In-Style & In-Control - Tariq Amin
By Ahmed Hayat & Irim Ahmed
Tariq Amin is Pakistan’s top stylist for the past 25 years. In the past 2 years, he has declined all other Pakistani Fashion Magazines to have his interview but while on a recent visit to a private fashion show in Dubai he agreed to Raw for an exclusive. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed interviewing him.
Tell us something about your unique way of styling.
I think I am a very edgy stylist. That’s a good word for me, Edgy. I am always one step ahead of myself because I am my own competition, especially in Pakistan. Some people think that I am a kind of a crazy stylist, but I really think that at the end of the day if you really see my work I can be crazy if you want me to be. Truly, my work is about my aesthetics and they are more on the classic, old fashion kind of thing as I suppose to simplicity. I mean that stands out more but I can be very complicated if somebody wants me to be.
You said you have no competition, are there no other good stylists in Pakistan?
There are a lot of stylists in Pakistan, but there is no one else that I consider professional except for Nabila. Lots of people have come and gone, but she’s the only person who has left an impact on the scene. There are loads of stylists that are self taught, self-proclaimed, yeah, they do a lot of work but they ‘Kiss Ass’ and do it. I don’t do that at all.
I have been doing this for 25 years now, yeh daari aisay hi sufaid nahin huwi. I can handle a bunch of chicks like nobody I know. These guys who are around, they haven’t even worked themselves into double digits; who are they to have an opinion. I can have an opinion. I have worked damn hard to have an opinion. The newcomers don’t have the right to have an opinion.
The Pakistani fashion industry has been growing tremendously lately and there seems to be a recent boom, but one can’t see any evolution as such. Why is that?
It’s growing, it’s grown up a long way, baby. I tell you, fashion is meant to be fun. We take it way too seriously-you know what I am saying. Fashion is meant to be about change. We are the only country in the world that has 35-year-old supermodels. They can’t model anywhere in the world except Pakistan. They are beautiful ladies, but a model is supposed to be 18 and tight, not 35 and wrinkled. In our country, we can’t work collectively. We just want to do me, me, me, and only me. I don’t compete with that; I don’t even want to be recognized that way. I do so much of this styling and it keeps me very busy. Besides that I have a music company, I act, and I do a lot of things that help me make who I am. There are a lot of people in the fashion industry who don’t even know who they are and they try to become this or that. It doesn’t come itself, its either you have the knack for fashioning or you don’t. Aesthetics is something that you are born with and it doesn’t develop. At the end of the day, styling or creative work is about a person’s aesthetics. It is not about whether you can draw a straight line or if you can make a certain type of lips or hair.
How would you compare the Pakistani fashion scene with the International fashion scene?
We are trying and I believe we can do it. We haven’t done anything on a collective platform yet. You know, people in Lahore are making one council and people in Karachi making another. You can’t move forward with such reluctance to work with each other for a collective cause. Work speaks for you. Everybody knows what I am capable of. Fashion industry, as far as India is concerned, it is like an Industry. It’s a 20 crore rupees industry. They have Delhi fashion week and Bombay fashion week. We are not serious about it and we cannot be collective about it, which is really sad. That is really sad. I was always the guy who used to equalize stuff. There is no good guy and I don’t want to be on any team. I rather be a referee or an umpire because I have earned the right.
Karachi is fashion. Lahore is wannabe fashion. Sure they have got a fashion school and stuff, but none other than the two ‘Do it right boys’, HSY and Kamran. That’s it. In the last 5 years they have made a name for themselves. Those guys were so ****ty but they knew the right people. You know I am not for those teeny bumper parties; I am partying in Mexico instead. That’s more exciting for me. Nobody has that knowledge to take full control here. Rizwan Baig, a dear friend, him and Maheen and people from Karachi, Amir Adnan: these guys that have created the Pakistani Fashion. They are the ones who dress Diana, Karzai and royalty. I cannot beg for work, I am a little better brought up than that. That’s why the state of Pakistani fashion is low, because we are doing it for that ‘5 rupees more’. We’re Pakistanis, we do have to stay true to our nature haina. The most people I know in this industry will sell their mothers for that ‘5 rupees more’. That is the state of our nation.
If you could change three things about the fashion industry, what would you change?
Blow up a dozen places. I need to blow up a few people that’s it. Everyone knows who my friends are and who my enemies are. Its transparent, I don’t even have to take their names. ‘Assi kanjur zaroor hai magar begarat nahin’.
Your views regarding fashion versus style?
Fashion is something you buy; style is something you are born with. I never followed fashion; I always created my own fashion. Style is about you. It’s about your individual style. They are people and you can be influenced by cultures. If you are an artist, then you should look like an artist, if you are a hairdresser then you should look like a hairdresser, if you are a banker then you should look like a banker, If you are a gigolo then you should look like a gigolo. Unfortunately, people do things like ‘Mummy ko nahi acha lagta, meray Boyfriend ko nahin acha lagta, meray Baap ko acha nahi lagta to phir khud karlo, yeh lo. Ye mat karo, wo mat karo magar Change kardo’. I say: I am a hairdresser; I am not God, okay.
While styling a person, what is your basic approach?
I personally feel that I don’t rip-off people. Having this huge Tariq Amin title, although you can’t do as good as the last **** you’ve done but I still have not seen anything better than myself. My work speaks for myself you know the kind of portfolio that I have. I would like to see all the stylists of Pakistan collectively on a piece of paper and I know I will still look better than them. There is no substitute for time and experience. Unfortunately, nobody wants to learn from that experience. We just want to quickly rise to the top.
