Tweet
PESHAWAR, May 7: “Walking on the ramp was cool and fun and it gave a boost to my confidence,” says Sidra, a university student who showed her modelling talent for the first time in the fashion show organised as a part of all-women Huner-i-Hawa festival in the provincial capital.
The three-day festival, concluding on Sunday (today), has been providing a chance to women to freely enjoy traditional cuisine, attire and products and the young girls to unravel and exhibit their modelling talents.
The city, which has seen models` faces erased from billboards, this festival was a refreshing experience where young girls from traditional background not only helped organised the show, but also exhibited their hidden and perhaps repressed skills.
“I am not a professional model, but this show provided an opportunity to me and my friends to try it and gain confidence,” Sidra said while explaining how like her shy class-mates she gained confidence as all-women viewers applauded her.
“Now I can think of trying professional modelling one day,” she giggled.
Another student, Amina, said that many girls like her coming from a Pukhtun family and living in a conservative society found the maiden opportunity to show their skills and enjoy without any reservations. After walking on the ramp, she said, that earlier she was concerned about how would people respond – but it turned out a really good experience.
“Some of my friends who saw us modelling now wish they also had signed up for this show,” she said.
While girls enjoyed taking part in the fashion show, they also had a fun listening to famous pop singers Rabi Pirzada, Zoya and Ali, Zaib and Haniya on Friday and Saturday. Besides, many music lovers danced at the traditional `atanr` tunes.
Tourism Corporation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has organised this landmark event exclusively for women to highlight different aspects of their life and provide them a platform to express their talents and happiness.
Sana, a Fine Arts student of the University of Peshawar, said that women of Peshawar needed an opportunity to come out of their houses and enjoy food, shopping, music and fashion in a cultural and secure environment in `Purda` (veil).
Since cameras were not allowed at the venue, women and girls came to the venue in fashionable clothes, walked about and danced in the musical evening.
Begum, a stall-owner of handicrafts hailing from Swat, said that women enjoyed much better when there were no males around. “It is just according to our culture and no man could stop their women from coming to this mela for enjoyment,” she said and stressed that such events should be held more often.
The festival is providing a mix of traditional and modern entertainment to visitors of all ages. Girls took interest in the fashion show and the women were seen engrossed in keenly observing the traditional style home setting – a set decorated by the Fine Arts Department students. It depicted rural life and different roles of women in village life.
The setting of a traditional style wedding also attracted the visitors. A bride was sitting in the Doli decorated with roses while other village life items like tandoor (oven), cow, cots and pitchers were displayed at the mud house.
About 50 stalls of traditional handicrafts, made by women, and food stalls providing traditional cuisine were also part of the festival. Stalls presenting services and products of women-owned businesses such as beauty parlours, saloons, boutiques, handicrafts, bangles and herbal hair products also attracted many.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/08/a-fun...for-girls.html
The three-day festival, concluding on Sunday (today), has been providing a chance to women to freely enjoy traditional cuisine, attire and products and the young girls to unravel and exhibit their modelling talents.
The city, which has seen models` faces erased from billboards, this festival was a refreshing experience where young girls from traditional background not only helped organised the show, but also exhibited their hidden and perhaps repressed skills.
“I am not a professional model, but this show provided an opportunity to me and my friends to try it and gain confidence,” Sidra said while explaining how like her shy class-mates she gained confidence as all-women viewers applauded her.
“Now I can think of trying professional modelling one day,” she giggled.
Another student, Amina, said that many girls like her coming from a Pukhtun family and living in a conservative society found the maiden opportunity to show their skills and enjoy without any reservations. After walking on the ramp, she said, that earlier she was concerned about how would people respond – but it turned out a really good experience.
“Some of my friends who saw us modelling now wish they also had signed up for this show,” she said.
While girls enjoyed taking part in the fashion show, they also had a fun listening to famous pop singers Rabi Pirzada, Zoya and Ali, Zaib and Haniya on Friday and Saturday. Besides, many music lovers danced at the traditional `atanr` tunes.
Tourism Corporation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has organised this landmark event exclusively for women to highlight different aspects of their life and provide them a platform to express their talents and happiness.
Sana, a Fine Arts student of the University of Peshawar, said that women of Peshawar needed an opportunity to come out of their houses and enjoy food, shopping, music and fashion in a cultural and secure environment in `Purda` (veil).
Since cameras were not allowed at the venue, women and girls came to the venue in fashionable clothes, walked about and danced in the musical evening.
Begum, a stall-owner of handicrafts hailing from Swat, said that women enjoyed much better when there were no males around. “It is just according to our culture and no man could stop their women from coming to this mela for enjoyment,” she said and stressed that such events should be held more often.
The festival is providing a mix of traditional and modern entertainment to visitors of all ages. Girls took interest in the fashion show and the women were seen engrossed in keenly observing the traditional style home setting – a set decorated by the Fine Arts Department students. It depicted rural life and different roles of women in village life.
The setting of a traditional style wedding also attracted the visitors. A bride was sitting in the Doli decorated with roses while other village life items like tandoor (oven), cow, cots and pitchers were displayed at the mud house.
About 50 stalls of traditional handicrafts, made by women, and food stalls providing traditional cuisine were also part of the festival. Stalls presenting services and products of women-owned businesses such as beauty parlours, saloons, boutiques, handicrafts, bangles and herbal hair products also attracted many.
http://www.dawn.com/2011/05/08/a-fun...for-girls.html