The PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week schedule has been announced and it’s a line-up that promises some sharp and cutting edge style for women always on the lookout for trends. This year’s event will feature 16 of Pakistan’s biggest fashion brands and 11 textile brands that will showcase on the last day. Four new designers will be introduced in the Bank Alfalah Rising Talent Show, now a regular segment of the event, out of which people will vote for one winner.

Sana Safinaz, always an important part of fashion week, will be opening on Day One at the PFDC Sunsilk Fashion Week this year. Their shows are always crisp and contemporary and offer innovations in design. The first day of fashion week, March 10 will clash with the ARY Film Awards being held in Dubai on the same day, but it also boasts one of the strongest line-ups.

Feeha Jamshed, who’ll be showing after a PSFW break, is sure to impress because never has she shown a bad collection. And now that she has a standalone store in Karachi, the runway to retail transition will be speedy and sublime. Speaking of Sublime, Sara Shahid will also be taking a break from her council duties to do what she does best: design! And after showing a spectacular collection last year, Muse is also a hotly anticipated show. The Bank Alfalah Rising Talent show is important in terms of supporting new designers, which brings us to the finale. There’s one word that comes to mind when you mention Maria B and that is Ladak. Let’s just hope she’s working on those lines too!

The Day 2 will begin on a high note with Nomi Ansari, always has something up his sleeve and will continue to rise with the theatrics that Ali Xeeshan’s Theatre Studio will inevitably deliver. That’s two shows of high-energy action, which will be followed by Sania Maskatiya. Nickie Nina and Karma Pink are the two concluding shows of the day and while Maheen Kardar has the potential to pack a very powerful punch.

The third day will begin and end on a high note with enough content in between to retain excitement. Following the pattern, the day will begin with a Karachi-based design house, in this case Khaadi Khaas. Shamoon has gone on record saying this will be the “best show”. The House of Kamiar Rokni will elaborate its Fashion Scout, London collection, which will be available at their studio for ordering. Then will be Zonia Anwaar, who impressed last year but then disappeared so her fabulous tribal collection never really made it to retail (at least not effectively). Saira Shakira, proud owners of a recently inaugurated flagship store, will definitely want to throw in their best and then Zara Shahjahan is always an exciting show.

The PSFW Grand Finale, as always, is HSY and there’s not a doubt that this will be a high octane show. Not only will it (probably) be the only showcase of menswear (as well) but a little bird has revealed that HSY will be unveiling a new male brand ambassador at the show too. That’s some guaranteed eye candy for the ladies.

The country’s lawn obsession will wash into fashion week on Day 4, with names like Deepak Perwani, Al Karam, Khas, Warda Prints, Ittehad Textiles, Harmony, Gul Ahmed, MBM, HSY Limited, Shirin Hasan and Sobia Nazir on the line-up.

The names are big and the line-up is impressive but remains to be seen is how memorable are the collections. One looks for, season after season, is innovation in design; patterns that are unique and have the capacity to change and modify trends. Design skill and technique is another thing; they need to take style out of the embellishment bracket and think of tweaking silhouettes and offering shapes and structure to garments.