Remember how excited we were last year when news broke that Ali Xeeshan’s work was spotted by Rihanna’s stylist, who then commissioned the maverick designer to customise some eyewear for the global star? It all happened at Fashion Parade London.
Faiza Samee returns to Fashion Parade for a second year, strengthening the showcase with her repeated endorsement.
Fashion Parade returns to London with its most illustrious line-up to date, with some of the biggest names in Pakistani fashion making the trek.
Remember how excited we were last year when news broke that Ali Xeeshan’s work was spotted by Rihanna’s stylist, who then commissioned the maverick designer to customise some eyewear for the global star? It all happened at Fashion Parade London. Starting out in 2013 as a collaboration between Lahore based Encyclomedia PR, headed by Ammara Hikmat and Mustang Productions helmed by Sadia Siddique, the annual showcase has grown from strength to strength, attracting a bigger crowd each year and gaining more traction in the press.
Scheduled to take place at the Mandarin Oriental in Knightsbridge on Tuesday, May 31st, the event provides local designers a platform to tap into the international market with a large diaspora community that is eager to keep abreast of fashion from home.
Model Hira Shah has the fraternity intrigued with her announcement of trying her hand at designing.
This year Fashion Parade kicks things up a notch with a star studded line-up that includes A-listers like HSY, the maestro of drama and Nomi Ansari, a magician with colours. Others who return to the platform include Faiza Samee, the doyenne of bridal couture, fashion’s favourite bad boy Ali Xeeshan, Seher Tareen and Saira Rizwan. HSY and Tareen will be showcasing collections that have already walked the ramp in Lahore; Sheru with his Be Yourself pret wear and Tareen’s ballet collection will take the floor again. As expected, Xeeshan is creating a high-octane collection that will undoubtedly be over the top, since it is designed as a tribute to the iconic pop star, Prince.
Faiza Samee, who showcases rarely, is definitely a feather in the organisers’ cap as she designs a dedicated collection for the event. Samee is quoted to have said, “I’ve created a collection specifically for this show and I am very pleased with the way it’s coming together.
The collection is a juxtaposition of pattern and colour, reflecting the face of fashion today with a fusion of silhouettes and a variety of shapes and lengths. I’ve shown with Fashion Parade previously at The Kensington Palace. It’s a pleasure teaming with them for an event again. Like me, they are very fastidious about the finer details and put in a lot of effort to make sure everything is the best it can possibly be.”
We’re expecting something dramatic and purple from Xeeshan’s ode to Prince.
Saira Rizwan, who has an established clientele in the UK, said she’s glad to be a part of the Parade this year and will be showcasing a collection that is inspired by Greece’s romantic getaway, Santorini. Titled Omorfi, meaning beautiful in Greek, the collection is Rizwan’s interpretation of summer’s perfect colour palette.
Other participants include designers from Bangladesh and India. The showcase this year will even see British based model Hira Shah dabble in design as she returns to the ramp as a participating designer.
It’s an interesting shift for the dusky beauty as she relinquishes her place on the ramp for a slot backstage. It is definitely not a transformation that the fashion industry sees regularly and it has the fraternity intrigued.
With so much hype surrounding the event, all eyes are on the Fashion Parade team to see if they deliver on the glamorous promises that have been made. Only time and Instagram will be able to tell!
