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Bridal Couture Week, now in its tenth season, has emerged as one of the fashion industry’s biggest trendsetters.
Let’s look at BCW’s strengths first. Since its inception in 2009, the event has continued to be held twice a year alternately in Lahore and Karachi. A 3-day event, televised continuously and shown to millions of viewers around the world, is that kind of reach. Designers can only dream. This gives participating brands the kind of visibility they might not get elsewhere. Fahad Hussain, a renowned designer who has been loyal to BCW since the very first event in Lahore, swears by it and the kind of business it generates. “We have a good relationship,” he explained in an interview with Instep. “BCW is really, really good with the organization. They’re easy to get along with. They listen to logical requests. They’re great people to work with.” Similarly, Sadia Mirza, a veteran designer who was out of the picture for the past several years, was happy that she chose BCW as her comeback vehicle as it gave her brand an unimaginable projection. He shared that he received over 200 queries from all over the world within hours of his show. The effect was unparalleled.
The event also tends to improve every year, whether it’s adding big names to its line-up, bringing in show producers like Ketan Bhatia, who came from India this year, or even foreign models like Nitasha Singh. to fly from South Africa. Add it to the list of names like Sonia Batla, Fahad Hussain, Aamir Adnan, Sadia Mirza, Zainab Chotani and the segment that includes master couturiers like Elan, Sania Muskatiya, Shamail, Zara Shahjahan, Umar Saeed and The House of Kamiyar Rokni. You wouldn’t be wrong to think that this is a great show. Add in the kind of celebrity presence that BCW boasts and you might be ready to sign on the dotted line in loyalty to the event.
But wait. Despite its many strengths, Bridal Couture Week fails to establish the one thing expected of a fashion week: a fashion-forward platform. BCW lacks the sophistication and style that one needs to associate with fashion week. BCW, with as many (if not more) TV, film and music stars on the runway, entertains the TV viewing audience than it does by introducing viewers to new trends or specials. Informs about how to dress for a wedding. It is planned, executed and recorded as television content; The channel highlights ongoing drama serials, popular television artists, soundtracks and songs that all attract viewers. Most BCW attendees will remember the celebrities on the catwalk more than what they wore or in some unfortunate cases, even what designer they walked for.
One of the biggest criticisms of BCW is that it seems to have no selection criteria. There are a handful of names that lend credence to the event, but apart from a few critically acclaimed bridal couturiers, there is a large pool of names, with brand designers being the best and commercial ‘darsigners’ being the best.
“BCW is a channel owned and operated and telecast worldwide so we get tremendous enquiries,” says veteran designer Shamail about the pros and cons of the platform. Shamail, who has served as the CEO of Fashion Pakistan Council, has also shown on BCW’s platform. “Councils are of a higher standard but it’s more open to newcomers. It’s geared towards the media, while councils are far more selective and willing to accept big names in fashion. Publicity is an instant viral approach that includes names that no one has ever heard of, many of whom are housewives Why should they be given a platform but them? BCW is not questioned.”
You’d think this was a quick fix for the administrators. Implement some form of selection criteria and raise the quality of the show but they have not been able to achieve that standard yet. And Verandah designers may be lucky to be showcased on such a big platform but fashion suffers when the ‘trends’ presented by these designers are shown and passed off as ‘fashion’. Machine-embroidered polyester ensembles, floral headpieces, over-embellished caps for men and poorly constructed garments are some of the fashion crimes seen on the BCW runway. One shudders to think what would happen if the masses saw these abominations and were affected.
But speaking of influence, one must also recognize the kind of influence BCW has and does change public opinion. What power can it use to do or spread awareness on a particular social issue? This platform has the power to make social statements and actually influence viewers. A small section presented by the editorial team (Urwa Hussain, Ahsan Khan, Bushra Ansari, Samia Mumtaz and Hadiqa Kayani) on children’s rights. Presented a strong case for the need to protect and raise awareness about child abuse. BCW’s grand finale, hosted by Sonia Batla, paid tribute to the acid burn victims in Pakistan and featured Musrat Mirbah and Dr. Jawad. prepared Khan to speak on the subject. Again, a social cause that requires all the exposure.
Again, back to square one, BCW offers several strengths but is weakest when it comes to the selling point: fashion. Social statements can make their way onto the catwalk – we have examples in Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen – but the medium of expression is the clothes, not the celebrities or the songs or the entertainment. Unfortunately at BCW, force majeure is not fashionable.
It won’t take long to replace and fix it. A small selection panel may be assembled to review combinations before they are accepted into the lineup. BCW may start earlier in the day, not necessarily ending at midnight which is not the most professional time to end a show. The event already has an excellent line-up of models and makeup team (Nabila). Bringing in an international show director and choreographer (Kitan Bhatia) really worked in its favour. Perhaps BCW should also import the services of an international event planner. It wouldn’t hurt if the event looked less like a wedding and more like a smart, fashion platform. And if all this can change, there is no reason why Bridal Couture Week cannot emerge as the most powerful platform for bridal couture in the country.
