Pakistan Readymade Garments Manufacturers & Exporters Association (PRGMEA) displayed the IPGFA’s top 10 contestant fashion designers’ creative work at the historical Lahore Fort recently. The display ceremony of selected fashion designers’ creations was held at Royal Kitchen of the historical Lahore Fort in collaboration with the Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA), which was graced by Vice Chancellor Ms. Hina Tayyaba(PIFD) along with country’s important academicians, educationists, researchers, industrialists, fashion entrepreneurs and especially the sustainability enthusiasts.
IAF appointed Dr. Ayyaz as incharge of this pioneer sustainable fashion contest in Pakistan. He started the event with the Quranic reference about the “Zero Waste”. He referred that we learn theories in colleges and universities and then we do practical but if follow Quran as theory and The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) as practical example, the global environmental issue will be resolved aswell.
As the team lead for the IPGFA Contest 2019, Dr. Ayyaz extended his wishes to Mr. Matthijs Crietee(Holland), Ms. Leontine Wagenaar(UK), Ms. Sinette Hesselink and Mr. Damon Frank Giannocarro(Italy) for their creative contributions but not forgetting the kind assistance from Mr. Kamran Lashari(WCLA), Mr. Faisal Sherjan(NIC-LUMS), Mr. Nadeem Mehboob(Punjab Archeology & Tourism) and Mr. Salman Ijaz(Environment Protection Dept.).
IAF regional chairman and PRGMEA chief coordinator Ijaz Khokhar stated that the installation event of top 10 designers’ Sustainable Fashion Projects is a part of IAF PRGMEA Global Fashion Awards (IPGFA 2019) being held during its 35th IAF World Fashion Convention in Lahore in collaboration with the International Apparel Federation (IAF) in Nov 2019. He said that the IPGFA 2019 is the Pakistan’s first of a kind largest sustainable fashion competition.
The newly-elected PRGMEA Senior Vice Chairman Sohail Afzal Sheikh said that in the face of growing environmental threats, there is an urgent need to radically change our consumption and manufacturing systems.
Mr. Sami Yazdani (IPGFA Contest Coordinator) shared his views about the project’s success and the involvement of stepping designers towards the subject. “Today was the most successful day in the history of Fashion where these 10 finalists have set the foundation of sustainable fashion industry in Pakistan”, he added.
The Global Fashion Awards competition is aimed at educating young fashion designers about sustainable design techniques and theories. It has also provided a platform in the spotlight for these aspiring designers.
These 10 sustainable designers addressed different global environmental issues by observing the alternative practices in their design concepts and garment construction especially by applying reuse, recycle, upcycling techniques along with accepting the zero-waste challenge. These successful designers are the graduates of different renowned institutes of the country. Ms. Sadia Bint-e-Nadeem, Mr. Mannan Haseeb, Ms. Saneela Mehdi, Mr. Saad Nazir & Mr. Hassan Shahid from Pakistan Institute of Fashion & Design (PIFD) Lahore, Ms. Nida Khan & Mr. Ahsan Naqi from Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture (IVS) Karachi, Mr. Fahad Zaman Khan & Mr. Qasim Hussain from Gujranwala Institute of Fashion & Technology (GIFT) Gujranwala and Mr. Saad Bin Shahzad from Government College University Faisalabad(GCUF).
IAF & PRGMEA has been quite successful in creating awareness about the importance of sustainability among the fashion ecosystem surrounding the industry, designers and consumers.
These top ten finalists will present their creations at the Festive Fashion Dinner at the 35th Fashion Convention in Lahore on the 12th of November, 2019. The Global Fashion Award will be given to the best designed outfit. There will also be a Runner’s up awards for the second & third best designs.