Tune in to Koffee with Karan

After a phenomenal success with the first season last year, Karan Johar is all set for a second round of Koffee with Karan, a talk show best remembered for bringing some of the hottest stars of Bollywood and their sizzling lives to the forefront. It set the trend for the 'rapid fire round' now taken up by many local channels as well. The show is back and that too with a bigger bang! It will reportedly open with Karan's favourite actor, SRK, lucky mascot Kajol and Rani Mukerji. Other big names to follow will include John Abraham and Bipasha Basu (together), Dhoom man Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kunal Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh,
muscle man Shahid Kapoor with girlfriend Kareena and Karisma Kapoor. One highly exciting guest will be director Ram Gopal Varma who has been reportedly badmouthing KJ's films. It'll be interesting to see what Ramu will say to Karan, face-to-face. Speaking on the comeback, Karan Johar commented, "The show is supposed to be fun. I've a sense of humour. I hope my guests have it too. I can poke fun at myself. No one should take themselves seriously on the show." We agree, it's always fun to see SRK and Kajol team-up against Karan. And hey, there has been no mention of any Bachchan coming back to the show. Is it because of SRK and their rivalry? Who knows, but for now, gear up as KJ is making a strong comeback.
Special guests on KBC
It's a classic case of you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours – in this case it's Shahrukh Khan and Karan Johar scratching each other. Where KJ will open his talk show with SRK, SRK is going to return the favour by calling KJ and Farah Khan on the friendship special episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati. This episode is supposedly airing tonight so do watch out for it. If one remembers correctly, Karan has previously come to KBC but never as a contestant. He came to support Shahrukh when he was on the hotseat, back in the days when Amitabh Bachchan was hosting KBC. Both Farah and Karan share a fantastic equation with SRK so the show
should be much more fun. And speaking of Farah Khan, she has given up her role as a judge on Indian Idol as she is currently busy with shoots for her second directorial venture with Shahrukh Khan. It has become quite a love triangle hasn't it? Wonder where Amitabh Bachchan figures in this equation. Every love story does require a villain and he may just fit the bill. Coming back to KBC, other special guests include Farhan and Zoya Akhtar for Brother-Sister day special and hot babe, Malaika Arora-Khan and hubby Arbaaz Khan for Valentine's Day special. It promises to be a fun season.

Tune in to Koffee with Karan

After a phenomenal success with the first season last year, Karan Johar is all set for a second round of Koffee with Karan, a talk show best remembered for bringing some of the hottest stars of Bollywood and their sizzling lives to the forefront. It set the trend for the 'rapid fire round' now taken up by many local channels as well. The show is back and that too with a bigger bang! It will reportedly open with Karan's favourite actor, SRK, lucky mascot Kajol and Rani Mukerji. Other big names to follow will include John Abraham and Bipasha Basu (together), Dhoom man Hrithik Roshan and Priyanka Chopra, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kunal Kapoor and Riteish Deshmukh,
muscle man Shahid Kapoor with girlfriend Kareena and Karisma Kapoor. One highly exciting guest will be director Ram Gopal Varma who has been reportedly badmouthing KJ's films. It'll be interesting to see what Ramu will say to Karan, face-to-face. Speaking on the comeback, Karan Johar commented, "The show is supposed to be fun. I've a sense of humour. I hope my guests have it too. I can poke fun at myself. No one should take themselves seriously on the show." We agree, it's always fun to see SRK and Kajol team-up against Karan. And hey, there has been no mention of any Bachchan coming back to the show. Is it because of SRK and their rivalry? Who knows, but for now, gear up as KJ is making a strong comeback.
Special guests on KBC
It's a classic case of you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours – in this case it's Shahrukh Khan and Karan Johar scratching each other. Where KJ will open his talk show with SRK, SRK is going to return the favour by calling KJ and Farah Khan on the friendship special episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati. This episode is supposedly airing tonight so do watch out for it. If one remembers correctly, Karan has previously come to KBC but never as a contestant. He came to support Shahrukh when he was on the hotseat, back in the days when Amitabh Bachchan was hosting KBC. Both Farah and Karan share a fantastic equation with SRK so the show
should be much more fun. And speaking of Farah Khan, she has given up her role as a judge on Indian Idol as she is currently busy with shoots for her second directorial venture with Shahrukh Khan. It has become quite a love triangle hasn't it? Wonder where Amitabh Bachchan figures in this equation. Every love story does require a villain and he may just fit the bill. Coming back to KBC, other special guests include Farhan and Zoya Akhtar for Brother-Sister day special and hot babe, Malaika Arora-Khan and hubby Arbaaz Khan for Valentine's Day special. It promises to be a fun season.

