So I just discovered the Pak version of Hello. Makes for interesting read and a very different portrayal of Pakistanis !!
Here are some pics and interview excerpts.
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!
Meet Nour Aslam, Ayesha Mustafa and Nadia Khan – formidably chic, a rare mix of beauty, brains and ambition: the terrific threesome is everything we had hoped for and more. A penchant for fashion is something that ties them together, but they couldn’t be more different otherwise. Aslam, the self-styled “art nerd,” spends her time between the long hours spent cataloguing artwork at Bonhams – she heads the South Asian department along with Mehreen Rizvi Kursheed – and unwinding at museums like the Tate Modern and The Victoria and Albert.
Of course, when it comes to high-powered glamazons negotiating their careers in what was formerly (or still is, depending on your location) described as the ‘man’s world’ of business, we couldn’t have found a better representative than Nadia Khan. With flawless skin and hair as gold as the finance sector that employs her, this gorgeous, London-grown go-getter is a paragon of highstreet fashion and posh glamour – to show off her personal style, she picks looks from Zara, Bershka and Reiss, looking especially stunning in a yellow maxi dress by her friend, Najibah Pandor.
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!
**Aliya Zaidi.
T**he globe-trotting model opens the doors to her lavish home in Hong Kong and speaks to HELLO! Pakistan about her career and family.
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!
Elegant and erudite, Jahanara Saigol**
Invites Hello! Pakistan to her home for an exclusive interview, and talks about art, travel, style – and her work for the Gulab Devi Chest Hospital in Lahore**
Having studied Art History both at the undergraduate and graduate level, Jahanara’s area of specialization at Oxford was Renaissance Art. “Specifically,” she says, “I studied Leonardo da Vinci in great detail.” “A painting should say something – it should move you in some way,” Jahanara, an ‘Old Masters’ fan,” says. “I am hugely fascinated by Leonardo da Vinci. Seeing the exhibition at the National gallery in London, which brought together some of his most famous works, was nothing short of a visual delight and a rather special moment in art history. Amongst the prominent painters of Pakistan I especially appreciate Sadequain, Ijaz-ul- Hassan, Colin David and Iqbal Hussain.”
Fluent in French, Jahanara dabbled a little in Italian too. However, it was French that she decided to pursue seriously and consequently took intensive French courses straight after graduating from Oxford. With the culmination of her degree at Oxford, Jahanara worked “briefly” in London with an Islamic art dealer called Francesa Galloway. “It was an interesting experience because I learnt about Islamic art, which is an area that I had never really studied or been exposed to at that level and it gave me the opportunity to view rare works of art” Later on she came back to Pakistan and joined one of her family’s textile companies as Director Marketing in 2004. “I then shifted my attention to the philanthropic work that my family does,” Jahanara states.
“ For example we were donating a cardiac facility to the Gulab Devi Chest Hospital – it initially started out as a donation my grandfather, the late Mian Sayeed Saigol had given many years ago, but the facility needed to be expanded and modernized, so I took it on as a project. I’m now on the management team for the hospital. It’s an incredible charity – because very poor people are treated there for a nominal fee. It’s very rewarding work.”
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!
Opening their doors for the first time SANA AND SAFINAZ invite Hello! Pakistan for an exclusive interview
What about your own wardrobes? What would we find in there?
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Sana:** You’d find a lot of Lanvin and Cavalli in mine. It’s getting increasingly difficult to show off your legs in Pakistan! You’ll also find several eclectic brands like Rouland Mouret and of course Louboutins. It’s almost always Louboutins (she also pull out a pair of gold, sky-scraping Tom Ford sandals during the shoot). I buy jewellery when my husband (Arif Hashwani) is feeling benevolent and kind.
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Safinaz:** You’d find a lot of high end as well as high street brands in mine. A lot of Zara and of course, a lot of Sana Safinaz! I hate to be branded from head to toe and prefer mixing things up.
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Why do you think the world is so interested in Pakistani fashion at the moment?**
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Sana:** Are they really interested? I don’t think so. The west has always loved contrasts and what they love right now is the contrast between the conservative Pakistan they are used to seeing in the newspapers and the liberal side that is opening up because of fashion. Once that initial interest dies out, I don’t think they’ll remain very interested.
They may be interested as long as we are different. The world isn’t interested in another Gucci, Valentino or Armani. They already have enough of those. They want to see what we can offer.
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Safinaz:** Who’s interested? I think it’s the dichotomy of Pakistan that excites them. Pakistan is portrayed as this very radical, Islamic country and at the same time great fashion comes out of Pakistan. Pakistani women are very fashionable. Fashion weeks have really helped promote Pakistan. But the west is always impressed by ‘black and white’ and that attracts them to Pakistan. Once the excitement wears out they won’t be so interested. It’s more trumped up than it should be.
What sets us apart from India?
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Safinaz:** I think our aesthetics are very refined. India is very inspired by Bollywood. We are not Bollywood at all. The west loves the kitsch from India, not the sophistication. They are looking for costume.
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Sana:** You’ll see that now some Indian designers are transcending beyond Bollywood because their society women have evolved. The designers are now gradually catering to them more than to the Bollywood clan. We have been very well received in both Delhi and Bombay.
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!
