Held in high esteem as an event that celebrates Hum TV’s acclaimed television dramas and films on international ground, the Hum Awards’ red carpet was sadly nothing to cheer over.
The highly acclaimed Hum Awards, Pakistan’s response to the IIFAs, took place in Houston, USA this weekend and while our television and film industry does deserve all the accolades it gets, the style statements made at the show were not as celebration-worthy as one would have hoped.
Nadia Afghan: The last time anyone used side hair-rollers before yesterday was most definitely my mother at her wedding in 1980 and she still regrets it. But yesterday, history repeated itself. There were several stars with outdated styles but Nadia Afghan – a brilliant actress who also won a well-deserved award for her role in Suno Chanda – boosted some strange kind of confidence in my mother. It was not a winning look.
The Kashmir Hum Awards red carpet was filled with moments that worked as fire alarms for fashion stylists.
Beautiful and brilliant, Iqra Aziz got lost in this Nomi Ansari creation that may have worked on someone taller but overwhelmed this petite actress completely. Plus, the colour was more pistachio macron than trending green. Iqra did pick up two awards for Suno Chanda but got no points for this look.
Hania Amir’s styling was another turn off. She chose a beetroot-colored net sari that was filled with sequins, too gaudy and had frills running around all 9 yards. That was way too much happening in one frame.
Kubra Khan and Mawra Hocane were not exactly a treat for the eyes or aesthetics either. These younger girls are supposed to be fashion savvy, given the attention and exposure they get, but they have disappointed us big time. Kubra’s outfit was akin to a Rizwan Beyg piece we saw Sarwat Gilani wearing to the Lux Style Awards years ago and her earrings reminded me of how rubber bands stick together in a hot summer in Dubai.
Sanam Jang was hostess of the show but her Maheen Karim outfit did her no favours.
I must confess I am undecided about Asim Azhar’s kurta and Ali Rehman Khan’s sherwani. I’m not sure if they make the cut for the well dressed list but at least they gave us a break from cliched black sherwanis and suits on the red carpet. They tried to experiment and it stood out.
Those who took the safer route were Adnan Siddiqui, Yasir Hussain, Imran Ashraf, Sarah Khan and Reema. The men chose traditional black sherwanis whereas both the ladies opted for traditional white and gold ensembles that were more Nikah outfits than red carpet statements.
Luckily, there were a few stars that saved style that evening.
Ayesha Omar is one of the few stars who has not only upped her style game over the years but she can also give a tip or two on fashion to many out there. Her ivory Elan outfit was on point and she later looked gorgeous in a flaming red Nomi Ansari gown as well. Other looks that worked for us were from writer Asma Nabeel of Khaani and Surkh Chandni fame (that’s the way to do traditional) and Noman Ijaz’s wife Rabia, who looked very elegant in an emerald green dress.
So what happened for things to go so wrong?
We connected with Ehtesham Ansari, one of the top stylists in the business, who said, “Just go basic if you are not sure of what you are going to wear. I am back from a fashion show in Mayfair London and just scrolled through some images from Houston. I was shocked to see where we are going versus where the overall fashion is going. Our stars earn so much and they travel the world. Why don’t they shop for themselves? Honestly, it was an opportunity wasted.”
It’s a mammoth task to arrange a show of this magnitude, that too abroad and one has to give credit to Hum Awards for consistently going beyond borders with 100 per cent seat occupancy. They have undoubtedly become the IIFAs of Pakistan. Pakistani artists have a huge fan following amongst the overseas expat community and it was a wise move to hold the ceremony internationally. However, the style left a lot to be desired.
Also, one thing we wish to make clear is that we are all for eastern wear and traditional dresses but we must show the world that our fashion and craft is at par with international standards. Mahira Khan walking at Paris Fashion Week a few days ago and then dancing with Helen Mirren is an example of Pakistani style done right. Mahira always incorporates local brands with international labels in her wardrobe. But it’s all about experimentation done right and again, standing out in the right way. Picking out an outfit better suited to your best friend’s wedding is not the way to go.
– Sadiq Saleem is a Dubai based Instep Correspondent and can be contacted on www.sidsaidso.com