What would you like to advice a new comer to this industry?
Keep true to yourself and work hard. Nothing comes easy in this life. Don’t be afraid of being yourself. I know a lot of people can’t stand me or don’t like me simply because I am not a hypocrite. They can’t deal with that. They are like ‘its okay’ and I am like ‘No, it isn’t okay’. They are like ‘It’ll work’ and I am like ‘It won’t work’. I don’t like chaloo kaam. With my name on it, it has got to be amazing, supreme. If I am not 101% then I don’t want to do it. I play to win otherwise I do not play.
When it comes to fashion and makeup, what kind of styling do you prefer: a contemporary or classic type of styling?
It depends on the requirement. The thing about classic is that you can never go wrong with that. Look at Khamaj (video); if something were wrong with the styling then it would have been a stupid video. Have you the seen clown video of Abbas Ali Khan; it was this close (brings his hands close to his face). I could have looked like a clown but it’s not about that at all. I have won an award for that performance. I won best male model in a video and I am a 43-year-old bald man. The fact that I have won the best male model of Pakistan should make a statement about our industry. I mean I am very flattered but this says something about the talent of our country. That it’s bloody talent less! I mean there are thousands of guys who are 20, with abs and biceps. A little foundation and shaving of eyebrows goes a long way in this country. Did you see the video? Did you see the pimp look? It was all very classically approached. It’s a look that you already have in your mind. So you can do stuff that can be totally wrong but no, it’s not happening here.
Who is your favorite Pakistani model and International model?
I have never had a favorite model. Which is my favorite model in Pakistan? None. Who is my muse? My wife. The most beautiful international woman with whom I’d like to work with is Monica Belluci. There is Faiza (my wife) and there is Monica Belluci. That will tell you the kind of a man I am. I can talk about Monica Belluci for the rest of the day. In the local scene I have worked with everybody. There are definitely people who I don’t like to work with. And even they know who they are; they are not allowed to come to my salon. They can’t walk in because I will kick them out!
Who is your favorite Pakistani and International designer?
Rizwan Baig. Definitely. No doubt about it. International designer is Mr. Giorgio Armani.
How was your experience with the recent Amir Adnan’s ‘Style Icon’ Fnk Asia event?
Great, Great. Amir Adnan is an institution. He is someone who is highly respected in the fashion industry. He has proved himself. I think the event was really necessary because it helped us to find twenty new faces.
Is there any beauty tip that you would like to give out to our readers?
Look after your skin. Skin is an organ. Everybody just wants to put stuff on. Wash your face. That’s a good beauty tip.
Is your music label launched yet or is it still in process? Are you turning towards music as a definite profession?
No, it has been launched. Again, everybody wonders why this is happening or why that isn’t happening. I haven’t done hair dressing for 5 days; I have done it for 25 years. If I do a music company, I am not going to do it for 5 days; this is what I am going to do when I am old. I will make rock and roll and help young kids out basically. I have helped so many people in their careers in the last 15 years as far as music is concerned. Ever since Mr. Fraudiye of Awaz, I became totally involved in it. If I wasn’t ever going to be a hairdresser or stylist, I was definitely going to be a rock star. I dress like one and I look like one. I have a rock star attitude. So far, we have released one album. We had major problems because of the factories being sealed off. Now every recording place has a ‘CIA agent an FBI agent’. So there is no copyright problem. We are the first legal recording company. So, there you go, how’s that? I am only looking for and discovering new artists. I am not doing the old buzz like do this or do that like Fuzon or Shehzad Roy or various others who are already well-established artists. My main concern is to find new talent. To look at some kid and say you son, you are very talented. Since nobody saw that when I was twenty andI was talented and so lets make him something. If I had been born in America, believe me, Paris Hilton would be a friend of mine. Not that I haven’t met Cindy Crawford and rest of the chicks from that side of the world. I do live the kind of life you see in the magazines like Vogue and not in G and V, if you know what I mean.
Recently you did a music video with Rola; please tell us something about that.
Yes, it’s on number 9 right now. I haven’t done a non-number 1 song until now which is a great achievement. I know music; I come from a generation that listens to music instead of watching it. That’s a big difference. I know what a good voice is or who isn’t copying a loop from a computer. I mean you can easily be a rock star. Just put your vocals on a computer and your voice can be altered and engineered. I want people who can play an instrument. You can’t have a concert unless you are Moby.
The Rola video ‘Main Nahin Hoon’ is a 5-day, backbreaking piece of work, but look at the result. There are two videos. The one with me in it is banned because of the girls, bed and drugs in it.
Are there any other upcoming artists that are working with you in your music company?
Yes we are working with a whole bunch of upcoming artists: Adeel and Abbas Ali Khan are two of them. Abbas’s new album is coming out. We are working with a new band called Siege. For me, videos and stuff both mean the same thing. They all require styling, fashion, clothes and photo sessions, but at least you know you are working with some talent oriented people.
Tell us something about your family.
Our son is 14. I chose all his hairstyles and I am here with my daughter who is going to be 3 ver soon. 2nd April (2006) is my 20th anniversary. I have a home and we live in Islamabad. However, I travel back and forth between Lahore & Karachi. And without my wife, Faiza, I wouldn’t be the man that I am now.
Lastly, any message to our readers.
Stay true to your heart, stay true to yourself. That is the best advice I can give to anyone. Look ahead, have no regrets. Because that means if you have regrets then you have to look back. ‘Mitti pao’, just stay focused.