Pinning hopes on Pakistan Fashion Week C

It doesn't end there. Fashion shows are not about showing to a select gathering of corporate clients who will enjoy the sight of beautiful women as they enjoy their lobster thermidors, not knowing the difference between a balero and a balconnet; neither are they about product launches and models rising out of shampoo bottles or shows held on foreign lands achieving nothing but twenty minutes of glory.

Fashion in the twenty first century is about business and Pakistan Fashion Week will be about generating a steady cycle of investment.

PFW may not be able to cleanse internal politics but as far as the shows go, it will put all designers on an equal footing, to be approved for prime positioning by a group of experts. The power game of musical chairs will be over and only the 'selected few' will be allowed a place on the hot seat. Designers will not be allowed to judge other designers and the vague words like 'pioneers', 'traditionalists' and 'revivalists' will be replaced by 'those who got orders' and 'those who didn't'.

Fashion terminology will evolve, classifying designers with successful shows (and hopefully eventual sales) as the new breed of pioneers.

Fashion heroes will be selling to the buyers not just the wealthy begums. After all, stalwarts like Oscar de la Renta, Georgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld and Ralph Lauren haven't made it to the top for initiating trends three decades ago. They haven't become iconic by operating a business from one solitary store or by never showing a true collection at all. There will be no self acclaimed kings at PFW and this process of selection will separate the curd from the cream.

Then there will be surprises. Designers that have always been backbenchers may just may it to the spotlight and newcomers with a promise of ingenuity will most definitely be welcomed on board. One would hope to see Vinnie show her prêt line at PFW, for one. One would want to see Maheen Karim and Munib Nawaz on the ramp and hopefully there will be other rising stars too.

The general scale of expansion will be huge. To certify smooth operations, the entire industry will have to be roped in - stylists, photographers and choreographers et al without pride or prejudices being hurt. That means no more one man shows; no more dictation of who won't work with whom.

Designers will have the privilege to choose their own groups but in essence everyone will be working together for the same cause.

Then a group of approximately forty models will have to be culled from Pakistan and that'll mean intensive auditioning and training. The tall, young and well toned ones will walk forward and unprofessional misfits will be shown the back door. Results will unleash a troupe of beauties onto the much starved runways.

IMG will also be looking for a face from Pakistan to add to IMG models.

These small steps will constitute a massive step forward for fashion.

The media juggernaut that develops around the time PFW is held will be crackling. Front row celebrities will be brought in and/or subsequently created to raise show profiles.

Media coverage will be huge and for once, the fashion industry will understand that a designer is only as big as the business he generates and the media attention he gets.

PFW most certainly will make headlines with the international media, as well as being boosted by local newspapers. The coverage, as one expects, will be eye candy.

Other than the established fashion community, PFW can also benefit fashion students. Not only can they be brought in to intern backstage as this hands on experience would be better than any text book research, but it could also eventually benefit talented individuals in a scheme similar to the Council of Fashion Designers of America that has a regular CFDA scholarship that sponsors brilliant students to establish their own businesses after they graduate.

There really is a lot to look forward to and again, this change will excite some while also making others insecure. But PFW will provide excellent learning ground for the entire industry before it grows strong enough to stand on its own two feet. No one in Pakistan has the experience of operating an event this big, but the reassurance one needs to digest a project this huge comes with IMG. Pakistan Fashion Week is exactly what local fashion needs to truly become an industry.

Pinning hopes on Pakistan Fashion Week C

It doesn't end there. Fashion shows are not about showing to a select gathering of corporate clients who will enjoy the sight of beautiful women as they enjoy their lobster thermidors, not knowing the difference between a balero and a balconnet; neither are they about product launches and models rising out of shampoo bottles or shows held on foreign lands achieving nothing but twenty minutes of glory.

Fashion in the twenty first century is about business and Pakistan Fashion Week will be about generating a steady cycle of investment.

PFW may not be able to cleanse internal politics but as far as the shows go, it will put all designers on an equal footing, to be approved for prime positioning by a group of experts. The power game of musical chairs will be over and only the 'selected few' will be allowed a place on the hot seat. Designers will not be allowed to judge other designers and the vague words like 'pioneers', 'traditionalists' and 'revivalists' will be replaced by 'those who got orders' and 'those who didn't'.

Fashion terminology will evolve, classifying designers with successful shows (and hopefully eventual sales) as the new breed of pioneers.

Fashion heroes will be selling to the buyers not just the wealthy begums. After all, stalwarts like Oscar de la Renta, Georgio Armani, Karl Lagerfeld and Ralph Lauren haven't made it to the top for initiating trends three decades ago. They haven't become iconic by operating a business from one solitary store or by never showing a true collection at all. There will be no self acclaimed kings at PFW and this process of selection will separate the curd from the cream.

