ZUBAIR QURESHI
The outgoing Ambassador of Italy, Andreas Ferrarese with his spouse Albana Planeja hosted an evening marked by couture, culture and festivity at the site of the new embassy. They had hosted the event to pay their parting regards to the diplomats, Pakistani friends including parliamentarians, government officials, media and civil society.
Some popular names of the industry, the leading ones such as Nomi Ansari, Sania Maskatiya, Zara Jauhar & Imra Saeed and the Pakistan Institute of Fashion & Design (PIFD) displayed autumn & winter designs and won huge applause from the audience. The guests had arrived ‘well-prepared’ for an outdoor event at the embassy.
The highlight of the evening however was the appearance of the Italian designer Stella Jean who is in Pakistan for the fourth time and held Pakistan had always something for her in store to discover.
Italy she said was home to the latest fashion trends and she also found the Pakistani designers and models abundantly talented and highly motivated. It is time the fashion industries of the two countries should join hands and one day, we could have Pakistani models walking on the runway in Rome, said Stella Jean. Models wearing Stella Jean’s trendy, eye-catching designs set the runway afire and won kudos from the audience.
The evening had a lot to offer as the event had a myriad of attractions. One attraction was the appearance of models wearing Nomi Ansari’s outfits with ‘oriental touch.’ They looked regal in the articulately designed robes as they walked down the ramp.
The multi-award winning Pakistani couture brand Sania Maskatiya also showcased multitude of trends re-defining elegance and embodying an effortless sense of glamour whilst remaining at ease, keeping comfort at the forefront.
Zara Jauhar and Imra Saeed, the duo also dazzled the audience with a take different from their usual one. They promised a completely revamped collection with a wide array of colours. The PIFD team was also there with a collection that looked quite fabulous. Their models in ‘robotic’ outfits playing characters of children’s video games gave an entirely new and amusing feeling to the audience. Earlier, addressing the audience Ambassador Andreas paid compliments to his wife Albana, Maaksons’ Resident Director Nadeem Khan and other members of the team for organizing ‘one of the last events’ as he was leaving by the middle of the next month leaving it for the new ambassador to inaugurate the new embassy most probably in April 2024. Within nine months, we have seen a lot of work already done and the new embassy will be completed in one year in record time, he said.
According to Nadeem Khan, the new Embassy of Italy would be the biggest EU mission with over 100,000 square-ft area. It will be a state-of-the art mission with all the necessary components, he said.
