Va Va Virtues
by Zurain Imam
"I design for passion," enthused designer Saadia Mirza who recently held her first solo fashion presentation in Karachi. An intimate 80-strong posse of Karachi's glittering fashionistas and socialites traipsed to purview Saadia's two fashion labels: 'Vintage', 'Vision'; and her accessories line, 'Visage'; all under the fashion house umbrella of 'Virtues'. Annie (of 'Sali' fame) was the glamorous and demure emcee dressed in a Saadia Mirza deep plum sequined strapless dress.
Musharraf Hai looked appropriately stunning in a black Saadia Mirza shift kameez emblazoned with a sparkly dragon motif, while photographer Tapu Javeri, Freiha Altaf and designers Deepak Perwani; a newly blonde Nomi Ansari, Rizwan Beyg, Maheen Khan, Faiza Samee and Farida Qureshi sat in the Cafe Flo's courtyard as a bevy of models including Iraj, Tanya Shafi, Rubab, Gia Ali, Tooba, Fawzia, Faiza, Neha (Lahore), newcomer Alina and Anna showcased Saadia's ethereal collections. The trunk show featured 32 outfits culled from both the 'Vintage' and 'Vision' lines.
The first positive element one noticed was the coiffure and maquillage. Creative director Ather Ali Hafeez had given Nabilas' head stylist, Altaf, a reference from a recent foreign ad campaign so that the cabines looked sublime with slicked back gelled hair, full colour-bruised lips, clean faces with glowing cheeks, nude eyes highlighted with only a smidgen of mascara and balanced by neat eyebrows. Fresh, young and modern. Many in the audience averred that the girls looked ten years younger, although 15-year-old Anna didn't really need to.
In 'Vision', the designer's western and contemporary label, Saadia "experimented to the hilt" and created an imaginative and individualistic impact; while with 'Vintage' (eastern line) she became enamoured of Victoriana and imbued this capsule with an ethereal femininity. Saadia graduated from the London College of Fashion in 1997 with a degree in fashion design and researches and follows international colour forecasts before embarking on her myriad collections.
Many of the fashionistas revelled in the opening numbers: Iraj in a beige bustier with a black net underlay speckled with sequins and the diaphanous piece worn by Anna who unfortunately didn't pose long enough. This writer particularly liked the floaty sky blue floral handkerchief top worn with capris and Fayezah in a sheer lime green halter handkerchief cut top. Shanghai trousers, structured bustiers embellished with "bling bling" Svarovski and turquoise rendered the line a decidedly western ethos.
The 'Vision' line was also all about the manipulation of fabric, ruching and exquisite draping. In one instance shredded chiffon was used to create an accessory-like appendage to a beige ensemble while Gia looked stunning in a floaty beige asymmetrical piece.
Gia again in a mermaid shantung sharara with chiffon sleeves; and Iraj in a silver, maroon and rose feminized sherwani worn with rose coloured palazzos encrusted with sequins lent a demure theatricality to the collection.
Saadia also merged a melange of other fabrics and materials including leather, silk charmeuse and embellished these with Chantilly lace. Both 'Vision's' and 'Vintage's' colour palette was vintage-inspired using beige, charcoal, plum and teal. "I wanted to keep away from black as every designer does black and instead substituted it with teal," Saadia said. "For the 'Vintage' line I used Victorian period beading, crystals, vasli, feathers, and vintage Chantilly lace, she added. "I am a trimmings freak. Whenever I go on foreign trips I obsessively buy some sort of trimmings. My family is kind of tired of it."
Iraj looked regal in a bold silver floaty top and a gaira skirt while Fayezah looked like a Turner portrait in an asymmetrical grey lace ensemble with antique Victorian beading. "There was a huge departure from the conventional fashion silhouette," said Rizwan Beyg. "The 'collection' had all the elements of international fashion. There was an emphasis on pattern and draping. There were flashes of brilliance especially in the embellishment; the ripping of chiffon; the ruching; pleats, bias cut collars and cuts; the asymmetery; and the use of Chantilly lace. Actually it was about two collections: a western collection and an opulently Lahori collection. The only advice I would give Saadia is that she needs to edit and separate her collections with the help of 'a trained eye'."