Then there will be surprises. Designers that have always been backbenchers may just may it to the spotlight and newcomers with a promise of ingenuity will most definitely be welcomed on board. One would hope to see Vinnie show her prêt line at PFW, for one. One would want to see Maheen Karim and Munib Nawaz on the ramp and hopefully there will be other rising stars too.

The general scale of expansion will be huge. To certify smooth operations, the entire industry will have to be roped in - stylists, photographers and choreographers et al without pride or prejudices being hurt. That means no more one man shows; no more dictation of who won't work with whom.

Designers will have the privilege to choose their own groups but in essence everyone will be working together for the same cause.

Then a group of approximately forty models will have to be culled from Pakistan and that'll mean intensive auditioning and training. The tall, young and well toned ones will walk forward and unprofessional misfits will be shown the back door. Results will unleash a troupe of beauties onto the much starved runways.

IMG will also be looking for a face from Pakistan to add to IMG models.

These small steps will constitute a massive step forward for fashion.

The media juggernaut that develops around the time PFW is held will be crackling. Front row celebrities will be brought in and/or subsequently created to raise show profiles.

Media coverage will be huge and for once, the fashion industry will understand that a designer is only as big as the business he generates and the media attention he gets.

PFW most certainly will make headlines with the international media, as well as being boosted by local newspapers. The coverage, as one expects, will be eye candy.

Other than the established fashion community, PFW can also benefit fashion students. Not only can they be brought in to intern backstage as this hands on experience would be better than any text book research, but it could also eventually benefit talented individuals in a scheme similar to the Council of Fashion Designers of America that has a regular CFDA scholarship that sponsors brilliant students to establish their own businesses after they graduate.

There really is a lot to look forward to and again, this change will excite some while also making others insecure. But PFW will provide excellent learning ground for the entire industry before it grows strong enough to stand on its own two feet. No one in Pakistan has the experience of operating an event this big, but the reassurance one needs to digest a project this huge comes with IMG. Pakistan Fashion Week is exactly what local fashion needs to truly become an industry.

Pinning hopes on Pakistan Fashion Week B

Let's be realistic. Ever since the rift between Karachi and Lahore resulted in the formation of two councils, there was no chance that Pakistani fashion could emerge in any effective way. There weren't many creative forces to begin with and divided, there were even less. If possible, the rift made the politics uglier and the giants became dragons. The first thing Pakistan Fashion Week achieved was to put designers back on the same wavelength. Those who until recently couldn't stand the sight of each other's face, were suddenly seeing eye to eye. Members of both Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC) and Fashion Pakistan (FP) shared the same space at the preliminary meetings (held in Karachi and Lahore) and did not end up slitting each other's throats as they almost managed to do at the last council meeting held in united presence. Dragons and demons were put to rest, even if temporarily. The announcement of Pakistan Fashion Week induced enough competition for FP to immediately start planning Karachi Couture Week and for sure, one does expect to hear a similar announcement from PFDC too.
There cannot be enough of a good thing and these waves of movement will most definitely create more opportunities for everyone. Jolly Good. Where PFW will promote prêt, at best KCW (when and if it happens) would continue to revive the very valuable traditions of Pakistani crafts. However, it will be a 'council event' and that means it will leave out a substantial number of designers who are not in FP. Ditto for any event organised by PFDC. When the industry split into two camps with splinters of 'independent' designers, fashion diminshed as a force to be reckoned with. To bring all designers onto one platform, a fashion week independent of both councils is exactly what the doctor ordered. If one is to go by the rules of any IMG-operated fashion week, PFW will be an affair to remember.
Just to picture Maheen, Sonya Battla, Imrana Ahmad, Karma, Nomi Ansari and HSY on the same runway is a mouthwatering thought and this reunion, when culminating at PFW, promises to be a finale of epic proportions. That thought alone, holds the promise of a new and brighter future for fashion which can be repeated neither by FP nor PFDC unless they unite. Consequently, the sheer impact of PFW will be unparalled. For similar reasons, Pakistan Fashion Week's impact on general fashion trends in Pakistan will be more effective. Hopefully corporations like Chen One, Bareeze and Haji Karim Buksh and Men's Store will attend as prospective local buyers, introducing fashion designers on their panels of retail clothing. Clothes we see on racks of these stores are seldom trendy enough to qualify as fashion but the day we see Karma for Chen One, Rizwan Beyg for Bareeze or Imrana Ahmad for HKB, a dramatic change will be seen on the images we see on the streets. It's not a far fetched scheme. If Karl Lagerfeld can design for H&M, Isaac Mizrahi and Proenza Schouler for Target then why shouldn't local fashion be made affordable too? Fashion is a luxurious dream everyone should have the right to afford and PFW will help make that possible by regulating collections.

