Sunday, October 7, 2012

Pakistan's Top Fashion Models

Mass media revolution and rising consumption in Pakistan have spawned an impressive fashion scene in the last decade. It has given birth to a young and thriving fashion industry and created unprecedented opportunities for beautiful young professional models who show off a range of fashion apparel, cosmetics, jewelry and accessories as well as other consumer products and services to a rapidly growing brand-conscious middle class.It has also opened up export opportunities for brand-name textile and leather products and cosmetics and jewelry from Pakistan.

Here are some of the popular models often seen on TV and in print ads and on runways at frequent fashion shows in Pakistan and overseas:

1. Tehmeena Afzal:



2. Iman Ali:

Iman Ali

3. Amina Haq:

Amna Haq
 
4. Vaneeza Ahmed:

Vaneeza Ahmad


5. Nadia Husain:

Nadia Husain



6. Cybil Chaudhry:

Cybil Chaudhry


7.  Iraj Manzoor:

Iraj Mansoor



 8. Sunita Marshall:

Sunita Marshall


9. Mathira Khan:

Mathira Khan
10. Shanna Bukhari:


11. Veena Malik:


12. Meesha Shafi:


13. Mehreen Syed:


14. Amna Ilyas:


15. Ayyan Ali with other models:




Here's a video clip of Karachi Fashion Week 2011:



Here's a video shoot of Tehmeena Afzal:



TEHMEENA AFZAL / MS. MEENA SEXY VIDEO COMPILATION from TEHMEENA AFZAL on Vimeo.



Related Links:

Haq's Musings

Pakistani Cover Girls

Veena Malik Challenges Pakistan's Orthodoxy 

PakAlumni-Pakistani Social Network 

Huma Abedin Weinergate

Pakistan Media Revolution

Protest Music in Pakistan

Resilient Pakistan Defies Doomsayers

Life Goes On in Pakistan

Pakistani Entrepreneurs Survive Economic Downturn

Silent Social Revolution in Pakistan




20 comments:

Shams said...

none of them are runway models, iman just walks as a showstopper for other designers and amna just does the red carpet events for her husband, she never walked the on the runway.

Riaz Haq said...

Shams: "none of them are runway models, iman just walks as a showstopper for other designers and amna just does the red carpet events for her husband, she never walked the on the runway."

Here are video links to Amna Haq and Iman Ali doing catwalk for Levi's jeans Pakistan:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2-dkPtUnsU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoLDAtr6Nms

Anonymous said...

Fashion weeks in Pakistan have seen a rapid growth...in just last 4 years, from 1 fashion week in 2009 to up to 11 in 2012 (the lastest fashion week finished just yesterday.

Riaz Haq said...

Here's an ET report on a fashion show for buyers as part of Karachi Expo 2012:

As bridal fashion week was in full swing in Lahore, the city of lights saw its own two day fashion show.

As part of the annual Expo, a trade fair that bills itself as a platform that showcases “the very best of Pakistan”, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) organised a fashion segment — a feature of the Expo that has become popular with those with an eye for what’s in vogue. As international and local buyers gathered under the Pearl Continental Marquee on October 4 and 5, designers such as Faiza Samee and Sonya Battla, along with artist Amin Gulgee presented some interesting work that reflected their signature style. While there was, of course, one hopelessly outdated collection, the majority did generate some fashionable numbers that could easily find a home for themselves in your closet.....Jackets

The runway saw some colourful and well-tailored jackets that can easily be thrown over a basic white top and rocked at a party...

Skins

Instead of just the regular chiffons, cottons and silks, designers experimented with some unusual fabric at the TDAP fashion event.....

Layers

Another trend spotted on the runway was layered kameezes and dresses. Faiza Samee created layers with richly coloured block prints in chiffon, and made screen print contemporary and different by mixing vivid block prints with animal prints and solid colours....