"I loved the golds and beiges in the beginning," said a less charitable Freiha Altaf. "However the 'Vintage' line had too much of Saadia's design assistant Noman who has also worked for Nilofer Shahid so there was a bit of Nilofer."
Saadia disagreed: "As a principal designer my job is to bring the best out of my design assistants. I am 200 per cent involved. I don't delegate and just walk away. I don't think there was any Nilofer Shahid in the collection. She is much more traditional. The 'Vintage' collection was inspired by European jewellery and Victorian beading." Saadia's other design assistant Beenish who helped design the 'Vision' line is a graduate of the Pakistan School of Fashion Design.(PSFD)
Freiha further felt that in some of the pieces there was some problems with fitting and the cuts were a little askew. "Well some of the models refused to come for fittings when asked, which just shows their lack of professionalism," countered Saadia.
Other highlights of the 'Vintage' line included a dramatic bias cut high collared long front open navy coat worn with the right dash of mystery and hauteur; and an austerely Victorian turquoise and black bias cut fishtail gown with train and puff sleeves. Tooba's red capris with lace trim, however, looked a tad bit grandmotherly while Alina looked dramatic yet stiff in a pearl brooch halter blouse worn with a sari embellished with heavy crystal work and sequins.
I adored Neha's ocean blue-green heavily embellished trailing shantung gown. It exuded classic simplicity. Although ornate and bejewelled, it was tempered with a simple monotone neckline. Saadia managed to temper her urge for glitzy accoutrements and create an easy equilibrium. According to Tapu Javeri, Lahori model Alina in a deep plum sari with the precious turquoise border worn with the jewel choker neckline and the decolletage baring lace bra top reminded him of Maude Adams in 007's 'Octupussy.'
"I was very impressed by the entire collection especially the opening entrances," said Faiza Samee. "I also believe in short collections (alluding to the 32 pieces as opposed to the usual 64). The clothes were very well cut and presented, not too over the top and with not too much drama. I particularly liked the light blue floral piece worn by Tanya (a colour spectrum reminiscent of Faiza's own palette). I also liked the use of Svarovskis and the lace capri pants. Very original. Saadia will eventually find her feet while continuing to experiment," she added.
"This is the best collection I have ever seen in Pakistan whether people agree or not. If they don't, they are just jealous," announced a genuinely enamoured Farida Qureshi. "The Chantilly lace bustiers were beautiful. I loved the beiges, khakis and coral colours that were used. The cuts were beautiful and I liked the western element."
To offset this almost pivotal collection Saadia sourced the deliciously slinky handiwork of Miami Arts College trained hand bag and accessories designer Ali Fateh who provided perfectly coordinated and eye-catching clutches and bags for the 'Visage' label. Jewellery inspired by Serpentine Victorian pieces from the 'Visage' label added the final flourish to the Saadia's 'Virtues' Collection.
"The 'V' business (the 'Virtues' umbrella encompassing 'Vanity', 'Vintage' 'Vision,' 'Voyage' and 'Visage') was always on my mind and I began working on them one by one in 2003," Sadia explains about the genesis of her myriad of lines. In July 2005 she opened the doors of her fashion house located in Lahore's Gulberg area. Future plans include opening an outlet in Dubai by the end of 2007 primarily for the pret market. With her background in textiles, and "having too many contacts" Saadia is also seriously contemplating developing her own fabric line."It's sometimes very difficult to find fabrics that clients want. Armani develops its own fabric." These days she loves the work of Roberto Cavalli. "I like his craziness. His clothes are just unbelievable," she says.
About the support from Karachi designers, she says: "I think it was great that Karachi designers came out and supported me. Each designer has their niche market and it was nice that people got over their personal issues so that we can now finally all walk forward as a cohesive fashion industry."