Instep examines what takes place before the LSA fashion category winners are announced.
The LSAs are the biggest award show in the country but like any award show, they aren’t without their share of controversies. Debates around LSA nominations and wins are an inevitable part of the entire event, as predictable as skits oscillating between the humorous and cringe worthy and the audience shots of celebrities grinning through their awkwardness when the said jokes are aimed at them. This year’s event was particularly marred by celebrities protesting against Ali Zafar’s nomination during a sub judice harassment case. A number of them chose not to attend and lambasted the event and for a while one could have assumed that would be the biggest of their problems this year.
Then the award night rolled around and subsequently a number of people took to social media to lament that they didn’t find the show or the way the winners are picked fair, particularly those from the fashion industry. As a two-time member of the jury, I have closely seen the first part of the voting where a group of people of different expertise come together - glossy magazine editors who’ve worked closely with photographers, veteran journalists who have knowledge of most designers’ career trajectories and top bloggers who follow social media diligently. The jury sits in a closed meeting and looks at each category and goes over portfolios that have been received by the LSA office. If there are certain prolific candidates who haven’t sent in their portfolios, their work is opened on their social media and discussed regardless.
Each category has subheads for points out of a hundred. Model of the Year (male and female) has points for effective still photo, effective runway modelling, total look and poise. Achievement in Fashion Design – pret and menswear has points for originality in design, cut and drape of garment, impact and signature and Bridal Couture is the same with points for use of embellishment instead of for cut and drape. Best Photographer is looked at through the lens of creativity in lighting, composition, innovation and versatility in portfolio. The Best Makeup Artist is looked at through their skill with hairstyles, finish, innovation and aesthetics of the look. The Best Emerging Talent in Fashion – the broadest category of all is looked at through the candidate’s signature style, impact on industry in first year and technical expertise.
When sitting in on the jury, everyone present is working in a professional capacity and is encouraged to leave their biases at home. There is usually a very open discussion on the good, bad and merit of every potential nominee. If someone tries to unfairly favour someone in a discussion, the others jump on that in a minute. If anyone has a differing opinion, they have to be able to back it up with hard facts. At the end, everyone usually votes for the same top five.
Fareshteh Aslam, the Awards Manager at LSA tells Instep, “Juries have grown bigger as more people entered the industry throughout the years and there’s a mix of younger and seasoned journalists. The LSAs are audited by Price Waterhouse Cooper, there’s an auditor at every voting session and the marked sheets to go straight to audit team.”
Are “background checks” on the jury necessary?
One criticism of the LSAs is the fact that the jury sessions aren’t bias-free due to the vested interests of the jurors, so some suggest that there be background checks on them. Jurors may be on the payroll of design houses because they have ads on their online publications or Instagram accounts. However, in this day and age, the LSAs would be hard pressed to find credible journalists that weren’t tied up in some kind of financial equation with the designers; that’s the way the industry works. It is up to the juror to leave these biases at home.
Lahore VS Karachi
Some critics feel the LSA jury doesn’t recognize Lahore talent and has a bias against people from there. A prominent model wrote on her Instagram, “We have all been a victim of favoritism and nepotism and it’s been detrimental to our morale.” She shared that certain groups of people from the other city don’t even recognize her as a model. Fareshteh has worked on trying to make the balance in the jury more equal in recent times but since the voting takes place in Karachi and the invitees from Lahore have to fly in to attend, they are usually fewer in number.
The second tier jury
There is also a second jury that takes place to decide the winner once the nominees are decided. Fareshteh reveals it’s made up of “previous years’ nominees who are still relevant in the current times. Some with an eye for fashion like The Indus Valley teachers, a mix of designers, models, photographers who have (not) been nominated and always an equal Lahore-Karachi balance.” What happens in this jury is not under the control of the first one or vice versa. To ensure that the integrity of the voting remains, designers or stylists are asked to leave a session when categories posing a conflict of interest are being discussed.
The LSA does try its best to remain fair and transparent and having journalists, previous nominees, a balance of cities and auditors is the right way to run the juries. However, our industry has grown exponentially and has now reached a level where it also needs its own standalone awards. The Pakistan Fashion Design Council or Fashion Pakistan needs to step in to create an independent platform to celebrate excellence in fashion. The LSAs – which cover all four facets including fashion, film, TV and music - will always be viewed and reviewed with a critical eye by the fashion industry. Fashion needs its own platform created by the fashion industry, for the fashion industry.
– The writer served as jury member on the LSA2019 fashion jury this year.
