LFW Presents Returns to Karachi with Five-Designer Showcase

LAAM Fashion Week (LFW) will bring LFW Presents to Karachi for the first time on Saturday, September 26, with Kaleidoscopic Karachi, a five-designer showcase at the historic Nusserwanjee Building of the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture (IVS).

The second edition of the LFW Presents format will feature Deepak Perwani, Khaadi, The Pink Tree Company, Wardha Saleem and Sana Safinaz. The evening will open with an immersive archival exhibition by renowned photographer Tapu Javeri.

Five Fashion Perspectives on Karachi

Kaleidoscopic Karachi explores the city through different colours, cultures, traditions and creative perspectives. The showcase brings together established fashion houses and designers whose work reflects different aspects of Karachi’s identity.

The participating labels will move between polished contemporary fashion and traditional craftsmanship. Their collections will offer distinct interpretations of a city shaped by heritage, modernity and cultural diversity.

Maheen Kardar, Executive Director Designer Experience and Curation at LFW Presents, said the concept aims to make visitors experience Karachi through multiple creative perspectives.

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“I wanted Kaleidoscopic Karachi to feel less like a fashion showcase and more like stepping into the city itself — layered, restless, colorful and full of contradictions,” Kardar said.

She added that the five designers would present different fragments of Karachi, creating a broader picture of the city through fashion.

Tapu Javeri Opens the Evening

Before the fashion showcase begins, Tapu Javeri will present Four Decades of Fashion Through the Lens of Tapu Javeri.

The exhibition will take visitors through his extensive archive of Pakistani fashion and Karachi. Javeri has documented the country’s fashion industry for decades and remains closely associated with Karachi’s visual culture.

“Karachi is where I live and breathe. It’s also a part of my creativity. The exhibition I am doing for Kaleidoscopic Karachi is a sort of a walk down memory lane,” Javeri said.

Deepak Perwani Brings Contemporary Style

For Deepak Perwani, Karachi forms an important part of his personal and professional journey. His collection draws on his Sindhi Hindu heritage and decades of couture work in the city.

The designer has also taken his work to international fashion platforms, including events in Bulgaria, Milan and Miami.

For Kaleidoscopic Karachi, Perwani will present a sleek and modern cocktail-hour collection.

“This collection comes from what I’ve always loved doing, sexy modern Western wear. I am always excited to show that less is more,” Perwani said.

“There will be a lot of fun and excitement, but not a lot of colour. After all, it is Cocktail Hour,” he added.

Khaadi Brings Colour and Movement

Khaadi will draw inspiration from Karachi’s energetic streets through colour, prints and movement.

The brand began with a single Zamzama store in 1998 and has since developed an international retail presence. For the Karachi showcase, Saira Shamoon plans to combine the Khaadi and Chapter 2 lines.

“It’s an explosion of colour, print, chaos and a bit of glamour,” Shamoon said.

“Karachi is a mix of a lot of things, a lot of contrast and friction; that’s where the inspiration starts from. It’s almost as if nothing matches, but everything kind of belongs,” she added.

The Pink Tree Company Focuses on Craft

The Pink Tree Company, led by Mohsin Sayeed, will bring Karachi’s textile traditions into the showcase.

Sayeed’s background in journalism and cultural commentary has influenced the label’s approach to fashion and craft. His work with Hadia Khan also explores themes of resistance, culture and the voices that shape Karachi.

“The Pink Tree Company’s collection depicts the beauty of Karachi: modernity blended with tradition,” Sayeed said.

He added that the presentation uses different fabrics, block-print techniques and colours while maintaining the label’s approach to challenging conventional design rules.

Wardha Saleem Returns to IVS

Wardha Saleem will return to the institution where her creative journey began. The IVS graduate and former textile design teacher has built much of her work around Sindhi heritage and traditional craft.

Her designs have featured hand block printing and motifs inspired by Thar, Hyderabad and Sindhi folklore. Her Jhirki line also draws inspiration from the sparrow.

“In this collection there are a lot of embroideries which are very distinctive to us,” Saleem said.

“A lot of fabric manipulation, modern silhouettes. It’s very earthy, very craft-oriented,” she added.

Sana Safinaz Presents Heritage Collection

Sana Safinaz will present Mastaani, a 20-piece heritage collection.

Founded in 1989, the fashion house has played a longstanding role in Pakistan’s fashion industry. The label has also been associated with the development of designer lawn and contemporary womenswear.

“Our Mastaani line is a heritage line. We are inherently modernist,” said Sana Hashwani.

“It’s a lot about textures, a lot of handwork, a strong strength of colours. Also, it’s very cinematic,” she added.

Historic Nusserwanjee Building Hosts Showcase

The event will take place at the historic Nusserwanjee Building at IVS in Karachi.

The early twentieth-century structure carries architectural, cultural and Parsi heritage. The building originally stood in Kharadar before being carefully dismantled and transported to the IVS campus.

Architecture students at IVS rebuilt the structure piece by piece, preserving an important fragment of Karachi’s architectural history in a new setting.

The venue therefore adds another layer to the concept of Kaleidoscopic Karachi. Its history reflects the city’s ability to preserve its past while adapting to a changing cultural landscape.

On September 26, the showcase will bring together Javeri’s photographic archive, five fashion perspectives and a historic Karachi building in a single site-specific presentation.

About LFW Presents

LFW Presents is LAAM Fashion Week’s year-round, invitation-led showcase format. It aims to take fashion beyond the traditional seasonal calendar by presenting designers in distinctive cultural spaces.

Each edition combines fashion, venue and creative direction to create a site-specific experience. Kaleidoscopic Karachi marks the format’s second edition and its first presentation outside Lahore.

Leadership and Partners

LFW’s leadership team combines expertise in technology, fashion business and creative direction.

Arif Iqbal, Co-Founder and CEO of LAAM, leads the company’s technology-driven vision and global reach. Amir Iqbal, Co-Founder and COO of LAAM, oversees operational and supply-chain infrastructure supporting international e-commerce.

Saad Ali, Founder and CEO of Design651 and Co-Founder of LFW, brings experience in fashion business, manufacturing and industry development. Maheen Kardar, Executive Director Designer Experience and Curation at LFW, leads creative curation and designer relationships.

Partners: LAAM and Design651 are the co-founders. Talking Point is handling PR and strategic communications, while Nubain Ali is the Event Director. CKO Event Architecture is supporting production with Nubain.

Nabila’s is responsible for hair and makeup, ZINC Talent for models and talent, and Prime Productions for photography and videography.