Pinning hopes on Pakistan Fashion Week B

Let's be realistic. Ever since the rift between Karachi and Lahore resulted in the formation of two councils, there was no chance that Pakistani fashion could emerge in any effective way. There weren't many creative forces to begin with and divided, there were even less. If possible, the rift made the politics uglier and the giants became dragons. The first thing Pakistan Fashion Week achieved was to put designers back on the same wavelength. Those who until recently couldn't stand the sight of each other's face, were suddenly seeing eye to eye. Members of both Pakistan Fashion Design Council (PFDC) and Fashion Pakistan (FP) shared the same space at the preliminary meetings (held in Karachi and Lahore) and did not end up slitting each other's throats as they almost managed to do at the last council meeting held in united presence. Dragons and demons were put to rest, even if temporarily. The announcement of Pakistan Fashion Week induced enough competition for FP to immediately start planning Karachi Couture Week and for sure, one does expect to hear a similar announcement from PFDC too.
There cannot be enough of a good thing and these waves of movement will most definitely create more opportunities for everyone. Jolly Good. Where PFW will promote prêt, at best KCW (when and if it happens) would continue to revive the very valuable traditions of Pakistani crafts. However, it will be a 'council event' and that means it will leave out a substantial number of designers who are not in FP. Ditto for any event organised by PFDC. When the industry split into two camps with splinters of 'independent' designers, fashion diminshed as a force to be reckoned with. To bring all designers onto one platform, a fashion week independent of both councils is exactly what the doctor ordered. If one is to go by the rules of any IMG-operated fashion week, PFW will be an affair to remember.
Just to picture Maheen, Sonya Battla, Imrana Ahmad, Karma, Nomi Ansari and HSY on the same runway is a mouthwatering thought and this reunion, when culminating at PFW, promises to be a finale of epic proportions. That thought alone, holds the promise of a new and brighter future for fashion which can be repeated neither by FP nor PFDC unless they unite. Consequently, the sheer impact of PFW will be unparalled. For similar reasons, Pakistan Fashion Week's impact on general fashion trends in Pakistan will be more effective. Hopefully corporations like Chen One, Bareeze and Haji Karim Buksh and Men's Store will attend as prospective local buyers, introducing fashion designers on their panels of retail clothing. Clothes we see on racks of these stores are seldom trendy enough to qualify as fashion but the day we see Karma for Chen One, Rizwan Beyg for Bareeze or Imrana Ahmad for HKB, a dramatic change will be seen on the images we see on the streets. It's not a far fetched scheme. If Karl Lagerfeld can design for H&M, Isaac Mizrahi and Proenza Schouler for Target then why shouldn't local fashion be made affordable too? Fashion is a luxurious dream everyone should have the right to afford and PFW will help make that possible by regulating collections.

Pinning hopes on Pakistan Fashion Week A

instep analysis Pinning hopes on Pakistan Fashion Week Fashion has come a long way in Pakistan but even after forty years of evolution, it still hasn't acquired the credibility or discipline that comes with an international profile. With IMG providing the backbone, Pakistan Fashion Week will help achieve what the fashion community has not managed to do on its own - it will regularize fashion as a business and elevate clan-controlled cottages into an industry because that's exactly what fashion weeks do around the world. By Aamna Haider Isani
There have been no formal announcements yet, only a press-meet with Simon Lock, the man who comes with the warranty of IMG, an enterprise that has put almost all high profile fashion weeks on the map including the highly impressive accounts in New York, Milan and closer to home, India. The right deal has brought IMG to Pakistan and what we see unfolding is probably going to be the biggest opportunity to take Pakistani fashion places. If things go by standard procedure then Pakistan Fashion Week will hopefully become the most defining moment in the history of Pakistani fashion. The event has already been added to the official IMG website and honestly, it looks good sitting there as the latest addition to a very impressive lineup of fashion weeks. Not much information has been made public as yet, but even the buzz generated from underground activity has been enough to breed excitement amongst some designers as well as palpable unease amongst others.
Handing Pakistan Fashion Week over to IMG may for some individuals be like giving up a carefully nurtured flower that promises to bloom any day but for realists who have seen the industry nosedive one time too many, it is a step that needed to be taken to prevent fashion from withering away under the weight of city divides, monopolies, unethical practices, untalented parasites and crippling politics. If all goes well in the run up to PFW in November this year, all weeds will have been pulled out, allowing a thousand flowers to bloom. The exchange of energy passing through fashion doorways to that date will be monumental.