Pakistan's sense of style lives amid the turmoil

KARACHI, Pakistan — Some women strode the catwalk in vicious spiked bracelets and body armor. Others had their heads covered, burqa-style, but with shoulders — and tattoos — exposed. Male models wore long, Islamic robes, shorts and sequined T-shirts.

As surging militant violence grabs headlines around the world, Pakistan's top designers and models took part in the country's first-ever fashion week. While the mix of couture and ready-to-wear fashions would not have been out of place in Milan or New York, many designers made reference to the turmoil, reflecting the contradictions and tensions coursing through this society.

The four-day event, which began Wednesday after being postponed twice due to security fears, was aimed at showing the world there is more to Pakistan than violence and at helping boost an industry that employs hundreds of thousands of people, organizers said.

Symbolic blow

Many of the models, designers and well-heeled fashionistas said the gathering was a symbolic blow to the Taliban and their vision of society, where women are largely confined to the house and must wear a burqa.

"This is our gesture of defiance to the Taliban," said Ayesha Tammy Haq, the chief executive of Fashion Pakistan Week. "There is a terrible problem of militancy and political upheaval ... but that doesn't mean that the country shuts down. That doesn't mean that business comes to a halt."

"It's defiance, sheer defiance," agreed Rizwan Beyg, one of Pakistan's leading designers, who once dressed Britain's Princess Diana. "This is about saying they're not going to threaten our lifestyle. We want to show the world that we're survivors.

"There's so much more to Pakistan; it's not just suicide jackets and al-Qaida."

The shows took place in Karachi, the country's largest and most cosmopolitan city, in the five-star Marriott hotel next door to the U.S. Consulate, which was bombed by Islamist militants in 2002. It's two hours by plane from the northwest, the heartland of al-Qaida and the Taliban, and has largely been spared the violence sweeping the country over the last month.

"Unfortunately, it is the bad side of Pakistan that gets everybody's attention," said top Pakistani model Nadia Hussain as hairdressers and makeup artists fussed over her backstage. "It has never been this bad, I don't know what will happen," she said, as fellow models chain-smoked cigarettes.

While many of the city's 12 million people live in slums, hip cafes and restaurants in wealthy neighborhoods draw crowds of young men and women into the early hours, more often than not speaking English and wearing Western dress.

While the shows in Karachi resembled fashion weeks in other parts of the world, there were no foreign designers or buyers. The organizers decided not to invite them, given the precarious security situation.

"Who is going to come here with such negative stuff going on?" said Tabassum Mughal, a designer who employs about 30 people. "Those who are here already are leaving."

Pakistan exports

Textiles make up some 60 percent of Pakistan exports and are worth about $12 billion a year. The country's cotton and silks are among the finest in the world. But the industry has failed to grow in recent years amid political unrest and violence.

Constraints remain on designers and models alike. "The maximum we'll go is midthigh, and even that only 5 percent of girls would do," said Hussain, the model. "Cleavage can be low, but so that you can't actually see anything. Families see the pictures in magazines."

Despite such restraint, some at the show Wednesday were shocked. Amid the audience of about 400, a handful of women sat in face-covering hijab.

"I feel that it's a bit too exposed," said Rahaifer Samir, whose eyes were the only visible part of her face. "There are certain limits. Women should be draped. We want to wear good clothes, but there should just be more fabric."

Material from McClatchy Newspapers is included

in this report.