Models display designs from the Eid 2008 collection.Photo: STAR

Continuing with their elaborate 30th anniversary celebrations, Aarong bumped up the temperature another notch with a special showcase of their upcoming clothing lines for Eid this year. Titled “Preview Eid 2008,” the fashion show was held at the Grand Ballroom of the Radisson Water Garden Hotel on August 27.
With nine themed sections, the show kicked off with the children's collection, featuring a bevy of fresh-faced child models; girls in smart dresses in bright jewel tones and tuxedo sets. This was quickly followed by textile-focused segments like “Tribal Craze” which featured kameez sets with indigenous motifs, “Urban Folk”, which put a new spin on kantha embroidery, and “It's Natural” -- highlighting outfits using natural dyes. The “Flower Power” segment featured creative floral prints on silk saris, while the rich colours of the night came alive in the “Blue Moon” segment, which focused on evening wear.
Creating an ambience during the interlude, came Arnob and Andrew Morris with their haunting signature combination of smoky vocals, guitar and saxophone, and they had everyone swaying to crowd favourites.
In between these segments came the menswear collections. The first “Play Punjabi” saw the models take to the ramp with a basketball as they flaunted raw attitude and funky “hoodie” punjabis. The second line-up “Uniform Trends” married military chic with local fusion wear to create a completely new look. “Sheer Elegance” saw the men strutting their stuff in muslin party wear. The show-stopper came with the jamdani collection, which completes the special feature on local crafts started earlier this year with Aarong's celebration of nakshi kantha.
The show concluded with Tamara Abed, director, Aarong, taking the stage to thank media partners, ntv and Radio Foorti; make-up and hairstyling partner, Farzana Shakil Makeover Salon and hospitality partner, Radisson Water Garden Hotel. All items showcased at the event will be displayed at the Aarong outlets across the country throughout Ramadan.