RAW
THE MAGAZINE
Interview with
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
www.raw.com.pk
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
Tariq Amin
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
Kamiar. That’s it. In the last 5 years
they have made a name for themselves.
Those guys were so shitty but they
knew the right people. You know I am
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RAW Tariq Amin
THE MAGAZINE

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’.
people. Having this huge Tariq Amin
title, although you can’t do as good as
the last shit 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 And even they know who they are; they
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 Who is your favorite Pakistani and
otherwise I do not play.
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.
are not allowed to come to my salon.
They can’t walk in because I will kick
them out!
International designer?

Your views regarding fashion versus When it comes to fashion and Rizwan Baig. Definitely. No doubt about
style? makeup, what kind of styling do you it. International designer is Mr. Giorgio
prefer: a contemporary or classic Armani.
Fashion is something you buy; style is type of styling?
something you are born with. I never How was your experience with the
followed fashion; I always created my It depends on the requirement. The recent Amir Adnan’s ‘Style Icon’ Fnk
own fashion. Style is about you. It’s thing about classic is that you can never Asia event?
about your individual style. They are go wrong with that. Look at Khamaj
people and you can be influenced by (video); if something were wrong with Great, Great. Amir Adnan is an
cultures. If you are an artist, then you the styling then it would have been a institution. He is someone who is highly
should look like an artist, if you are a stupid video. Have you the seen clown respected in the fashion industry. He
hairdresser then you should look like video of Abbas Ali Khan; it was this has proved himself. I think the event
a hairdresser, if you are a banker then close (brings his hands close to his was really necessary because it helped
you should look like a banker, If you face). I could have looked like a clown us to find twenty new faces.
are a gigolo then you should look like a but it’s not about that at all. I have
Is there any beauty tip that you would
gigolo. Unfortunately, people do things won an award for that performance. I
like to give out to our readers?
like ‘Mummy ko nahi acha lagta, meray won best male model in a video and
Boyfriend ko nahin acha lagta, meray I am a 43-year-old bald man. The fact Look after your skin. Skin is an organ.
Baap ko acha nahi lagta to phir khud that I have won the best male model Everybody just wants to put stuff on.
karlo, yeh lo. Ye mat karo, wo mat karo of Pakistan should make a statement Wash your face. That’s a good beauty
magar Change kardo’. I say: I am a about our industry. I mean I am very tip.
hairdresser; I am not God, okay. flattered but this says something about
the talent of our country. That it’s Is your music label launched yet
While styling a person, what is your bloody talent less! I mean there are or is it still in process? Are you
basic approach? thousands of guys who are 20, with turning towards music as a definite
abs and biceps. A little foundation and profession?
I personally feel that I don’t rip-off

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RAW Tariq Amin
THE MAGAZINE

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 and 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 very 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.

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