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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
style
The new look for fashion: volume or structure? Want to know the future of your wardrobe? The crystal balls of the country’s fashion experts show a shift from flowy to fitted
The fitted churidaar look A HANI TAHA
This week fashion’s highest authority Suzy Menkes made a conflicting observation: the graduating class of London’s prestigious Central St. Martins forecasted “constant, roomy, oversize shapes” while all over New York and London fashion weeks, the holy grails of fashion, the look was sleek, slender and structured. “Is volume the new shape?” questioned Menkes as she pondered over the fact that “designers this season have mostly focused on the long, thin and shapely. But a Saint Martin’s graduate is supposed to be ahead of the curve,” to finally conclude that “the future of fashion is straight, square and huge.” Pakistan has already grown quite fed up of the tent-like voluminous look which has been en vogue for over four years now, with many women criticising the loose heavy look for the yards and yards of fabric that it requires. As the new kid on the block, Mohsin Ali, pointed out: women who are pregnant or post-partum or just too plain lazy to work out, have loved the cover-up that loose forms provide, but the young (and fit) are itching to move beyond the sacks. “The next trend to hit us will be a ‘v’ line,” predicts Ali. “The hemlines would converge in a ‘v’ up front and the sleeves would be batwing.” Designer Kamiar Rokni who is lauded for his funky traditionalism and has incidentally shown form-fitting collections over the past two fashion week showings, feels that we may not have to make the choice between volume and sleek lines. “Although I am personally loving the new minimalism in the international fashion that Celine brought in, I feel for local fashion the new look will be the slick above the knee shalwar kameez either with tights or with churidaars. This is not a replacement to the voluminous
Ali Xeeshan’s creation
Tents are out. It’s all about the straight look
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Sahar Atif, a Lahorebased designer look, but an alternative that can coexist with the longer trailing hemlines,” predicted Rokni. It is interesting to note that a relatively low-key designer like Zahra Shahjehan was able to rightfully identify this trend and showcased an entire collection on the same theme. Of the St. Martins students being ahead of the curve, Rokni is not too sure commenting that “the students are probably experimenting and to me their work isn’t really indicative of the international trend of opting for volume.” Fashion’s most exciting debutante Ali Xeeshan was the only designer to have created his own silhouettes with his own construction of fabric in his last collection titled ‘The Phoenix.’ Known for being ‘crazy cool’, Xeeshan echoes Rokni’s thoughts, “a huge lot has just become friendly with the volume since women in Pakistan have a herd mentality towards fashion. So even though designers are sick of designing the long and loose look for the past few years, many will experiment with fitted clothing along with volume. Hence both
looks will coexist for a while now,” explained Xeeshan who also added that it takes at least a year for international trends to filter down to the country’s ramps and stores. Feeha Jamshed of Teejays is one designer that has proven that she is certainly ahead of her peers. At her last showing in November, she claimed that the reigning trends on the global catwalks (which would soon filter down to the local ramps) would be the print-on-print and a play on lengths. From the trailinglong to the near-the-knee hemlines with a silhouette that hugs the body; diversity is the essence. Lo and behold! That is exactly what fashion weeks in New York and London demonstrated. Jamshed showed a whole spectrum of looks: a long trailing hemline, a short fitted kameez replete with pockets with churidaar, a short kameez and a gharara, military inspired shirts and jackets, and even futuristic fashion with Star Trek like shoulders. Sahar Atif, A designer who operates her own label and also teaches at the Pakistan Institute of Fashion Design in Lahore, firmly states: “Tents are out. It’s all about the straight look. The silhouette has to change to conform to international trends and basic wearability.” With the wedding season still in full bloom, women who are getting their trousseaus made or those that are getting clothes to wear for the occasion as family and guests should capitalise on the moment and reuse all those voluminous garments this season before they become a relic of the past, which they certainly will by the time the next bridal season begins. Those who want to latch onto the tents can always justify it by saying they are following the next generation of designers yet to come out from St. Martins.
