Last year I was backstage at the Asiana Bridal Show 2011 (the biggest annual
Asian fashion event in the UK). This year I bring you front row seats and while
I knew I’d be in for a treat…I didn’t literally think I’d see the sweet stuff.
But in a worldwide first, Couture Cakes graced the catwalk, in an event that
blended live Bollywood saxophone jazz, tango performances and of course
showcased the best in contemporary and classical Asian fashion from the UK and India.
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| Does he come with the cake? |
Coventry based bakers Cakes4U celebrate their 10 year anniversary this year. Over the
last year their campaigns have featured quirky female models decorated in body
paint and morphing into giant gateauxs. How do you top that in a live show?
Have the cakes paraded around by hunky Pharoahs of course! It’s certainly one
way to get noticed (the second being the fact they placed free cakes in the
goody bags). Their philosophy is big is beautiful…it’s all about the biggest,
best and most bespoke cake possible, none of these teeny cupcakes. I
whole-heartedly agree; I’ve always preferred a proper slice of cake over a pre-decided portion in a paper case!
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| Cakes4U at Asiana Bridal Show 2012 |
Go on then..one
more photo….after all it’s not every day I get to post hot male models on my
blog…and this is in the name of actual news reporting!
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| Ziggi Studio at Asiana Bridal Show 2012 |
Having been the official catwalk reporter for
the last two years (this year will be my third) I’ve developed an appreciation
for the incredible workmanship, ideas and inspiration that go into designing
Asian fashion. And one label that has never failed to disappoint me is Ziggi Studio, based in Birmingham.
Ziggi himself is
only 20 something years old and already has several awards under his belt. His
sherwani suits (long jackets worn over trousers) are bold and brave and
introduce colour and texture into a garment that’s usually less flamboyant. As
ever his collection was heavily influenced by the Mughal Era, but I felt
they’ve come a long way since his launch. This year was high on
sophistication and detail.
In another catwalk first, make-up and hair
stylist Jawaad Ashraf took the unusual step of showcasing his beautifying skills on
the catwak; it wasn’t about the body, but the face. And if his predictions are
anything to go by, we will all be wearing super bright eyeshadows this season.
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| Jawaad's muse Miss England Hammasa Khohistani |
The pink eyelids on this look were utterly
stunning though you could only appreciate them when they were closed which was
hard to photograph!
The hair was pretty mind-blowing too. I’ve seen these
strange egg shaped hairdos before, and I have absolutely no idea how they
work! How can they be so smooth?
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| Kyle's Collection on the catwalk 2012 |
Kyle’s Collection
are the original trend setters when it comes to British Asian Jewellery. I
admit that I find their show room in Green Street, London, a tad scary but when
you see their catwalk creations and witness what is possible in the realm of
bling, it makes you want to place an order. As a follow on from last year, the
team presented more pieces to compliment the hijaab and their signature piece
was a stunning waist chain with back detail -shame the wearer doesn’t get to
appreciate it!
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| Indian boutique Frontier Raas at London's Asiana Bridal Show 2012 |
Indian boutique
Frontier Raas deserve a special mention because not only did they present a
pretty rainbow selection of fairytale dresses like this prom style royal blue
number, the first model that appears in their catalogue has a belly on her, one
that's round and folds over…just like a real woman. The didn’t give into the temptation
to photoshop her assets – this deserves a round of applause!
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| Harkirans bridalwear at Asiana Bridal Show 2012 |
Surprise of the show was this pink girlie duo
from Harkirans.I loved it!
I also like the
long and layered trends seen in RDC’s opening collection.
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| Ekta Solanki |
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| RDC Finale at Asiana Bridal Show 2012 |
A full catwalk report with professional photos (not my amateur efforts!)
and trends will be appearing in a future edition of Asiana Wedding magazine – I
will tweet when it’s out!
In the meantime there's another report on the fabulous Asian Fashion Blog.
The show also rolls into Birmingham on Sunday 5th February.
