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GLITTER and glamour thrilled visitors at Moda Mall over the weekend as the venue played host to Bahrain's second Fashion Week.
Organised by Lotus Pi, the event attracted designers from as far afield as the Ukraine, the Netherlands, the UK, India and Pakistan as well as home-grown Bahraini talent.
The grand opening featured the work of local designer Khaleda Rajab for KR Couture followed by Sufana and the young Ukranian Andre Tan who, at just 25, is an industry veteran having run his own label since the age of 16.
His designs made a big impression at the first Bahrain Fashion Week in December last year and his appearance this time round was no disappointment.
Day two saw the Emerging Talents section featuring students from Bahrain's Royal University of Women with the young designers in Sima Ahmed's workshop channelling well-known figures from Paris Hilton to Marilyn Monroe via Audrey Hepburn whose character was given an interesting and successful incarnation with the classic LBD (little black dress) of Breakfast at Tiffany's given a twist in the shape of an all-in-one catsuit.
Other students offered pieces from the sublime to the ridiculous in sections entitled Romantic Energy, Radiance and Mademoiselle.
There were gorgeous colourful outfits, including head coverings for the 'modest woman', and, with the collections ranging from a black evening dress to-die-for in the Radiance section to shorts and tops and even what could only be described as a bizarre sort of milkmaid's costume in Romantic Energy, the university show left no doubt that Bahrain's young fashionistas have quickly learned the art of making a dramatic statement on the runway.
Bahrain boutique Layers put on a show that was slow to start but soon moved into high gear with a stunning sparkling sheath dress followed by creation after creation to tempt even the most reticent shopper.
Then it was the turn of brands from the Apparel Group including the trailer park chic of Von Dutch with its denim skirts, wife-beater-style printed vest tops and bejewelled and embellished baseball caps.
Fustani opened the final day with a collection of mouth-watering evening gowns topped off by a stunning white, fairytale wedding dress fit for a princess.
And speaking of royalty, the showing from Al Zain jewellery must have been worth a king's ransom. The dresses were good and the diamonds spectacular, even without the dramatic lighting they could be seen gleaming from several metres away!
Pakistani trio Monica Paracha, Ali Fateh and Ajjo shared the runway for a show featuring dazzling gowns in acid brights with intricate embroidery, from Paracha, one-of-a-kind bags, from Fateh, and hand-made, statement jewellery from Ajjo.
Then came Larisa Katz, also making a return visit to the island, with a collection dedicated to her parents featuring geometric designs, skintight metallics and something which appeared to be a corset with an upside down brassiere cupping the model's behind!
In facts and figures Bahrain Fashion Week 2009 attracted hundreds of visitors from across the Gulf and more than 20 designers from across the world.
Models flew in from the Ukraine, the Netherlands, Australia, India, Pakistan and the UK and were joined by Bollywood's own Riya Sen who made a show-stopping appearance for India's Sarv Atelier and Face of Asia 2008, Reena Patel, and Miss Australia 2006, Vanessa Portelli, also strutted their stuff on the catwalk.
Now it's all systems go for the next Fashion Week which is planned for the end of the year to showcase the Spring/Summer 2010 collections.
Organiser Erin Pacoma, of Lotus Pi, said: "We had a tremendous amount of support and it went off really well. I want to thank everyone who got involved, we had a lot more local designers and boutiques this time which is keeping with our plan to use Fashion Week to put Bahrain on the international fashion map."
