Gul Ahmed Fashion Awards 2011

The much-awaited Gul Ahmed Fashion Awards Show was held on March 17 at the Convention Centre, DHA Golf Club karachi. Textile giant GulAhmed acknowledged student designers at the award ceremony . The brand invited students from various fashion schools to display their creativity in garments and accessories. The event was a huge success as the students that participated came through and met the high requirements of the event.

The company took the initiative as a part of its corporate social responsibility. Having earned success from a loyal customer base, the First Annual GulAhmed Fashion Awards 2011 was held with the spirit of giving back to society as a token of appreciation. Sharing the details of the inspiration behind the project, director GulAhmed Ziad Bashir said: “These are some of the best fashion students of Pakistan, and have strong creative talent. It’s time we give back to society, the society whose endless support has made us who we are today. Hence, we are holding the GulAhmed Fashion Awards 2011.”

Speaking on the philosophy of the event, Bashir said: “We don’t give back to the educational sector of our society, we don’t provide a platform to young talent, the event is the first of its kind. The quicker we bridge the gap between educational institutes and business setups, the better it will be for the economy. The way textile and fashion have teamed up [in the recent past], the students should be recognised, credited and become a part of the success.”

Three students from each of the five fashion schools of Pakistan participated at the event. While their designs were donned by models walking the ramp, their creativity in accessories was displayed off the ramp.

The participating schools were Asian Institute of Fashion Design (AIFD) and Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS) from Karachi; Iqra University from Islamabad; and National College of Art and Architecture (NCA) and Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design (PIFD) from Lahore.

The show started with a collection by Karma that was based on old school Bollywood characters. Karma drew in the audiences’ attention with a splash of colour. PIFD presented its work next and showcased a unique collection, showing off its design abilities and wooing the audience. Ayesha Hashwani then brought in her feminine designs, which were all unforgettable due to an attention to detail and the designer’s choice of Gul Ahmed prints. AIFD took over the ramp next with exciting colourful pieces and some very interesting experimental garments that raised the bar for the completion. Following AIFD, the students of Iqra University, Islamabad presented a collection of beautiful pieces.

Kamiar Rokni, Ayesha Hashwani and Maheen Kardar from Karma were the judges for the accessory competition, which was held before the fashion show in the foyer. The schools that participated in the accessory competition were the National College of Arts and Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture. The judges for the fashion competition were Muniba Kamal, Aamna Isani, Nabila, Fareshteh Aslam and Tariq Amin.

To end the show, The House of Kamiar Rokhni, stunned the audience with a collection of outfits focused on cuts and drapery over embellishment.

The winner of the accessory competition was Sidra Asim from the NCA and the runner up was Ali Yousuf from Indus Valley. In the fashion competition the winner was Sehr Sadiq from Iqra University, Islamabad, and the runner up was Schehrezade Sohail Muzammil from the PIFD.

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