Report: ANI Correspondent:
KARACHI: LAAM Fashion Week (LFW) held its first edition outside Lahore with “LFW Presents: Kaleidoscopic Karachi,” a five-designer runway showcase staged at the historic Nusserwanjee Building at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS).
The event featured Deepak Perwani, Wardha Saleem, Khaadi, The Pink Tree Company and Sana Safinaz, presenting different facets of Karachi through fashion, heritage, craftsmanship and contemporary design. The evening also opened with an archival exhibition by renowned photographer Tapu Javeri, titled “A Four-Decade Fashion Retrospective.”
Deepak Perwani opened the runway with “Cocktail Hour,” drawing inspiration from Karachi’s glamour and social culture of the 1970s. Supermodels Frieha Altaf, Seemi Pasha and Atiya Khan walked the collection, paying tribute to the era.
Wardha Saleem presented “Bander Road Se Kemari,” inspired by Karachi’s historic architecture, colonial buildings, balconies and monuments. Actress and model Areeba Habib served as the showstopper, appearing in a gold and green lehenga.
The Pink Tree Company showcased “Hands That Craft,” celebrating traditional Pakistani craftsmanship through textiles, block printing, dyeing, embroidery, gota and kaamdani. Aliya Iqbal Naqvi was the showstopper for the collection.
Khaadi presented “Karachi – It’s Complicated,” exploring the city’s contrasting character through colours, woven fabrics and bold prints. Model Eman Suleman walked as the showstopper in a black-and-white ensemble featuring colourful embellishments.
The finale featured Sana Safinaz’s “Mastaani,” a luxury couture and festive collection presented by 20 models. Model Javeria Hanif served as the showstopper, closing the evening in a heavily embellished gold blouse, black lehenga, black veil and red dupatta.
Speaking at the event, Saad Ali, Co-Founder of LAAM Fashion Week and Founder & CEO of Design651, said the initiative was aimed at creating a year-round ecosystem for designers, brands and craftspeople beyond traditional fashion weeks.
Maheen Kardar, Executive Director of Designer Experience and Curation at LFW Presents, said Karachi represented an important part of Pakistan’s fashion history and described the city as layered, diverse and deeply connected with the industry.
The event was attended by prominent personalities from fashion, entertainment, media, business and the creative sector, including Bunto Kazmi, Faiza Samee, Fahad Mirza, Gohar Rasheed, Iqra Aziz, Kamiar Rokni, Kubra Khan, Saniya Maskatiya, Sarwat Gillani, Shehla Chatoor, Sharmila Faruqui, Sonya Battla, Zainab Chotani and Zainab Qayyum, among others.
The historic Nusserwanjee Building provided the backdrop for the showcase. Originally built in Kharadar and associated with Karachi’s Parsi heritage, the structure was dismantled and reconstructed at the IVS campus, where it now serves as a distinctive link between the city’s architectural past and contemporary creative culture.
Amir Iqbal, Co-Founder and COO of LAAM, said the platform combines fashion, technology, marketplace infrastructure and international logistics to connect Pakistani designers with consumers in more than 120 countries.
Arif Iqbal, Co-Founder and CEO of LAAM, said technology and creative direction were central to the platform’s vision of turning fashion showcases into global, shoppable and culturally relevant experiences.
According to the organisers, “Kaleidoscopic Karachi” marked the second edition of LFW Presents and its first showcase outside Lahore, reflecting the diversity and evolving character of Karachi’s fashion and creative industries.