The print on print look
Kamiar Rokni does structured sleek clothing
The gharara look
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
envogue The collection was inspired by a woman longing to embody divine love. From centralised stones with a choice of rutalited quartz and aqeeq that are polished and shaped perfectly smooth yet held in uneven texture, to sanded and kneaded gold showing years of erosion and struggle
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Kiran Aman, a jewellry designer
CREDITS: LIFE AND STYLE EDITOR: NAUSHABA BROHI JEWELLRY: KIRAN FINE JEWELLRY MODEL: JOSHINDAR CHAGGAR MAKEUP: RUKAIYA’S SALON WARDROBE: SONYA BATTLA PHOTOGRAPHER: RIZWAN-UL-HAQ ILLUSTRATOR: JAMAL KHURSHID LAYOUT: ESSA MALIK
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
envogue
Rs.75,000 Square aqeeq ring embedded with square rutilated quartz
Rs.45,000 Rutilated quartz with white quartz border
Rs 25,000 Aqeeq filigree ring
Textured gold winged earrings
Rs 210,000
Rs 48,000 Oval aqeeq and firoza ring
Rs 42,000 Rutilated quartz rectangle ring
Rs 52,000 Capsule shaped rutilated ring with textured gold border
Carved heart pendent
Rs 110,000
Rs 45,000 Rutilated quartz with firoza border
Rs 28,000 Aqeeq Allah ring
Rs 62,000 Capsule shaped rutilated quartz with beaten gold balls
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THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE, FEBRUARY 27, 2011
interview The confident and courageous Çetinkaya This turbo-charged Turkish race car driver talks about her life from hairpins to handbrakes SAMEEN AMER
Few of us have actually experienced the rush of motorsports and know what it really feels like to race at mindbogglingly high speeds under trying conditions. Burcu Çetinkaya, however, can tell you all about it. The Turkish racecar rally driver has made her mark in the maledominated sport, and is currently touring Pakistan with the aim of inspiring motorsports enthusiasts in the country.
On rallying The star sportswoman became interested in racing while attending a rally at the age of 12 and eventually took up the sport when she was 24. “The first rally I participated in was a round of the Turkish Rally Championship, the Hittite Rally in Ankara (the capital of Turkey) in 2005,” she recalls. Since then, Çetinkaya has gone from strength to strength and has amassed quite a long list of impressive performances. “I have been the Turkish Ladies Champion for five years in a row, from 2005 to 2010, 2010,” says y Çetinkaya. Ç y Her team has also placed highly in various rally championships, outshining a number of both male and female participants.
Benazir Bhutto was one of my heroes when I was a kid, so that also made me very curious about Pakistan
PHOTOCREDIT: SAMO VIDIC/ RED BULL CONTENT POOL.
The rally driver had to face several difficulties when she initially entered the motorsports arena. “To find sponsors was the biggest difficulty. To learn how to be patient was another one. After I started to be successful and find sponsors, then the problem was to convince people about my goals. In the beginning, they wanted me to stay where I was, go for the ladies championship and not try the ‘impossible’. Then I had to fight to achieve my goals.” She feels that “the help of the Turkish rally champion Volkan Isik in trainings helped [her] a lot,” when she was starting out. As can be expected, her training regime is quite extensive. “All year long, I have a physical training programme where I run eight kilometres, at least five days a week. I work a lot on my arm muscles, again a minimum of five days a week. Before the start of the season, we have testing with the car for two to three days; we take the data from my driving and try to see the places for improvement. Also, before each rally, y we have a shakedown test of fifty to hundred kilometres to warm
up. And after the rallies, I watch the onboard cameras in detail to be able to see where I make mistakes.” She thinks a person needs to be calm and patient if they want to take up motorsports. “They must like challenges, and have a warrior-like character. They need to be very well disciplined and persistent. And most important of all, they need to be really brave.”
Pakistan tour Çetinkaya cites a number of reasons for wanting to tour Pakistan: “the colourful culture, the clothes, the beautiful mosques and most importantly the people of Pakistan! As you may know, Turkey and Pakistan have very good relations. We also have a high percentage of Muslims in the country, so we have some cultural similarities. And Benazir Bhutto was one of my heroes when I was a kid, so that also made me very curious about the country. When the 2010 flood hit Pakistan, in Turkey we really tried a lot to help. That was also the first time I planned to go p g to Pakistan, but it was not possible because I was away at the races. I am very happy that I will stay [in Pakistan] for
ten days [from February 25 to March 5]. I want to meet as many people as I can and learn as much about Pakistan as I can when I am here.” As for what she aims to achieve through her visit, she says she’s here to motivate people. “Nothing is impossible’ is a phrase I really appreciate. If there are people with dreams in sports or art or anything else, and if their families are unsupportive or have financial barriers, like I was at the beginning, there is a message I can give them. The biggest barrier standing in the way of our dreams is within us. If we can be creative and fight hard with discipline, we can fight for our dreams. I dream to meet people interested in this and motivate them if I can.” The touring rally driver hopes to discover the scope of rallying in Pakistan during her visit. “I hope after ten days [of touring], I can be more clear about [how the sport can be made more successful in Pakistan], but the media can help a lot.” She thinks having ha g a local motorsports p hero would he help. elp. “If there is a worldwide successful spo sportsperson rtsperson from your country in the sport sport, t, people will be more moti-
vated to follow, and sponsors will be more encouraged to help.”
