Instep verdict: A master of his craft, Rizwan is also a resolute advocate of couture, so much so that he promotes the concept of Karachi Couture Week and has so far vowed to stay far away Pakistan Fashion Week. We can only hope that he expands his business in such a way that he is able to do both.

Nomi Ansari
Nomi Ansari knows everything there is to know about colour. He mixes it and matches it like an artist playing around on canvas. Not since Faiza Samee has a designer had such a knack for making unlikely colours look part of one fashionable whole. Nomi excels at Eastern wear, but his love of the best of desi is not archaic. He has made shaadi clothes fun. And though he may have to tone it down for fashion week, it is essential that he carry on with the aesthetic that has given him his own unique niche in the fashion industry.

Instep verdict: Nomi Ansari has the potential to wow buyers who come here to get a slice of Eastern exotica.

Sana Safinaz
Another duo adamant about not showing at fashion week just yet. Known for their fabulous bridals that sell in more volume than that of any other designer's, Sana Safinaz brought a Western silhouette into eastern wear via their designs. They do prêt as well, which is available at their workshop, but they haven't really marketed it and most of all, at balls and parties, these two are often seen wearing Sana Safinaz creations that wouldn't look out of place in a Vogue shoot.

Instep verdict: Sana Safinaz gave bridal wear a Western silhouette with great success. They can easily flip that formula over and give Western clothes an ethnic touch. Like anything else, they have the capability to do it well.

Faiza Samee
Faiza Samee is known for keeping Mughal tradition alive in the country. She is known for her glorious shaadi joras and Kashmiri kaam, which is to die for. Not exactly stuff that you would expect to see on the ramp at Pakistan fashion week. However, she is also known for block prints that are uniquely Pakistani and can make jackets that would be snapped up by high end fashion consumers around the world.

Instep verdict: Though she is not known for prêt, Faiza Samee's design philosophy has the richness that buyers will look for when they come to Pakistan.
Samyra
A lot of Samyra's influence comes from the Orient, and the clothes she designs for her prêt a porter label Zafaran deliciously balance the yin and yan of style. She'll create a mandarin collar tunic with a single bird of paradise resting on the shoulder or a high neck Japanese collar constructed with banarasi patchwork. It's a style that blends in with her lifestyle and that's what makes it so original.

Instep verdict: An extremely savvy business woman, Samyra is the perfect candidate for an event that is being held to promote the business of fashion.

Nilofer Shahid
The only Pakistani designer to make it to Paris Couture Week on the invitation of its head honcho Didier Grumbach, Nilofer Shahid has guts. It's not easy to show at 'the' fashion capital of the world and run the risk of being criticized. And she has done it. Though she is known for her Eastern wear, one thing is for sure, Nilofer knows how to construct a garment and her attention to detail is legendary. If she decides to apply that know how to prêt, she will do fabulously well.

Instep verdict: This is one classic couturier who is raring to have a go at prêt and we believe she can do it… remember the Omar Khayyam collection?

Saadia Mirza
Saadia's signature is Victorian opulence and she does it extremely well. It'll be interesting to see how she tones down the bejeweled couture she makes for lighter ready to wear at Pakistan Fashion Week. If her groundbreaking show at Café Flo in Karachi last year is anything to go by, old world lace used in very modern designs, she will come through with flying colours. And if her prêt line Velocity is the yardstick by which we judge her, Saadia Mirza has what it takes to make a woman stand out in a crowd, be it in Lahore or London.

Instep verdict: Saadia Mirza is one of the leading lights amongst the younger lot of designers and shines like a star every time she makes a design statement.
HSY
Hassan Shehryar Yasin is a showman. All about razzmatazz the choreography of his shows (he does that himself) has a shock and awe affect. He wowed critics with his Virasat collection that really launched him into the bridal stratosphere. When Simon Lock met local designers with regard to Pakistan Fashion Week, HSY was the only designer savvy enough to get invites for key shows at New York Fashion Week. He flew off, came back and within months had launched B-HSY (a prêt line with Bareeze) and R2W (his ready to wear collection).

Instep verdict: Hassan has better marketing skills than any other designer. He networks like no other and his business base is strong enough for brand HSY to continue making bridals even as he experiments with prêt for fashion week.