With the Covid-19 lockdown slowly easing but not enough to host audience-packed live shows, Catwalk Cares Virtual Fashion Show Season 2 recorded its Day One showcase of designer and designer brand collections at Net Sat Studio Karachi. Central themes that reverberated among many of the collections were those of hope, resilience, and a general sense of positivity.  The three-day Catwalk Cares Virtual Fashion Show Season 2 will be aired on ARY Zindagi’s television channel and ARY Digital’s Youtube channel on August .14, 15, &16 at 9:00 pm (PST). ARY Digital Network is the official media partner of the virtual fashion show.

Related: Empty benches & stringent safety measures | Virtual fashion show ‘Catwalk cares season 2

Zainab Chottani’s diffusion high street line TAHRA presented a collection called ‘Joy’ with popular upcoming models Javeria Hanif, Rahima Ali, Fatima Hasan, and Erica Robinson. The collection was inspired by the idea that amid the stress of the pandemic we should all remain positive and think about joy and fun and appreciate the simple yet exquisite things around us like sunsets that warm our heart.

Rather than the usual straight catwalk, models danced, gallivanted, drank soda drinks and high-fived wearing cotton Kurtis and high-low and belted tunics in brilliantly vibrant colors like marigold yellow, bright pink and cerulean blue embellished with fun and joyful embroidered motifs of balloons, pineapples cameras and airplanes juxtaposed with neutral black and white striped and checkered prints seen on wide pants all of which emitted a fun and festive holiday spirit.

One of the leading and most established textile brands Al-Karam showcased a four-piece Luxe collection entitled:’Esfir’ (Star Like) “that paid tribute to eastern roots and traditions, rendering an aura of ethereal beauty that transcends the constraints of time” which was modeled by Robina Khan. The sartorial smorgasbord consisted of nostalgic traditional prints using vibrant hues including fuchsia, amethyst, tangerine, jade green and cerulean sky blue transposed onto the season’s latest trends inspired by traditional silhouettes including short and off- the -shoulder embroidered .baloon-sleeved tunics and shirts paired with voluminous shararas, ghararas, and shalwar pants, embellished with exquisitely intricate embroidery.

Says Ather Ali Hafeez Creative Director at Alkaram Studio, “Alkaram Studio has believed in embracing culture and diversity to break norms and change the thinking of modern-day fashion. Season 2 of Catwalk’s Cares was bedazzling, and we were able to pull this off with a lot of optimism, trust, and with a big sense of responsibility. During the shoot of the virtual show, the models walked past the elaborate installation of colored lights by Catwalk in front of tons of cameras, reminding us all of the thrills of a fashion show. With festive music in the background as cameras moved in and out of the models’ path. Space reflected nostalgia and the spirit of resilience.”

Reknown showman, poet and esoteric creator Yousuf Bashir Qureshi (YBQ) showcased his breathtaking 18 piece collection ‘Sheer Unseen’ in an artistic poetry-laden fashion film featuring Sarah Bashir Qureshi, Hani Yousuf Qureshi and Anoushey Abbasi which was inspired by dreaming of old Dhaka and the tale of a single mother and her connections with her offspring.  The Casual Pret wear collection made from pure cotton and mulmul in pure white and soft pastels comprised of loose tunics, shirts, and crop tops paired with Thar pants and dhotis endnoted with an exquisite Sari.

The maestro, YBQ says, “My aspirations were to better myself than before. The experience of showcasing my collection vis a vis the film at Catwalk Cares helped me achieve this ambition.”

Diners, who are renowned for their sleek menswear especially formal office wear including shoes belts and accessories and who have also ventured into womenswear and kids wear showed six outfits including three formal suits, in dark blue, brown and deep burgundy and three black white and cream shalwar kameez suits paired with maroon grey and blue logo emblazoned waistcoats using a plethora of breathable fabrics keeping in mind  Pakistan’s weather. These were modeled by Danish Wakeel an upcoming TV actor; former Mr. Commonwealth International 2015 and a model since 2017 for Cristiano Ronaldo at Madiera Fashion Week.

Mohammad Ali Mufti, Senior. G.M Sales & Marketing at Diners says, “It was a nice experience. The efforts the fashion industry is making to keep the consumer entertained and up to date with the latest trends can’t be expressed enough.  Since Diners had also produced their own virtual fashion show recently, we have an idea how much effort it took to put up something like Catwalk Cares Season 2.”

Kayseria’s Autumn Winter 2020 collection “Umeed” Couture modeled by Maha Tahirani, buoyed by the dual themes of human reflection and celebrating human resilience was essentially a vibrant seven-piece limited-edition Bridal wear capsule specifically designed to ” shine beautifully at Zoom weddings”.

Using finely embroidered fabrics including velvet, raw and pure silks; Zari and poly net and premium fine Khaddar and Lawn Karandi, the voluminous and long outfits including opera coats, sleek tunics shararas and a billowing Sari were imbued with bright colors and richly regal contrasting hues including cream burnt sienna, deep burgundy, turquoise-blue and black.

Folk-Rock songstress Natasha Baig rendered a performance of the raag-based song ‘Kesaria’ during the Kayseria presentation

The surreal Natasha Baig says, “The song ‘Kesaria’ is very close to my heart because I got an opportunity to collaborate with Mai Dhai. The festive song speaks about love and happiness and reflects the feelings when loved ones visit. The brand Kayseria heard the song and instantly felt connected with it because of the similar names and It just sat well with the brand in terms of the mood and feel of the song as well. It was a great feeling being part of the Catwalk Cares show as it’s always a pleasure working with Frieha Altaf. She is an inspiration and I thank her for making me a part of a great cause.”

Stay tuned for more updates from Catwalk Cares Season 2. What are your views on the story? have your say in the comments’ section below.