Given the state of relations with our neighbor, India, any collaboration between the two countries is welcomed by excitement and hope. This is perhaps the feeling of distance – despite being so close and sharing a history and mutual culture – which makes any platform working to reduce the very welcome division. For extravagance like Shaan-E-Pakistan, it is also a big shot in public relations during the tumultuous period; Security, hospitality, tolerance and moderation are all exposed for once, at home. The event makes pretensions to success in its objectives: cultural exchange, entertainment and trade all carefully wrapped in three days. But was it really as transparent as its representation of social media, public relations and vociferating organizers?
As previously indicated, the launch event of Shaan-E-Pakistan, a musical and gastronomic night, suffered delays. There were murmurs of dissatisfaction of the crowd and participants for the lack of acid and while countless participants came out before the title, Rekha Bhardwaj even went on stage, the crowd that remained appreciated his performance despite the late hour. The second day apparently did not succeed much better.
Saad Ali, a young entrepreneur with a partnership in the local brand 9lines, spoke of the delay, disorganization and the registration with which he was confronted.
“It started fairly well with a very responsive and accommodating team. We paid Rs.75,000 for an entry stand and we were sent to a provision of the exhibition space and our location, but the reality of the soil turned out to be very different. It was only when the team stole in Lahore that we discovered that the teams with which we have linked to the top, to note that no one was coming to. Not a place at noon.
There are also claims for lack of provisions; Sellers and models behind the scenes did not talk about any appropriate arrangement of food or water. “I bought nearly fifty bottles of water on the first morning and I distributed them to sellers and volunteers. In a place like Royal Palm, which is far from the city center with few catering options, management could have at least provided snacks or drinks, but on the second day, there was no one of Shaan-E-Pakistan visible on the ground until Zeenat Aman was and the decrease entrance”. He summed up his experience as a terrible, having been dissatisfied with the lack of organization and the disinterest of the well-being of the participants.
Huma Nassr, founding member of Shaan-E-Pakistan and owner of the jewelry and clothing brand, Braahti, refutes Ali’s claims. “As far as we are concerned, the event took place without a problem. If you look at the size and scope of what we have managed to withdraw from visas, from security to hospitality, I think it is commendable even if I say it myself. Underline the problems with the platform,” said Nassr, speaking of the way the event corresponded to his expectations.
“Yes, there have certainly been punctuality problems, but everyone understands it. There are inexplicable delays and whoever worked in entertainment, fashion or music knows it, so I don’t think they were very early. Or start without them, and everyone at Lahore witnessed manic traffic on the third day that caused delays,” she said, “she said,” she said, “she said,” she said
Asked about the complaints of sellers and participants, Nassr was quick to cancel any criticism of the models. “If there was a drama behind the scenes, it was absolutely not our fault. Our models are not very professional and probably did not get along well with Prasad, the choreographer of the show that we had invited in India. They did not understand his style of work and therefore if there is something they said that you cannot take it too seriously,” she said.
Regarding the sellers of the exhibition, Nassr estimated that they were holding their promise, once again, punctuality is not resisted and declared that if a participant like Beech Tree was back on the third day, they could not make everyone happy. “My sources told me that they had an old stock and that it did not sell, so they wrapped themselves and left halfway. There is nothing we can do on this subject,” she explained.
Although we have not heard of steps behind the track screens, we called the Anam Malik, Areeba Habib and Hira Shah models for their opinions and their global experience. Malik and Habib had the same concerns: lack of food and water, mismanagement and a pond of models so green that they could barely walk.
“There were only five or six professional models that regularly walk on the ramp,” revealed Malik. “The others were brand new. They were so new that we could not even recognize a single girl and that said something since the end of PSFW and that we worked with many new faces. In addition, the show was so delayed and that it dragged for so long that at the time of the last showcase with Bibi Russell started, there was literally no session, except perhaps in the window.
Habib claims that she agreed to make the show because of production 021, the team dealing behind the scenes. “These guys were great and really helped us, even with things like changes of outfit that are not part of their work. There were so many shows in a day that everyone was losing their heads and it was only full chaos. If you try to make a good impression on a country like India, it is certainly not the way to proceed,” she said, telling her experience.
The model Hira Shah, who works regularly with Indian teams abroad, had a different perspective.
“In fact, I did not think it was so bad. Of course, there were punctuality problems and management problems, but look at what they managed to succeed! I thought it was a big icebreaker and if we do not support our local businesses, who will do it? If we are constantly demolished them instead of building and nourishing them until they do the kinks, we never had a she said.
We cannot help but agree. Yes, Shaan-E-Pakistan is not worth all the media threshing right now, but right now is the pivot sentence. It is a new platform with great potential and we must support it and nourish it until it reaches the point where people are flocking there automatically, instead of being convinced of its advantages. At the same time, however, rejecting all the concerns of suppliers or raising punctualities are not exactly characteristics that benefit the platform, cement its reputation as a professional or helps to improve. Congratulations to Nassr and his team for having carried out an event of this magnitude, it is not an easy job, but there are flagrant problems and unless they are approached with the opening of mind and the melinity to be repaired, Shaan-E-Pakistan will be slowly based in the background of list B and will never recognize its full potential.
