n the second and third days of the three-day Sunsilk HUM Bridal Couture Week (BCW) in Lahore, a little bit of song and dance helped the bridal pill go down, and fashion heavyweights dominated.
On the second day, celebrated actor Yashma Gill walked the ramp as the showstopper for bridal designer Sophia.
Following Sophia was Raja Salahuddin who brought outUrwa Hocane in pristine bridals along with the model brigade. Menswear brand Diners brought the 2025 Tamasha heartthrob Saif Ali Khan on to the stage to lip-sync to a romantic number à la Romeo to his imaginary Juliet. Social media celebrity Ken Doll also made an appearance.
Therein lay the underlying theme of the evening, where many highly engaging and entertaining song and dance sequences kept the entertainment quotient up high, and helped the audience digest the heavy dose of bridal bling by coating the pill with a certain palatable pleasantness.
For example, fashion brand Shurooq went the extra mile by presenting a highly impactful bridal narrative featuring Saba Qamar as the Shurooq bride in a runway presentation choreographed and directed by Frieha Altaf, with dance choreography by Daniya Kanwal. Anwar Maqsood’s soulful voice over, the resilience of women and the issues they face as they become brides and get married, paired with the Pamaal drama OST sought to have women break free from the shackles of confining traditions and live out their lives as strong, confident individuals.
The styling was led by Mamoon with makeup by Nauman Paul for Qamar, and Nabila’s for all the other models. The Shurooq showcase stood out as a celebration of strong storytelling through song and contemporary dance.
Shoaib Ismail‘s fashion segment was led by ‘Bol Kaffara Kya Hoga‘ singer Seher Gul, whose lilting back-to-back drama OST tunes, such as ‘Yaar To Yaar Hota Hai’, made way for the models before showstopper Hira Mani made her grand entrance.
Another strong segment featured singers Shafqat Amanat Ali Khan and Bilal Saeed rocking the venue with a medley of their most popular hits as menswear brand Vestido1 brought out their bling-encrusted western menswear designs on the BCW ramp. Umsha by Uzma Babar featured actor Maya Ali, Hajra Yamin featured in Grace Jeweller’s segment and as the final act on Day 2, Haris Shakeel brought showstopper Komal Meer in resplendent bridal finery.
The third and last day of the event was a fashion critic’s ultimate moment, a fashion editor’s idea of the perfect show and what every fashionista dreams of — the proverbial creation of fashion history itself. On the last day of the BCW, the biggest names in fashion from both Karachi and Lahore called game-on and the result was nothing short of magical!
Adnan Pardesy set the ball in motion with his beautifully curated bridals for the modern bride with fine needlework and heirloom pieces with revivalist trends and traditions. Hareem Farooq looked resplendent in a particularly fetching ivory number. The designer chose to showcase his craft after a considerable period of time and it’s safe to say that his presentation was every bit worth the wait.
Ali Xeeshan Theatre Studio brought its entire entourage onto the BCW ramp with elaborate headdresses, neon-painted bicycles, Santa Claus chucking gifts towards the audience and huge effigies of dancing puppets, all encased in the wacky world of the designer, and played out to Abrarul Haq’s popular tunes such as ‘Nach Punjaban’ and ‘Chamkeeli’.
Munib Nawaz punctuated his monochromatic presentation denoting periods of mourning and loss with performances by Star Shah, Havi, Annie Khalid and Haq as models draped in dramatic silhouettes sashayed on the ramp in intensely curated looks aimed to make serious fashion statements.
Rizwan Beyg’s Darbar collection was a unique take by a designer who works primarily in blacks and whites. However, once he does venture into colour, he proves that he is indeed a master of his craft. Beyg’s presentation was testament to the fact that when bridals are done right, the result is spellbinding and breathtaking.
His transformation of models into birds of paradise in soft, subtle tones with elaborate and delicately elegant fine embroideries proved once and for all that less is indeed more when it comes to bridal bling and galore. Case closed.
