LSA2017: THE FASHION EDITION

In this unpredictable world, at least a few things are certain: the 16^th annual Lux Style Awards will be held in Karachi next month. The ceremony will be directed by Hassan Shehryar Yasin. Fancy dresses will be worn; sponsors will be thanked; attempts to outdo Frieha Altaf will abound. Stars will come in late. Losers will leave as soon as their categories are announced. Oh—and in all likelihood, here’s our take on who will be the winners…

We’re here to give our HAUTE support to who we believe should walk away with the country’s biggest awards and be part of the Lux Legacy.

Model of the Year (Female)

Long gone are the days when this category was dominated by dinosaurs and we’re not complaining. It is great to see that new, fresh and young talent is being recognized by the LSAs and not just in fashion but also in other categories. We really hope they stick to this trend in the future because this list of nominees is particularly tantalizing.

The Nominees: Amna Babar, Anam Malik, Rabia Butt, Sadaf Kanwal, Zara Abid

Haute Pick: Even though Sadaf Kanwal has had a very successful year and is the likely winner, it would be foolish to ignore Zara Abid, whose swag on and off the runway has mesmerized so many. It’s between the obvious and the underdog.

 

 

Model of the Year (Male)

It is the most predictable list of nominees but then again, it is “Male Model” so we won’t beat around the bush with it. Let’s get to our verdict, shall we?

The Nominees: Aimal Khan, Hasnain Lehri, Jahan-e-Khalid, Shahzad Noor, Waleed Khalid

Haute Pick: Our pick is an obvious tie between Hasnain Lehri, who’s done every single campaign under the sun last year and Shahzad Noor because he looks like a marble statue and we gush at every little sight of him. We’re only human.

 

 

Best Fashion Photographer

This is the toughest category, according to us, and probably the most competitive as well. We really had to think about this one, so who’s our pick? Scroll down, readers.

The Nominees: Abdullah Haris, Ali Hasan, Guddu Shani, Nadir Feroz Khan & Maha Burney at NFK Photography, Shahbaz Shazi

Haute Pick: The obvious winner here would be Abdullah Haris but we’ll go with Nadir Feroz Khan & Maha Burney at NFK Photography, mainly because of the great campaigns he’s come out with for Elan, Sapphire and countless other brands. Mr. Feroz, you better start preparing your victory speech.

 

 

Best Hair and Make-up Artist

With Nabila out of the running this really is a dull one. Almost all these candidates are insufficient to win. Natasha Khalid is a wedding stylist, Shammal does hair but not makeup, we haven’t seen Saima’s live work (not recently at least) and no one knows who Shazia Rashid is. In fact no one even knows Omayr Waqar in Lahore. Hannan Siddiqui anyone?

The Nominees: Natasha Khalid, Omayr Waqar, Saima Rashid Bargfred, Shammal Qureshi, Shazia Rashid

Haute Pick: We’d choose Saima Rashid Bargfrede because we know she’s really good even though not many people are aware of it.

 

 

Achievement in Fashion Design – Pret

This is another category we really had to think about, since it features a couple of really strong nominees who have done exceptionally well. With brands now investing into pret this will surely be what everyone is keeping their eyes on. That said, pret sadly looks like a high street category. We would have liked to see Iman Ahmed of Body Focus, Sonya Battla, Misha Lakhani and the likes but then they’re not visible enough.

The Nominees: Coco by Zara Shahjahan, Generation, Khaadi, Sana Safinaz, Sapphire

The Haute Pick– The obvious winner here is probably Sapphire but we’re keeping our fingers crossed for Generation, whose style, ethos, individuality and attention to staying true to their culture makes us sigh every time we’ve entered their store.

 

 

Achievement in Fashion Design – Luxury Pret

The trend of stagnant fashion is long gone and these nominees are living proof of it. All of them have done exceptional work in the previous year and any and all of these nominees deserve to take home the trophy. So what we’re saying is that it’s anyone’s award and we’d be happy to see anyone walk away with it.

The Nominees: Mahgul, Sana Safinaz, Sania Maskatiya, Shamaeel Ansari, Shehla Chatoor

Haute Pick: We’re going to stand by our previous stance that any one of them would make a great winner of the coveted trophy but we’ll be a little happier if Mahgul takes it home because of her innovative and fresh take on luxury pret.

 

 

Achievement in Fashion Design – Bridal

2016 was definitely a year in which we saw a lot of winning collections from brands in the bridal field and we saw just as many horrifying and boring collections. Luckily, only the best of the best have made it to the top list. So, who’s taking it home this year?

The Nominees: Ali Xeeshan, Elan, Faraz Manan, Mahgul, The House of Kamiar Rokni

Haute Pick: It is quite unfair to nominate Mahgul with such industry giants like Elan and Faraz Manan but it is about time The House Of Kamiar Rokni is recognized for putting forward exceptional pieces that get a standing ovation every time. But again, how do you ignore Elan’s glorious solo show or the fact that Faraz Manan took bridal couture to an international level?

 

 

Achievement in Fashion Design – Lawn

There cannot be a fashion category as important and competitive as this. Nobody can deny the impact lawn has had on the fashion topography and has become the biggest fashion and retail season of the year. Who’s taking home the prize, you ask?

The Nominees: Elan, Faraz Manan, Sana Safinaz, Shehla Chatoor, Zara Shahjahan

The Haute Pick: Elan completely deserves this win for obvious reasons. Their lawn has and continues to do exceptionally well. Their campaigns are flawless and they have quickly dethroned many of the other lawn royalty. For these reasons Elan should take this one home though we wouldn’t be disappointed if the award went to Shehla, who had lesser hype but her lawn was exceptionally well executed and fell straight on the money with it’s style.

 

 

Best Menswear Designer

Menswear is always the hardest to judge, well mainly because they all look the same, but mostly because it is all the same. Judging between 5 black blazers is tough so who will get away with holding the LSA trophy.

The Nominees: Ahmed Bham, Amir Adnan, Hassan Sheheryar Yasin, Ismail Farid, Nauman Arfeen

The Haute Pic: We’ll give this one to Ismail Farid, even though he hasn’t been seen on the runway but his campaigns and clothes are refreshing and well frankly he tries to be different. Ahmed Bham is also a strong contender if you ignore his brand’s absence in Lahore.

 

 

Best Emerging Talent

They’re new and all of them have kept us on the edge of our seats last year. We’ll also say that LSA has recognized the best we’ve seen last year.

The Nominees: Aashna Khan – Photographer, Giti Ara – Model, Hira Shah – Model, Imaan Madani – Model, The Pink Tree Company – Designer

Haute Pick: Hira Shah has been nominated for the second time in this category and I think it is about time she finally emerges and is recognized for being one of the best discoveries of our industry in the recent years. The Pink Tree Company is another talented brand that we’ve kept our eye on for a while.

 

 

• The 16th annual Lux Style Awards will be held in Karachi on April 19, 2017.

– Featured artwork by Hira Zubairi