ALEEMA KHAN – IMRAN KHAN’s sister shows her brother’s resolve in shaping her own successful career
She wants that look,” says Aleema, pointing to a red and white kitchen towel that resembles an Arab dish-dash. We are grateful for the inclusion of a real live person in this conversation, especially when the ‘She’ in question turns out to be Martha Stewart. Aleema, head of a service organization that competes with countries like China, India, Bangladesh and Vietnam to maneuver textile orders from big names like Macy’s, Walmart and JC Penney, is talking with the general manager of one of the largest textile operations in Pakistan to clinch this deal. But before she gets the order, she will have to get that towel replicated down to the last thread, or another country will walk off with the lucrative deal.
That is what Aleema does. She assesses the strengths and weaknesses of different textile mills, sometimes works with them to develop infrastructure and important peripheral needs – such as day care centres for women who work in factories – and fights tooth and nail to make sure that Pakistan gets those big orders from US importers. She is so good at what she does that textile giants speak of her with a respect bordering on reverence, and she does not let bomb blasts or riots or power outages interfere with deadlines.
So much for what she does. But it is difficult for an interviewer to get past who she is – after all, she is Imran Khan’s sister: though she went into business years ago (in 1995) just to prove her own worth. During this interview she refuses to discuss her brother’s chances in the upcoming polls, but in a country like Pakistan, where pedestals are built for politicians* and *their relatives, does just *being *this iconic celebrity’s sibling help her? “Not really,” she refutes, looking tanned and toned in a white *shalwar kameez *and printed blue dupatta, a silver bracelet highlighting her colour. “I can’t ride on anyone’s coattails. At these textile mills, they don’t care whose wife or mother or sister I am. You have to work like a dog and deliver, that’s when they trust you. Do you think that when sit on the floor with workers to figure my way through some problem, they care if I am Imran Khan’s sister?”
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
Hmm, interesting! I've seen something a bit like this in Pakistan's Sunday Times as well!
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
Oh no....Pakistani's emulating the West. Nothing of the original culture left. Hate that. Can people just stick to their own culture please so the world can embrace that last shred of diversity that's left? Thanks.
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
^^^okay admittedly I haven't read any of the articles I just looked at all the pictures and had a moan...so if they're talking about Pakistan zindabaad in there then don't shoot me!
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
I dunno. something about pakistani hi-society leaves a bad taste in my mouth. i'm not sure why.
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
The most stunning things out of all these pics are the engraved door and the painting by the pool table. Is it by Sadequain (sp?)?
As for leaving a bad taste, I dunno, any ostentatious display of wealth whether it is by Trump or by some Lahori frump is bound to evoke some uneasiness.
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
I dunno, I find the elite in Pakistan more arrogant, insular and entitled compared to their Western counterparts.
Yes, that door is absolutely stunning. How rich is our culture.
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
Oh no....Pakistani's emulating the West. Nothing of the original culture left. Hate that. Can people just stick to their own culture please so the world can embrace that last shred of diversity that's left? Thanks.
Curious... what would be Pakistan's culture? Not having a magazine??
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
I dunno, I find the elite in Pakistan more arrogant, insular and entitled compared to their Western counterparts.
Yes, that door is absolutely stunning. How rich is our culture.
Comparatively yes. At least the income disparity isn't as wide here as in Pak. But to me at least, any in your face flaunting of wealth always comes across as rather crass.
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
^ What do you want them to do? Give out all their money in charity. It just doesn't work that way.
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
I get what Contri is saying - it's the flaunting of wealth that is tasteless. It's great they have the money to buy and sell a small principality, but for them they need others to KNOW how wealthy they are. It's amusing how some of the super-wealthy need average people to validate their worth.
And yes, I think that the disparity and the flaunting is even more pronounced in Asian societies.
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
^ What do you want them to do? Give out all their money in charity. It just doesn't work that way.
For starters, they can put together some initiatives toward social betterment, programs that actually make a difference. They have the contacts, they have the resources, they have the worldwide exposure. The only thing is, such efforts might require them to cut back on their own excesses.
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
^ They aren't really obligated to do all that. We have elected representatives for that, people who manage our tax money. It's up to those elected representatives to convince anyone, directly or indirectly, to invest in the country's economy.
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
I loooove Indian Hi-society and now am curious about the Pak one obviously due to the similarities.
I am always begging anyone who is coming from Bombay to get me the India Hello Edition.
Its just so interesting to see their world. Coz its unreachable.
Yes there is poverty and suffering but we get to know and see about tht everyday and one disaster and we are in it ourselves. No harm in seeing the other end of the spectrum as well.
I love to see their homes, the furniture, the clothes, THE JEWELRY ( coz its my one true love), their collections of art and crafts and sigh about it!!
The khaandaani rayees ppl have some different charm about themselves !!!
Re: Pak Hi-Society !!!!
^ They aren't really obligated to do all that. We have elected representatives for that, people who manage our tax money. It's up to those elected representatives to convince anyone, directly or indirectly, to invest in the country's economy.
Now dont tell me elected representatives are living hand to mouth in Pak. They are very much a part of the elite class. This is the thing about Pak, everyone from the so called hi class to the elected reps have vested interest in status quo. No one sees it their responsibility to work towards the benefit of the majority.