The Pakistani fashion sphere has waited with bated breath to make 2021 the year when couture returns to the runway, and a few designers have made it into a reality that brings us one step closer to reality we once knew. One such name is also Fahad Hussayn, who after creating a brilliant solo show last year, curated a new experience this year with Digital Janjaalpura – his Spring/Summer 2022 showcase.
Set in the back-alleys of the environs that make up the palatial Shalimar Gardens, the solo show saw a traditional mansion in its milieu as the guests walked to the open space – of course, which was done up in a signature Fahad Hussayn flair.
Opening up to a selected audience, the show interweaved art and couture into the janjaalpura concept –which translated into an idea of exploring the chaotic noise of social media and its effects on humans. Taking on that idea on to the ensembles – which were largely classic bridals done up with embellishments of zardozi, gota, and resham kaam, the couturier played to his strengths and mixed his flair for art and innovative concepts into crafted traditional fashion.
The hues and tints of the colour palette also reflected this mix of contemporary concepts with an age-old Pakistani bridal trousseau, as a mix of eye-soothing pastels, deep reds, yellows, golds, and blacks walked down the U-shaped runway in the shape of many classic shaadi silhouettes ranging from Sherwanis to Lehengas.
Adding onto this experience, Fahad Hussayn also chose to complement the experience with two things – live music, as Horeya Asmat, Pakistan’s first and only female Dhol player who kept the beats up and brought the models and the audience to shake a leg throughout the show – and compering/discussion with performance extraordinaire Wahab Shah, who brought a more cerebral discourse to the show.
Overall, it was what one could expect out of Fahad Hussayn – an exclusive show where bridal and festive fashion coalesce with a concept that makes you think and doesn’t shy away from going into tangents where Pakistani designers rarely traverse or rather don’t know how to traverse.
For us, it served as a great entry into the last month of this year, and we just hope, Fahad Hussayn continues to make each winter his own with one grand solo show after another!
Have anything to add to the story? Tell us in the comments section below!