Ethnic

Tribal prints and frills were all the rage. While Faiza Samee presented fresh tribal-printed pajamas in silk that can be worn with a solid colour kurta, the PIFD designers pieced together tribal headgear with buttons at the neckline. ...

Breaking it up

More than one designer chose to add a belt to their outfit. Faiza Samee paired an embellished slim belt with a lovely screen printed tunic in orange, maroon and black....

Accessories

You can always expect Amin Gulgee to wow you with eccentric statement jewellery. Not only did his copper and bronze leaves and chunky choker necklaces impress foreign buyers in the crowd, they also make for very interesting fashion statements that can instantly glam up a long black dress. ...


http://tribune.com.pk/story/448675/expo-pakistan-runway-trends-to-remember/

Hopewins said...

^^^Here are video links to Amna Haq and Iman Ali doing catwalk for Levi's jeans Pakistan..


Miaaow.

Hopewins said...

Top this fashion, baby. Miaow..

--

Taliban attack teenage Pakistani girl activist

By SHERIN ZADA
Associated Press

MINGORA, Pakistan (AP) - A Taliban gunman walked up to a bus taking children home from school in Pakistan's volatile Swat Valley on Tuesday and shot and wounded a 14-year-old activist known for championing the education of girls and publicizing atrocities committed by the Taliban, officials said.

The attack in the city of Mingora targeted 14-year-old Malala Yousufzai, who is widely respected for her work to promote the schooling of girls - something that the Taliban strongly opposes. She was nominated last year for the International Children's Peace Prize.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, calling Malala's work "obscenity."

"This was a new chapter of obscenity, and we have to finish this chapter," said Taliban spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan by telephone. "We have carried out this attack."

The school bus was about to leave the school grounds in Mingora when a bearded man approached it and asked which one of the girls was Malala, said Rasool Shah, the police chief in the town. Another girl pointed to Malala, but the activist denied it was her and the gunmen then shot both of the girls, the police chief said.

Malala was shot twice - once in the head and once in the neck - but her wounds were not life-threatening, said Tariq Mohammad, a doctor at the main hospital in Mingora. The second girl shot was in stable condition, the doctor said. Pakistani television showed pictures of Malala being taken by helicopter to a military hospital in the frontier city of Peshawar.

In the past, the Taliban has threatened Malala and her family for her activism. When she was only 11 years old, she began writing a blog under a pseudonym for the BBC's Urdu service about life under Taliban occupation. After the Taliban were ejected from the Swat Valley in the summer of 2009, she began speaking out publicly about the militant group and the need for girls' education.

The attack displayed the viciousness of Islamic militants in the Swat Valley, where the military conducted a major operation in 2009 to clear out insurgents. It was a reminder of the challenges the government faces in keeping the area free of militant influence.

The scenic valley - nicknamed the Switzerland of Pakistan - was once a popular tourist destination for Pakistanis, and honeymooners used to vacation in the numerous hotels dotted along the river running through Swat. But the Taliban's near-total takeover of the valley just 175 miles (280 kilometers) from the capital in 2008 shocked many Pakistanis, who considered militancy to be a far-away problem in Afghanistan or Pakistan's rugged tribal regions.

Militants began asserting their influence in Swat in 2007 - part of a wave of al-Qaida and Taliban fighters expanding their reach from safe havens near the Afghan border. By 2008 they controlled much of the valley and began meting out their own brand of justice.

They forced men to grow beards, restricted women from going to the bazaar, whipped women they considered immoral and beheaded opponents.

During the roughly two years of their rule, Taliban in the region destroyed around 200 schools. Most were girls' institutions, though some prominent boys' schools were struck as well.

At one point, the Taliban said they were halting female education, a move that echoed their militant brethren in neighboring Afghanistan who during their rule barred girls from attending school.

----

Riaz Haq said...

HWJ: "Taliban attack teenage Pakistani girl activist"

Malala Yousufzai is a hero to millions and a new symbol of powerful resistance against the Taliban and their dark vision they are trying to impose on Pakistan.

