours in the outfit, which looked great together.
Misha Lakhani
This is a fairly newer designer in the market, and with a lot of soft colours it was a pretty dreamy collection - lots of flowing, feminine skirts and dresses and delicate work. As much as I liked some of the pieces of this collection (the first outfit in jade and mint really appealed to me), it wasn't as dramatic as the other collections - but it probably wasn't meant to be.
Sana Safinaz
I've become a little bored of this designer over the years, mainly because I've seen too many bridals which look the same and have the similar colour schemes going on. I was really glad to see a difference in this collection - with rich, darker colours mixed with bronzes and gold, which were a lot more beautiful. There were still soft, classical pieces, but it was the richly embroidered, darker pieces which won the audience.
Karma Red
This is another designer who I'm a fan of, and who showed in their collection that rather than focus only on bridals, went for formals which can be part of the bridal trousseau. There was a lot of red outfits, mixed with formals of brighter colours which could be worn for other occasions, some of which looked very beautiful.
Suffuse
This is a newer designer who showcased at PLBW, with a wide range of styles and colours. While all of these didn't appeal to me, I did like the fact that the designer played around with the outfits so that there's something for everyone.
Elan
Elan is another designer that I was waiting to see something different from, and their collection 'Jasmine Court' certainly gave something a little different. I've seen too many pastel-coloured bridals from this designer so it was nice to see their beautiful work and details on other colours - rich red and emerald greens combined with soft golds.
Asifa and Nabeel
These designers went very chic and floral, which resulted in funky hemlines and a mix od prints and lace. While I liked these designs, I think a lot of them would have worked better on their own, which would make them more wearable - but still an interesting collection to see!
Mahgul
This collection was another one which focused on formals, rich embellishments and floral work, which gave very trendy designs. I can imagine we'll be seeing some of these in the social networks over the next year, and not surprisingly either, they're very striking and chic.
Nickie n Nina
This collection was another which showed different styles and hemlines, with a lot of looser kameezes mixed with fitted pants, flowy lenghas and saris. While this might not appeal to everyone, I did like the colour palette and thought it was a well-crafted collection.
Shamaeel Ansari
The first thing I noticed about this collection, called 'Absolutely Oriental', is the use of rich fabrics, which really draws the eye. There's a lot of velvet, rich silks and embroidery in this collection and it made for an interesting collection, mixing kimonos and patiala pants for a fusion look.
Zarmisha Dar
Another debut collection, this designer kept it simple and wearable with lots of light embroidery and colours. While it's not that adventurous, I liked the consistency of the styles, and can imagine these would look a lot more prettier up close.
Saira Shakira
I liked the details of some of these outfits, and the funky styling - jackets over dresses and belts over tops, reminding me of some of the Western designer catwalks I've seen. While they might not be worn like this by actualy consumers or brides, it was a good take of pastel colours and silvers and golds.
Maheen Taseer
I've seen a lot of this designer's work in Instagram, so it was interesting to see her collection, called 'Valiant' on the catwalk. This was another designer who played around with colours, mixing rich black, reds and gold, as well as crystals and pastels. Again, this may not appeal to everyone but I liked the colour palette, even if some of the embellishment and work didn't always work.
Faiza Saqlain
I haven't heard of this designer before, as she is another newer one, but I loved the colour combinations in this collection. Apparently this was meant to be a translation of the Elizabethan era, but the high neckline and ruffles didn't appeal to me, although I did think the formals were pretty funky.
Sania Maskatiya
I'm a fan of this designer for the quirky prints and cuts, so it was interesting to see what would be shown on the catwalk. There was plenty of rich work, silks and velvets on display, with dresses and jumpsuits for a contemporary take on formals. I didn't love all of these outfits but I did like how this designer can do trendy and modern well without looking odd.
Hamza Bokhari
This was another new designer on the block whose gowns were striking and vibrant, which actually looked pretty good. Although a couple of these felt a little old fashioned, they were very chic and didn't look OTT at all.
Republic
This is another designer's whose work I've been seeing a lot of in social media, so it was interesting to see that they went for more classic cuts and colours - plenty of pastels and crustals. I loved the skirts of some of these dresses and lenghas but was less keen on the tops, which didn't really do it for me.
Nomi Ansari
This popular designer did not disappoint with his vibrant coloured outfits - while I'm not sure I'd go for a rainbow-coloured gown covered in work, I can see the appeal and he used the colours of them well. Definitely mehndi outfit options for the adventurous!
HSY
The King of Couture closed the show with a collection in a palette of greys and ice blues. I loved some of these pieces for how well made they looked and the balance of heavy work with flow of fabric. As much as his gowns and maxi dresses looked opulent, for me it was the kameezes and capes which really looked great.
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There was a good range of designers throughout the show and it was great to see the more established designers mixed with the newer ones. It was also interesting to see that while there was a good variation of colours and styles, they also showed current trends being interpreted in different ways by each designer.
What did you think of these collection? Which was your favourite?
What did you think of these collection? Which was your favourite?
