It was symbolic to have an artist open her show and a young and upcoming actor close it, which is why the young debutant Zainab Salman went with Ali Noor and Iqra Aziz to open and close her showcase at the recently held PFDC L’Oreal Paris Bridal Week held in Lahore this past week. Zainab was one of several debut designers on the lineup and we have to say, her well-thought out and detailed collection, Bazeecha-e-Ishq, left a lasting impression. The idea was to introduce the artist and the designer, with delicately placed nuances and Shafaq Habib was behind the stunning jewelry adorned by each model.
Speaking about the concept behind the collection, Zainab says that Bazeecha-e-Ishq referred to the game of love and every emotion that comes with it. “The inspiration behind the collection came from the desire to raise the deep voice of love that resides within all of us. Love can be in the form of a person or it can be the divine love for God: the unconditional, infinite and eternal love,” she mentioned in her press notes.
Let’s take a look at Zainab Salman’s debut collection, Bazeecha-e-Ishq, showcased at PLBW’18…
Ali Noor and Iqra Aziz take the stage for Zainab Salman
While most people take a fancy for deeper palettes and jewel tones for winter, it was refreshing to see Zainab take up an almost icy palette in her debut collection. Mint greens, candy pinks and cool blues intertwined with subtle floral prints dominated the shade card and it made for some unique bridals.
“This certainly is my favourite colour palette for winter daytime weddings,” the designer explained when we spoke to her after the show. “I see my brides in pastels, with an old school charm, and that I feel, sets us apart from the other brands doing traditional (conventional) bridal outfits.”
Old school charm and love certainly was the underlying theme that wove itself through the collection and ‘infinity’ is a word the designer played with while making classic, timeless ensembles that would easily qualify as heirlooms. One recurring trend was the beautifully crafted lehnga choli, which seems to be a strong ongoing trend for formal/bridal wear this season.
Other than the popular lehnga choli, Zainab showed her craft in classics like the dhaka pajama, saris and Memoni ijaar paired with a combination of shirts that stood out for their rich embellishments and intricate embroideries.
“There’s a pink lehnga choli called Zantiyana (above) that has my heart,” Zainab shared when we asked her about her favourite outfit from the collection. “I loved incorporating prints in a bridal outfit. I would love to bring that trend back. It was also very detailed in terms of embellishment. It had my favourite key tassles on the lehnga and on the back of the choli.”
Integral to every bridal collection is the menswear and groomswear and so Zainab introduced four different options for men. Playing on the same ethos of luxury print, the menswear offered sherwanis, waistcoats, jackets and silk kurta pajamas as options. Constructed mostly on rich silk, the selection of icy pastels and floral prints over the classic, earthy tones was definitely a breather amidst the heavy menswear that we generally get to see.
This was a solid debut for the young designer from Lahore and one hopes to see more of her next season.