This cowardly act of the Talibs will prove to be yet another nail in their coffin...just like the Talib atrocity against another Swati girl in 2009 whose beating video went viral and paved the way for Pak military operation there.

Anonymous said...

Can we now talk about our real role Model Malala? Will we ever as Pakistanis unite and take on Taleban? Is NW operation long due? TTP and our friendly taleban we all know take help from each other. We should not wait even a second longer anymore. We do not want fear to rule over our cities.

Feroze Khan

Riaz Haq said...

Samia Qazi, the daughter of JI's Qazi Husain Ahmed, is orchestrating a reprehensible social media campaign against 14-year-old Malala to tarnish her image...essentially attacking the victim to deflect attention from the TTP's crimes.

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/after-a-bullet-in-the-head-assaults-on-a-pakistani-schoolgirls-character-follow/

Riaz Haq said...

Here's an ET story on the launch of a new brand of denim jeans in Pakistan:

LAHORE: Local urban fashion brand Stoneage launched its latest campaign ‘Denim Forever’ along with a flagship outlet on MM Alam road in Lahore on Friday. With model-actor-musician Meesha Shafi and motorcycle enthusiast, adventurist Moin Khan of ‘A Different Agenda’ as their brand ambassadors, Stoneage comes with a new outlook and a very interesting flagship store.

Stoneage is a part of Crescent Bahuman Ltd, one of the country’s leading denim exporters boasting a clientele as versatile as Levi’s, Mustang, Bensherman and Xpress Ltd. They opened doors in 2004 as a denim brand at first, but later developed into a complete western-wear brand with a vision to empower the young with a fashion statement to emancipate and liberate, whether inspired by punk-rock, glam, funk or urban street culture.

The brand celebrated the launch of its new store with an interactive performance featuring the eclectic music by Charpayee. This local band is known for using everyday household items to make music. Charpayee used surfaces from the Stoneage store to create a unique custom soundtrack during their live performance.

“This new store symbolises a different philosophy that we intend to pursue moving forward,” says Babar Rashid Khan, Associate Vice President Stoneage. “We have moulded our desire to be fashion forward with a consumer first approach. The campaign, as well as the store, is an idealistic pursuit of championing our national heroes and the abundance of natural beauty found in Pakistan.”

What is interesting about the choice of brand ambassadors is that they exude the brand’s style personally. The rugged look sported by Khan translates very well with the simplistic feel of the men’s section, using recycled pipes, container metal and wood giving the store a really grungy yet eco-friendly feel; the spacious changing rooms created out of moving containers add character to the store. Step up onto the women’s section the entire mood of the store changes to a more vintage feminine touch. Meesha’s edginess translates well with the feel of the store and the new campaign. Khan along with ‘Denim Forever’ Stoneage will also be launching their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative in November 2012. In efforts to launch his motorcycle foundation, Khan wants to use this to impart motorcycle riding lessons to the women of Pakistan.

“Made in Pakistan is something I long to hear, it just doesn’t happen anymore and when it does you’re usually sceptical about what it might turn out to be,” says Khan, “the CSR work planned for the following year with projects like empowering women by teaching them how to ride motorcycles, is going to help liberate Pakistani women and that just sweetens the deal.”


http://tribune.com.pk/story/454793/stoneages-patriotic-campaign-made-in-pakistan/

Riaz Haq said...

Here's a VOA report on Pakistani fashions in India:

The Pakistan Fashion Design Council has entered the Indian market to sell clothes by Pakistani designers to Indian customers. The initiative to open its first store in India comes amid recent efforts by the two rivals to improve trade ties.

The festival and wedding season is approaching in India and thousands of women are scouring the market for new outfits.

This year, they have a new stop - a flagship store of the Pakistan Fashion Design Council opened in an upscale neighborhood in the Indian capital. On display is a collection of intricately embroidered bridal wear, as well as garments by 18 Pakistani designers. They come in a mix of bright oranges, reds and yellows that appeal to Indians, as well as pastel colors that are more popular in Pakistan.