Women in motorsports Burcu cites Michele Mouton as her favourite racecar driver. “She is the only woman in the world of motorsports that won a few world rally championship events and finished second in the championship at the top level in the 1980s, and showed that impossible is nothing.” While Burcu hasn’t met any female Pakistani racecar drivers yet, she is looking forward to meeting some during her tour. She thinks encouragement and a change in mentality could help make it easier for women to take up motorsports. “In this sport, women and men are not put in different categories. Only in some countries, ladies prizes are also included in the championships to encourage women. But in the general classification there is no separation. There are two types of women in this sport: the first is there for attention, the other for success. I think the ones there for attention also give some colour to the sport, but the ones there for success are the ones that should really be encouraged.
Women’s cups can be organised to choose the talented ones. I think the biggest help would be to encourage women. When there is a lady driver who is doing well, every mistake [she makes] is highlighted to show that she is not capable, so I think if this mentality can be fought against, things can get better.”
Activities and interests In her spare time, Çetinkaya likes to read books and watch movies. “The books by Osho and Paulo Coelho, and Mesnevi by Jalāl ad-Dīn Muhammad Rūmī are books I have read over and over many times. Quoting local movies and stars as her favourite, the racer really loves Indian movies. Ek Ajnabee, starring her favourite Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan, is a movie she really likes. As for the TV shows, Çetinkaya says, “I love Top Gear and it is my favourite show so far.” She even hosts two television shows in Turkey and enjoys snowboarding and wakeboarding. The future looks bright for this ambitious sportswoman p and we can only y hope p that her tour of Pakistan will help motivate people, especially young women, to pursue their own dreams.
Fast, furious, female
It takes passion, motivation and dedication to cross the finish line A NATASHA RAHEEL
Making their mark in almost every field, Pakistani women have now dared to enter into the male-dominated sport of motor racing. While people perceive the sport as something dangerous and risky, Karachi based women drivers Sonia Khuhro and Ghazal Beg scoff at the risk. Sonia has been involved in Xtreme Autocross Championship since its inception in the year 2009. Her husband Asad Khuhro is one of the people who revived the format of autocross in Pakistan after it got banned in 1995. On the other hand, for Ghazal, autocross is a way to make her father, former Pakistani racer Naeem Beg, proud by showing-off her skills behind the wheels. Besides the fact that both women have a passion for driving, they have one thing in common. They picked up the sport by taking after their male family members. For Sonia, it was her husband who encouraged her to become a racer and for Ghazal, her father was her inspiration. “It’s all good fun,” Sonia told The Express Tribune. “I’ve always loved cars and have been fond of driving. I’ve always been a fast driver, but I only started racing and navigating with my husband because he was very interested in it.” A mother of three, Sonia is respected by everyone on the autocross circuit for her efforts in bringing local women racers to the track. For Sonia, who began driving when she was 16, autocross is a family event and winning and losing does not really matter. She loves to drive and borrows her friend’s SUV to ensure a good performance on the track. She said that the last autocross event that
Sonia Khuhro (centre) and Ghazal Beg (right) at the Xtreme Autocross Championship 2010 prize distribution ceremony. was held in January, where she finished second, was disappointing, but at the same time she was happy to see other women racers taking part in the event. “There are lots of women who want to participate in the race, but it’s always challenging to convince their families that autocross isn’t just safe, but is in fact the safest form of racing as we don’t go more than 60 kilometres per hour. I remember telling a lady who was really concerned about her son participating in the race that there’s nothing to worry about. I told her that I drive as well and asked her how old her son is. She replied that he was 32, and I burst out laughing,” added Sonia. Sonia believes that her biggest challenge was to organise the go-cart 12-hour race in 2004. Today she is proud of taking the initiative of holding the first allfemale go-cart race in the country. Meanwhile, she hopes that someday the motor sport will enjoy the same status in Pakistan as cricket, with Xtreme Autocross events
being held in Karachi. Ghazal has been driving for five years now and takes pride in being one of the few women racers in the country. “Autocross only happens in Karachi and I’m proud to be a part of it. It’s thrilling, there is this adrenalin rush and I get to do what I like,” Ghazal added. However, she feels that autocross needs publicity so that more women would know about it. Currently, according to Ghazal there are only three to four women who take part in the races and many girls who want to participate in it are told-off by their families if they want to drive in an event. “I was encouraged by my father. He instilled this confidence in me. I never saw it as a man’s sports neither did it deter me from trying,” said the 20-year-old. While the presence of women at the race track is refreshing, both Sonia and Ghazal agree that they are encouraged by their male counterparts and wish to have more competition in the next event that will take place on March 12, 2011.