Sobia Nazir Spring/Summer 2011 Collection

The opening day was also a first for many designers. Barring Pakistani designer and DFW regular Sobia Nazir, it was a DFW debut for designers such as Fares and Bin Hammad. Unlike other seasons, the shows, except for the opening, surprisingly ran on time.

Predictably, bridal outfits a staple of Dubai Fashion Week irrespective of which season the designers are presenting also made a re-appearance. Embellished tunics teamed with sheer culottes dominated Nazir’s spring/summer collection.

"There’s a huge demand for the kind of outfits I design. It’s couture wear and is perfect for an occasion like weddings and festivals. Isn’t Dubai all about that?" Nazir asked. Drama and theatrics on the ramp was also a mainstay of the opening day. Models broke into a futuristic, robotic dance in glow-in-the-dark outfits at Electricity by Neon Edge and wore burlesque style frocks and elaborate masks for Joumana Al Hayek’s Dar Sara High Fashion collection.

Any Dubai Fashion Week regular will vouch that bridal couture outfits are an inherent part of this local fashion extravaganza. And who better than Sobia Nazir to take the tradition forward? Her Goddess collection was dominated by embellished salwar kameez (a traditional tunic and trouser ensemble) and sheer tops. After kicking off her collection with embellished champagne tunics, she changed gears by bringing greens and blues into her stock. Sheer trousers also featured.

"Green is the color of the season. I wanted to experiment with different shades so that brides and all those looking for couture pieces have variety," said Nazir. Toeing the line of DFW tradition, she also brought in two Pakistani models, Fauzia Aman and Mehreen Syed, as show stoppers. But the highlight of the collection was a heavily-embellished bridal outfit in black and green.

She said "I didn’t want my finale piece to be in white. With the black and green ensemble I wanted to show people that black is not an inauspicious color but can look beautiful on a bride."