Well-known Pakistani fashion designer Khadijah Shah is in New Delhi to showcase her 2013 bridal collection. She says India presents massive potential.


http://m.voanews.com/1531484.html

Riaz Haq said...

Here's a Just Style report on increase in Pak textile exports in first quarter of FY 2012-13:

Pakistan's textile and clothing exports increased by 3% to US$3.27bn during the first quarter of the current fiscal year, thanks to higher demand from Europe and the United States.

According to data released by the Pakistan's Federal Bureau of Statistics, exports of woven ready-made garments went up by 10% to $448m in the three months from July through September. The fiscal year 2013 runs from July 2012 to June 2013.

Exports of cotton yarn surged by 39% to $531m, and cotton fabrics grew by 5% to $670m. Exports of knitted garments, however, dropped by 10% to $555m during the period.

Footwear exports fell 10% to US$25m, against $27m last year. The drop was led by a 61% fall in exports of canvas footwear and a decline of 12% in leather footwear.

A spokesperson from the All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) told just-style that a waiver in EU import duties and improved domestic energy supplies have been supporting the growth in shipments.

Ejaz Khokhar, former chairman of the Readymade Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (PRGMEA), added that clothing makers in Pakistan anticipate the EU's GSP+ facility in 2014 could boost textile and clothing exports by $1bn in one year.


http://www.just-style.com/news/textile-and-clothing-exports-up-3-in-q1_id115932.aspx

Hopewins said...

RH: "It has also opened up export opportunities for brand-name textiles..."

---

http://tribune.com.pk/story/469352/textile-ministry-joins-farmers-in-denouncing-trade-with-india/

Riaz Haq said...

The worst 5% of the Pakistan story is being told by the media 95% of the time.

Unfortunately, the stories of terror sell well. Historically, purveyors of books and magazines predicting doom and gloom have mostly been wrong but sold lots of copies. The reasons for wide acceptance of pessimists have to do with how the human brain has evolved through the millennia. It's been established that once the amygdala starts hunting for bad news, it'll mostly find bad news.

In Pakistan's case, the good news continues to be the emergence of a large and growing middle class population and a vibrant mass media and civil society which underpin the country's extraordinary resilience.

http://www.riazhaq.com/2012/07/indians-share-eye-opening-stories-of.html

Riaz Haq said...

On December 10, eleven faculty members from the Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD) who participated in a United States Agency for International Development (USAID) capacity development training program in 2014 met at the Serena Hotel to discuss follow-up actions from their visits to the United States, United kingdom and France.

USAID Mission Director, Gregory Gottlieb and Engineer Khurram Dastgir Khan, Federal Minister for Commerce, Government of Pakistan attended the debriefing event. Mr. Gottlieb, while speaking to the trainees said, "I am confident that these trained teachers will go back to their classrooms and continue being even better teachers. Fashion design training is important, because it adds value to the textile and gems and jewelry sector in Pakistan. This is what essentially makes local products export worthy and will go a long way in making Pakistani fashion and auxiliary industries thrive."

The trained faculty members discussed how they would apply the knowledge of many cutting-edge trends and techniques in footwear, jewelry design and clothing and textiles. The trained teachers also shared with the audience their plans to transfer their new knowledge and skills to their students at PIFD. The students through this knowledge of international standards and best practices will augment their chances of finding competitive positions in the industry and sharpen their entrepreneurial skills.

The training supported by USAID, is part of a comprehensive capacity building initiative aimed at enhancing Pakistan's productivity and export competitiveness in economic sectors with high export potential. This classroom training will also help young graduates from PIFD access better incomes and new techniques at par with international standards. Fifty percent of the trained faculty is women.

