Here's to the shining stars that lit up the dark abyss that has been the year 2020. While last year our list comprised the great occurrences within the industry, this year our list expands beyond the horizons of fashion to laud some of the good samaritans that made even the worst of years, just a tad bit beautiful.

Our Frontliners.

Illustration by Mariam Ibraaz

We kickoff this year’s list by expressing eternal gratefulness to all the frontliners who risked their lives to keep us safe, whether you’re a doctor, nurse, paramedic, lab technician, security personnel, grocery store worker or cleaning service provider, you are truly amazing! Thank you so much!

PPE SuperHero Umer Hussain

Images Via Umer Hussayn

In the beginning of the first wave, everyone was panicking and there was a severe shortage of essential medical safety gear which were essential frontliners’ health and safety. The entire textile industry was in a fix, muddled with confusion and hysteria trying to figure out just how to take up on this mammoth task of producing and providing PPEs, it was then when Umer emerged as a real life superhero taking up the research and development as well as the costing and distribution channels to produce and provide PPEs to thousands of health care professionals in the most efficient and cost effective manner! Umer we laud you! You are truly an angel.

The caped crusaders of karachi floods, food delivery men

Images Via Food Panda

A certain group of frontliners we often forget to thank are the great individuals working in the food industry. Whether it is shortage of gas, lack of cooking skills or in a rather daunting case, being stranded in the terrible flooding faced by our dear Karachi this monsoon season, access to hot meals can often be difficult. We thank all the amazing people who went above and beyond to deliver food to the karachiites who were stranded in areas submerged in flood water.

The Revivalists, Daastangoi

Images via Amad Mian

Moving towards art and culture, Amad Mian’s wonderful initiative which explained quite sublimely in their own words is ‘a collective exploration of Pakistani history and culture.’ It has stood to serve as a much needed online platform for artists and influencers to exchange ideas, share their stories and collectively contribute to the future of Pakistani heritage and art.

Zinda dil’aane Lahore!

Image via Lahore Biennale Foundation

The Lahore Biennale Foundation’s billboard project turned the whole city into a drive through art gallery, where the entire city had the collective privilege of consuming some great art without even having to exit their vehicles. A few of our favourites included works by Salima Hashmi, Ali Kazim, Imran Qureshi and Saba Khan.

We are all CHURAILS!

Image via We are Churails

Asim Abbassi’s game changing web series, served as hands down the best thing to happen to Pakistni drama industry in atleast a decade. Though it wasn’t completely free of fault it provided a realistic and aspirational alternative to the modern day Pakistani heroine, far removed from the typical depiction of home bound damsels in distress you get too see on the standard cable tv drama. We are in complete awe of newcomer Meherbano Rizvi’s kick ass performance! What a debut!

Tinku and Co.

Images via Tinku&Co.

An initiative born out of the purest of emotion, Maham Zehra started Tinku and Co. a non profit business of the most adorable hand made trinkets just to keep the kids of her school creatively engaged during the lockdown and provide incomes for their families. There’s nothing we don’t completely LOVE about it, from all the lovely hand made items down to the heart and soul of the business, which is all about instilling a life skill and giving back.

Supermom Sarwat Gilani

Images via Serwat

The lockdown was ESPECIALLY hard for parents stuck at home with bored school age kids. Attempting to find activities for the little humans was one mammoth of a task, until supermom Sarwat Gilani emerged with some wonderful craft project ideas for kids on her IGtv. Sarwat we cant thank you enough for using your platform to help out all of the moms in a fix.

A Fashionable Flashback

Images via Fashionable History

A first of its kind coffee table book, Pakistan: A Fashionable History by Meher F Hussain and Saad Sarfaraz Sheikh serves as an absolutely brilliant trip down the sartorial memory lane, tracing the evolution of Pakistani fashion from its very inception in 1947 uptil the very present, it explores the nuances of socio-political issues and their impact on how we chose to dress over the decades.

The Industry educates the future.

Images via PIFD

PIFD, the country’s leading fashion institution took off with a series of webinars inviting a host of some of the most successful and influential personalities of fashion, to discuss the future of the industry and start a dialogue about the issues plaguing the industry. The talks served as a great source of insight for the current market players as well as the students looking to work in the industry in the future. And of course the talks were moderated by our very own Naima Gilani so brownie points for that!

The crafty Influencer

Images via Habiba

One thing we loved about 2020 was witnessing the rise of a new breed of crafty and skill based influencers with the sewing machine wielding Habiba Rahman leading the pack. Who with her innovative and engaging DIY projects amassed hundreds of thousands of views in a matter of minutes. More power to you Habiba and gang!

Move aside Gucci, 2020 is about Rastah gang

Images via Rastah

Rastah’s 2020 collections with those multicolour woven pieces really killed it! The year has really marked the young luxury label as the front runner and a real success in taking Pakistani fashion to the global market. Zain we’re total fans!

Aint no other misaal like Baemisaal

Images via Baemisaal

The fashion influencer, entrepreneur and activist’s posts about self image preservation and holding the fashion industry accountable about the biases and practices that promote body dysmorphia really struck a cord with us. More and more girls need to hear what she has to say, and feel as good about themselves as she does about herself. here’s to remembering we’re all beautiful.

Haleema Sultan can I borrow your necklace?

Images via Ayesha Accessories

Those of you who know us know just how much we love vintage Afghani jewellery pieces and thanks to Ertugul for reviving interest in the beautiful craft. We’re so in awe of the all the beautiful pieces Ayesha Accessories have on display!

The WFH supermodel

Images via Tehreem and Zara Peerzada

With lockdowns in place and the whole fashion industry coming to a standstill in the first half of the year, a new face of perseverance emerged with Talented models like Zara Peerzada, Eman Suleman and Tehreem Gohar keeping it fresh for the gram with their gorgeous home shoots, self styled or zoom directed by some exciting new age photographers the images brightened up our foods and kept the flame of fashion alive even in our darkest. And thus we conclude our list for 2020, heres to more innovation, inventiveness and excitement next year that we may all come to celebrate in a safer and happier 2021! Fingers crossed ?? Until next year GenFam!