After the recent debacle of two major fashion events (Runway Pakistan and Fashion District Week) in Lahore getting cancelled and not taking place altogether, it is time to learn how to produce successful ones. Even though the fashion industry in Pakistan has revolutionized and we have seen quite a lot of fashion weeks breaking boundaries, we suggest some improvements in certain aspects.
1. Punctuality: Most often, fashion shows start late. Day1 of Runway Pakistan started 5 hours later than the time given. Guests who arrive on time should be catered to and unless there’s a big emergency, events should start sharply at the time given on the invites.
2. Organization/Management: Sometimes the management personnel in charge of escorting guests to their assigned seats do not have a clue of what the row arrangement is. For example, when we at Brides&You attended Fashion District Week (FDW), the management was confused where the media rows were assigned. Each guest was given a specific colored pass like golden, red, silver etc and rows/seats were arranged according to those colors but the personnel present did not know about this row arrangement. This caused more confusion.
3. Space: Limited seats can become a huge issue. We have personally seen guests arriving with passes on time but the house is so packed there are no seats left for people to sit. There’s no fun in watching a fashion show while standing in the corner!
4. Comfortable environment: This point comes from the experience of attending Runway Pakistan on the rooftop while it was extremely cold. It was a freezing winter night in Lahore and the show was an open air roof top event. By the end of it, our hands and feet were freezing. Yes, comfort sometimes has to be sacrificed when fashion comes in but not this way and certainly not on fashion events!
5. Music: At any event, music plays a big role in setting the tone and mood. The one highlight of Runway Pakistan was a ‘Dhol’ performance by Sayien Tanveer and gang that left the audience wanting more. It was a mesmerizing display of traditional dhol music and we would love to see more of such musical performances on the runway while the show goes on. Take for example the world famous Victoria Secret fashion shows, they are not just about the brand but the singers and bands performing while models do their catwalk.
While we hope our suggestions help shape future fashion weeks, there are some fashion shows that have done a spectacular job in Pakistan. PFDC L’Oreal Fashion Week is one such fashion event that does an outstanding job every time.