The USAID training for Pakistan Project is a USD 33.9 million project that provides capacity development and training to Pakistanis in various sectors, including the economic growth and agriculture sector in order to enhance the capacity of future Pakistani leaders and professionals and develop the capacity of local partners. The project also invests in training in other areas, such as education, health, energy and resilience and governance. The project aims to train over 6,000 Pakistanis in these areas by May 2017.

https://www.usaid.gov/pakistan/news-information/press-releases/united-states-trains-faculty-pakistan-institute-fashion-and

Riaz Haq said...

Pakistan's fashion industry is trying to shed its image as entertainment for a gilded elite and instead get recognition for its business success.
The country's latest fashion show, held this week in Islamabad, was more about buyers and deals than hemlines and necklines.
Meanwhile, models say they are enjoying more freedom than ever to express themselves as the glamour scene grows.
The booming media industry has also given fashion a much larger audience in conservative Pakistan, where risque outfits and even moderate displays of bare flesh are often frowned upon.
While the world has focused on Pakistan's problems in recent years, many other areas of the country's life have gone unremarked.
Fashion shows have become commonplace in cities like Karachi and have even been held in conservative Peshawar, near areas where the Taliban hold sway.
But Pakistan's sedate and decidedly untrendy capital was holding its second Islamabad Fashion Week.
As techno music blasted through the speakers, slinky models paraded down the ramp in a hall packed full of people.
The designs ranged from Western pret-a-porter styles to elaborate bridal outfits to heavily embroidered formal wear suitable both for soirees in Islamabad and London.
Designers who participated in the show included recognised figures such as Umar Sayeed and Bina Sultan.

The designers, though, had their eyes fixed on foreign buyers, not the usual socialite crowd.
"I wanted to run this fashion show like a trade event," explained stylist and celebrity Tariq Amin. "I want the business aspect to grow."
Another designer Fahad Hussayn agreed.
"For the sake of the economy and the business, fashion shows need to attract more buyers and stop being a joke," he told the BBC.
"This time we had buyers from Australia and Europe, but we need more of that. We are providing employment and we need to make money. Otherwise, we'll get sick of it. We'll get sick of fashion."
Spotting potential
Rizwan Beyg, a Pakistani fashion icon, believes the country's designers should stop fixating on the West and turn their attention towards the Middle East and Southeast Asia where there is more business to offer.
"Just being in the West doesn't make sense. If it doesn't translate into sales, it doesn't make sense economically."
It seems that, against existing odds, fashion and glamour enthusiasts are increasing in Pakistan.
"It's easy to find girls who want to model," said Tariq Amin, gesturing to the throngs of girls backstage.
"They usually need a lot of training, but compared to a few years ago it's not hard to find girl models now."
Fashion design is being taught in almost every large university, and Tariq Amin says the scale is apparent from the fact that every city has its own fashion institute.
"We're headed in the right direction," says Fahad Hussayn.


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-17715116

Riaz Haq said...

ISLAMABAD: Ambassador of Pakistan to France Ghalib Iqbal said that Pakistani fashion industry had registered a growth of 79 per cent recently which was one of the largest industrial growth rates in the world.

He was speaking at a fashion show of high end Pakistani textile products. The show was organized as part of activities of 37th edition of Texworld being held in Paris, France, said a message received here Wednesday.

The ambassador announced that a more elaborate fashion show would be held in Paris next year to present high end Pakistani textile designs.

This year, a total of 35 Pakistani companies have set up their stalls in the Texworld, out of which 12 have been sponsored by the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) while others were participating on their own.

A total of 945 companies from 27 different countries are participating in the fair which is held twice a year in Paris.

President of the exhibition, Michal Scherppe welcomed and appreciated the participation of Pakistan in the fashion show organized as part of the event.

The show presented the designs created by Indus Valley School of Arts and Architecture and Sarena.

The colourful and highly imaginative designs were appreciated by the spectators.

Earlier, the ambassador visited the stalls set up by Pakistani exporters and discussed with them the prospects of business development in France and assured them of full support and cooperation. –APP

http://www.samaa.tv/arts-culture/2015/09/pakistan-fashion-industry-registers-79-growth-ambassador/

Riaz Haq said...

