Pakistani trio Kamiar Rokni, Tia Noon, and Rehan Bashir created The House of Kamiar Rokni as a tribute to creative art and modern fashion designs. The collection debuted in L’Oreal’s Pakistani Bridal Fashion Week was titled “The Oriental” – because it draws from Oriental silks and patterns for a truly multicultural look!
The oriental influence shows in the silk usage and also the Asian-inspired designs. From red flowers and bright blues to traditional Chinese jackets, “The Oriental” collection’s name speaks for itself!
Traditional Chinese ruqun, a tight blouse paired with a wrap-around skirt, serves as the salwar for many of these Pakistani bridal outfits. The mix of these two cultures is definitely interesting to see. I loved the use of puffy, lacy sleeves on otherwise tight-fitting dresses! They make the designs really stand out and look regal.
However, I find the mash-up to be a bit overwhelming. Since both cultures are so vibrant and both Chinese and Pakistani outfits tend to be bold and colorful, mixing the two together tends to be a lot for the eyes to take in. The use of Chinese imagery (from doves to jasmine flowers) placed on top of silvery kameez looks out of this world – which is unique, but maybe not the best look for a bride on her wedding day.
My least favorite outfit was the attempt at a Chinese matador. The color combination of cream, sky blue, and red is eye-catching and bright – but not in a flattering way. The puffy sleeves and tight pants display was a tribute to the Spanish matadors, no doubt – but it’s too many different cultures to capture in one design.
The most stunning outfit in my opinion was the silver pantsuit with Chinese accents and a Pakistani jacket. The design brought the two cultures together perfectly – with bright Oriental flowers as highlights to the otherwise unicolor outfit. The heavily embroidered borders are very South Asian and complement the jacket while keeping the whole look simple and clean.
The House of Kamiar Rokni really takes multicultural to a whole new level – but it’s difficult to do in some of their bridal collection. Both styles need a lot of space in order to shine in all their cultural brilliance, and these outfits tend to force them together where they may not fit. Overall, the collection does highlight the best fashions from each part of Asia, and it deserves credit for that artistic achievement.
