The 18th edition of this year’s Pantene Hum Bridal Couture Week boasted plenty of showstoppers – but the star power exuded in Umsha by Uzma Babar’s show was in a league of its own. Walking out at the tail-end of the designer’s show were two of present-day TV’s biggest stars: actors Imran Ashraf Awan and Yumna Zaidi. Wearing heavy duty bridal-wear, they had the crowds cheering – and the social media waves were phenomenal.
Celeb showstoppers don’t come better than this! Imran Ashraf Awan and Yumna Zaidi for Umsha by Uzma Babar
But celebrity appeal should never be the sole claim to fame of a designer collection – a good one, at least. And while the double whammy served by Imran and Yumna may have trended, there was a lot more that could catch the eye in Umsha by Uzma Babar’s ‘Zeenat’.
Accents of gold and silver came worked with embellishments on silhouettes that were primarily traditional but had modern elements fused into them. Model Roshanay Afridi’s old world gharara in gold was a classic, paired with a bright chunri dupatta.
Sunita Marshall, also, looked regal in one of the heaviest outfits in the collection: a farshi gharara in white, gold and pink, paired with an intricately embellished dupatta draped over head and looped around her shoulders.
A pink peshwaz sparkled with embroidery and sequins and a silver and gray shirt narrowed down at the waist before splaying out into an A-line shirt with a wide, embellished border. There were heavy smatterings of bling, cutwork, layers of thread embroideries and a mix of textures: chiffon, lame, net and silk. Very pretty and quite covetable, if you’ve got a wedding coming up on your calendar.
For twirling (and whirling)
What could have worked better, though, was a greater variation of color. ‘Zeenat’ relied predominantly on a pastel palette which is one that will always sell well in the Pakistani market. A few eccentric splashes, however, would have carved a stronger identity for the collection. Bridal-wear ultimately has to be pretty in order to appeal to the market but on the catwalk, the addition of out-of-the-box accessories or bold makeup, can accentuate the overall looks.
As a brand, one has seen Umsha by Uzma Babar growing and ‘Zeenat’, with its beautiful workmanship, is likely to build its clientele further. But now that the brand is well-known and popular, one hopes it to begin dabbling towards experimental waters and attempt mastering the balancing act between the traditionally beautiful and the radical.
What do you think?