SamanZar: Clean Sophistication
Clean. Sophisticated. Trendy. These three words best define the SamanZar fashion show that took place a few nights ago in Arlington, Virginia’s Café Asia. The crowd, full of the who’s who of the DC area, mingled amongst each other during the cocktail hour while anxiously awaiting the start of the show. As the lights dimmed and the DJ cued the music, the silhouettes of two dancers behind a white curtain became visible. After a short opening by the dancers the curtains were opened and designer Asfa Zahid’s collection lit up the runway. The models walked out, draped elegantly in long shirts that flowed as they walked. The bodices of the shirts hugged the models’ natural curves and floated away from the body below the bust line, allowing the fabrics to catch the wind. Colors such as deep reds, gold, off-white, green, black and pink were a part of the story told by the designer. There elements of the line which distinguished SamanZar from the average Pakistani outfit. She was able to think outside of the box while still keeping her clothes ready to wear for the average person. Asfa Zahid’s SamanZar displayed an excellent marriage of colors, prints and fabrics.
After the show, when the clothes were made available to the audience through an exhibition, the audience flooded backstage.
Although people were specifically asked to stay seated until the clothes were ready for their viewing pleasures, people’s excitement about the clothes prevented them waiting patiently. Everyone wanted to be the first to get their hands on clothes they had seen from a distance. Asfa Zahid herself was backstage to greet her future customers and helped them try on any clothes they were interested in. Ms. Zahid was one of the more pleasant designers I have had the chance to meet. By the looks of it, the show was a success.
Events such as this create an elite and fashionable environment for people to come mingle and see what the Pakistani world of designers has to offer. Sofia HD, the woman who brought Deepak Perwani to DC for Fashion for a Cause, did it once again. She organized the launch party to celebrate the growing presence of Pakistani haute-couture in the Metro DC area. This year’s event featured the brand SamanZar, from Karachi, and their Spring/Summer 2010 collection that was recently shown in Karachi Fashion Week. Owned and operated by veteran designer Shaiyanne Malik, the brand is represented in the US by Asfa Zahid. Sofia also introduced the brand to DC Fashion Week where they strutted down the catwalk in the latest fusion trends at the Embassy of France on Feb 21st. Brenda Silka, the owner of Solarus Salon and Spa and Sonia Iqbal of MAC, collaborated with the team toward making the event so successful.