#India has world's third highest Internet porn traffic after #US (no. 1), #UK (no. 2). #Pakistan not on the list http://www.businessinsider.in/Pornhub-came-out-with-its-2015-Year-in-Review-and-this-is-how-India-fared/articleshow/50492895.cms …

Pornhub, every man (and a few women's) best friend is out with its annual review where it goes deep into the insights of how every country fared on the porn website.

The statistics are intriguing to say the least, proving that the world watched a lot of porn this year. Like a lot.

Take for instance the fact that approximately 4,392,486,580 hours of porn was watched on Pornhub in 2015 which is almost 2.5x longer than homo sapiens have been on the planet.

And, the most surprising bit? Turns out 'love' is the most used comment on their videos.

Someone call the irony police, we say.

The statistics get even more interesting when they analyze the trends from India.

For a start, India ranked 3 among Pornhub's top 20 countries when it came to traffic, surpassing Canada, Germany, France, Russia among other and losing out to big brothers United States and United Kingdom.

Secondly, on an average India lasted a whole minute longer this year than they did last year, coming to 9 minute 30 seconds and making it to rank 4. Philippines, United States and Australia outdid our country in this aspect.

Thirdly, when it came to searches, it was found that while 'the vast majority of top, gaining and relative searches contain 'indian,' search terms 'japanese' and 'indonesia' both made some impressive leaps to get into the top 10 list with 14 and 47 place jumps respectively'.

However, the top three relative searches, i.e., searches exclusive to the country's users as compared to the world gave an accurate representation of the three priorities of every Indian man (in a particular order)- Indian Bhabhi, Indian Actress and finally an Indian Wife.

Guess, Make in India is really working then?

And, last but not the least, the most searched pornstar for Indians remains Sunny Leone, followed closely by Mia Khalifa.

Phew. No surprises there atleast.

Riaz Haq said...

#Pakistani who designed dresses for Angelina Jolie and Madonna sweeps an old house In #Ajmer.


http://www.huffingtonpost.in/2016/01/14/yousuf-bashir-qureshi-ajm_n_8976262.html … via @HuffPostIndia

Noted Pakistani designer and artist Yousuf Bashir Qureshi has fulfilled a promise he made to his mother, even if it meant taking a trip into the heart of Ajmer to first discover, and then sweep the floor of an old house quietly residing in Langar Khana.

Qureshi’s mother Abida Bashir had asked her son to fulfil her dream of finding her childhood home where she resided before migrating to her family to Pakistan in 1947, and clean it.

Making his debut trip to India, Qureshi managed to track down the house, and was overwhelmed by the memories that his mother had passed on to him come to life. “The moment I confirmed that is the native house of my mother’s family, I closed my eyes for a minute, recalling the childhood days that my four uncles and six aunts spent here,” Qureshi told ToI. He kissed the doorstep to his family’s past. “It was a very emotional moment… it was as if I was with my entire family as I went from one room to another.”

Qureshi spent two hours reminiscing in the home that has received a few modern makeovers, but retains a few elements of the past, including the fluting strains of qawwali from the dargah nearby. Just before he left –- accompanied with pictures of the old house from the present owner as a gift -- he swept a part of the building, to fulfil his promise to his mother.

A graduate from the University Of Nebraska in Food science, Qureshi has garbed celebrities such as Sheryl Crow, Angelina Jolie, and Denzel Washington, and Madonna, and is also an avid photographer and a gardener. Qureshi eventually returned to Pakistan in 2002 to start his label YBQ, that is based out of Karachi, that he runs alongside being a resident professor at Indus Valley School.

Riaz Haq said...

BBC News - #Pakistan fashion enters #London spotlight with new #EidCollection http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36457131

Dozens of Pakistani designers have been showcasing their latest trends in a Pakistan Fashion Week event in London.
Hundreds attended the two day event, spending thousands of pounds on the latest trends ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid next month.