The Highs & Lows of LSA

by SHAZDEH SALEEM

A lot is being said and written about the 7th Lux Style Awards since it took place on October 29, 2008. The event, which was a big disappointment this year, had lots of flaws as we discussed in our earlier issue, and witnessed a volley of criticism and allegations.
The event was jinxed right from the beginning, generating controversies from the day the process of nominations began, with designer Umar Sayeed, Shamoon Sultan and model Nadia Ali taking back their nominations and the print media�s adding-fuel-to-the-fire attitude. The venue of the LSA was then changed at least thrice (it was initially supposed to happen in Thailand, then shifted to Lahore, and finally, to Karachi).

Although cancelled due to the on-going political turmoil, it was later decided by Unilever to hold a low-key event just to give away the awards. But the outcome of this low-key ceremony raised a lot of eyebrows and even more questions. If the LSA wants to continue, those questions have to be answered. An inappropriate script, the absence of the big wigs of the fashion and show biz industry, a badly managed event with a lot of technical glitches, a poor judging process which resulted in wrong judgments in many categories, a badly chosen master of ceremonies, a poor seating arrangement and a lot more contributed to the total failure of the LSAs this year.
This week, we decided to further probe the stakeholders of the fashion and show biz industry about the high and low points of the LSAs and also their suggestions for improving the event next year.

Deepak Perwani,

Designer, winner of Best Male Designer award

High Point: The fact that LSA has been happening for the last seven years despite a lot of controversies and negative publicity.

Low Point: The fact that LSA has not been able to get the judging process right as yet. They keep changing rules every year according to their own convenience.

Expectation: I hope that LSA keeps happening, since this is the only event we have. I expect it to prosper and grow each year and, at the same time, is able to overcome the shortcomings it had this year.

Rizwan Baig,

Fashion photographer, nominee in Best Photographer category

High Point: The high point of LSA this year was the tribute to Reshma and the performance by Atif Aslam.

Low Point: Shaan and Iman Ali washing their dirty linen in public. I think it was in bad taste.

Expectation: I don�t keep expectations from anybody or anything, but I hope it keeps growing.

Munib Nawaz,

Designer, nominee in Best Male Designer category

High: The fireworks between Shaan and Iman Ali. Wow! They were entertaining.

Low: Me losing the award!

Expectation: I always support the LSA (irrespective of their biasness) and will continue to do so, because I believe in the institution, the principle system, of the whole process.

Maheen Khan,

Designer

High: The announcement of the lifetime achievement award for Mrs. Sughra Kazmi, because she is somebody who has dedicated her life to promoting our traditional attire and has endlessly contributed in the field of bridal wear.

Low: Watching our models dressed up in ball gowns. Why do we copy the West in everything we do? Haven�t we emerged as a nation yet? Why can�t we promote our own fashion and style on such an important platform? Our models do not have the figures to carry western attire nor do they have the attitude so the result is mutton dressed as lamb. I think we should stop this absurdity.

Expectation: I have no expectations any more. I have supported the event year after year, but I don�t see it going anywhere, unless the judgment process is reviewed.

Javeria Abbasi,

Actor, nominee in Best TV Actress category

High: The performance by Atif Aslam.

Low: It was highly mismanaged. All the importance and protocol was just meant for the fashion community, as a result of which the showbiz people felt completely lost and unwanted.
Expectation: I believe the LSA should happen and it should continue to grow and prosper.

Bushra Ansari,

Actor, winner of Best TV Actress award

High: The tribute to Reshma was the high point of LSA this year.

Low: I don�t think there was any low point in the event. Considering the circumstances of our country, it was a wise decision for LSA to have a low-key event this year.

Expectation: I hope the awards keep growing and continue to encourage the showbiz and fashion industry.

Asif Raza Mir,

Actor, winner of Best Actor award

High: Winning the award was definitely a high point for me.
Low: Since it was the first time I was attending this event, I wouldn�t know the difference from previous occasions but I f eel that there were certain grey areas in the management which need to be tackled. For example, I feel that proper protocol was not given to the showbiz community. They were not given proper seats and they were not attended to well, which I feel they deserve.

Expectation: I hope they keep growing and improving each year.

Neelofer Shahid,

Designer, nominee of Best Designer Couture category

Low: The quality of the event was not so good. It was very mismanaged and didn�t look like the hi-fi event, which it used to be.

High: The red carpet was the best and also the fact that all the prominent showbiz and fashion personalities were present at the event.

Expectation: A properly coordinated, styled event with a better and fairer jury, hopefully!

Rizwan Beyg,

Designer, winner of Best Designer Couture award

Low: The distribution of the awards. A lot of people deserved to win but didn�t due to the bad judging process. I think the jury of LSA should be from within our peers. For example, senior designers should judge the design category and models should judge the model category. We cannot have irrelevant people judging a category because it will always create chaos.

High: The fact that the entire showbiz and fashion community comes together on one platform to attend the event.

Expectation: LSAs should either improve and go higher from here or should be completely done away with.

Ahsan Khan,

Actor, nominee in Best TV Actor category

Low: The fact that in the Best TV actor category, Humayun Saeed, who received the award, was not even present in the list of nominees, and I have proof of that, but he was given the award at the end. How? Why? I really wonder. It raised a lot of questions on the credibility of the whole process.

High: Bringing the whole fashion and showbiz community together on one platform has always been a high point of LSA.

Expectation: I have no expectation. It depends on how it is organised next time.

SOURCE : MAG THE WEEKLY Nov. 29 - Dec 05 , 2008