Pakistan Fashion Week’s 14th edition which showcased a two-day event of sartorial excellence by Pakistan’s most creative designers, came to an arresting close last week at London Hilton, Park Lane. Manifesting breathtaking ensembles and eclectic designs created by some of the best designers from across the country, the entire fashion week affair was amongst the most anticipated events, internationally. The fashion show ensued an awe-inspiring lineup of designers through three dramatic catwalk shows over two days. Big, household brands including Fahad Hussayn, Hussain Rehar, Sonia Mahajan, to name a few graced the events with their magnificent couture.

Designers like Aneesa Kiyani and Shirin Hassan breathed life into their collections with vibrancy of colour and patterns. The bespoke attires boasted an abundance of gotta works woven to create traditional patterns, appealing to the conventional bride. Focusing on palettes of crimson, deep reds, glinting silver and gold, and heavy crisscrossed embellishments, the designers Zeshan Bariwala and Shirin Hassan tapped into the ever-loved acclaim and wonder of classic traditionalism and tweaked it to their sartorial strength.

Fashion designers Fatima Salamat and Insam lit up the runway with exhibitions of attires laden with Swarovski crystals and banarsi-gotta works. The couture meddled with beautiful patterns in gota, zardozi and kora danka rendering all collections a grandiosity of bridal wear.

Perhaps the only designer who experimented with the colour black on a very bridal-esque runway was Naheed & Fatima’s collection Libas. Libas featured black traditional ensembles crafted in jewels and gold on the neckline, hemlines, borders and sleeves.

Single-toned, jewel attires in cardinal red, silver and gold were spotted, standing out from the rest. Designer Aisha Imran’s collection too was a becoming segue of bridal wear with extensive embellished and bright colour palletes entwining intricate designs.

The runway atmosphere breathed into an air of change and a break from traditional ubiquity with Saadia Mirza and Moazzam Abbas collection which were into more contemporary climes. The designers experimented with different fabrics, patterns, prints and breaking conventional silhouettes. The collection boasted of exceptional tailoring, understanding of contemporary cuts and flair for luxe. Of course, some ensembles carried an embellished affair, but only with a modern take. Use of geometric patterns amalgamated into the prints and structured embroidery were also found.

Exhibiting a mix of heavy embellishments and blending jewel hues, quintessential of the traditional bridal designs, was Ayesha Ibrahim’s collection. The colour palette of the collection was a series of cardinal reds, oranges and ivories winking bling from the runway. The designer kept her silhouettes conventional and old-school, bringing back the charm of shirts with dhaka pyjamas.

Ayesha Aejaz showcased a collection which was stunning exhibition of western-eastern fusion. The ensembles experimented with contemporary silhouettes, layering, unconventional drapes and geometric patterns. While most of the collection was dedicated to contemporary bridal wear with a quirky twist, many ensembles coming out of Ayesha’s collection were prêt-à-porter in silk and organza fabrics. From pretty peplums, to patch-work embroidery and modern jumpsuits, each piece from the collection was a wonder to watch.

Komal exhibited her beautiful collection of shawls. Each shawl was exquisite in its own right, boasting beautiful designs and patterns which were the designer’s collaboration of deep thoughts on quality fabric. Not only was every piece unique in design, intricate embroidery, colour pallet and embellishment, all pieces mastered sartorial excellence and would pair beautifully with all traditional and contemporary attires.

Designer Sonia Mahajan showcased her collection Dar-e-Aab, an exquisite amalgamation of royalty meddling with Kashmiri fusion designs. The traditional ensembles cashed on their old-world charm and elegance. Heavily embroidered lehngas, intricately patterned fabrics, dhaka pyjamas and long sweeping shirts took centre stage. The designs were a tingling reminiscence and celebration of precious Kashmiri crafts brought to life on modern runway. One prominent design ubiquitous in the designer’s collection were broadened borders tailing the hems, neckline, dupattas borders and sleeves, which made an instant impact on the eye, making all ensembles a powerfully majestic.

With her collection titled Meeras, Sara tapped into the traditional ethos of bridal wear, giving it a trim of contemporary chic. Everything from the silhouettes, to the embroidery, cuts, patterns, colours and embellishments were quintessential of what a modern bride would appreciate for her wedding day. Heavily embellished attires were a beauteous work of glinting stones, sequences, pearls and beads, with mesh and network meddling with heavier fabrics. Cuts of most tops were kept bold and sheer, a few taking on sleeveless and asymmetrical shoulder styles.