Other than the fashion shows doing periodic rounds, the biggest newsmaker in the industry was the breakup between two design and/or retail houses.
Perhaps the one industry that has managed to withstand and survive the sociopolitical drama that the country went through in the past year is the fashion industry. The activity within the industry may have suffered a momentary setback due to the imposition of emergency in the country and after Benazir’s assassination, but it bounced right back on track soon after. The fashion shows that were held off were rescheduled and held in both cities - and continue to do so on a somewhat regular basis.

Khawar Riaz is known as a star-maker par excellence and has been instrumental in making several careers Zara Sheikh, Farooq Mannan, Ahmed Butt, Arooj, Imran Abbas, Amina Shafat, Danial… the list of stars made by this star makers is endless. Having the Midas touch must make him feel ten feet tall!

“I love unconventional faces - faces that most other people wouldn’t consider exceptional. I sometimes get fascinated by a particular face and imagine how I could go about transforming it. For instance, when Ahmed and Zara came to me, no one would have thought that they had it in them to become models, but I saw their potential right then and there. I immediately knew that they would become the king and queen of the industry. But I had to work on them. I had to give them time, patience, and the right kind of environment. And then they just blossomed and these seemingly ordinary individuals became head-burning beauties. Stars need to be made into stars; there’s always a creator behind them”.

In a place like showbiz where careers are quite short-lived to procure numero uno status is difficult, but what is even more difficult is to sustain it. There is this general impression that Ather Shahzad have managed to keep the fire going, while Khawar’s work, on the other hand, is fast losing its edge.

How would you defend your decline?

“I think I am very successful in my own way. I am still surviving. Success does not lie in people’s praise but in your body of work - what you deliver. If you are satisfied from within, I believe you have achieved it. And this inner satisfaction is far better than keeping others happy, you have to be true to yourself and do what feels right. If you go against your inner being just for some worldly attainment, you will never be happy in the long run. People who play diplomatic games lead very disturbed personal lives. But that’s not the case with me. Thank God!” says Khawar with sheer confidence.

“As far as I am concerned I am a through professional and do my job with honesty. I have no complaints against multinational companies, they have their own system. I have this contract with Al-Karam for five years and molty foam for 3 years and am totally satisfied with their professional attitude.

But I have had a very bad experience with Tibet snow. I did a Tv commercial for them and there was no mention of press ad in the contract. But they went on to release press and without my permission. It was a breach of contract but I could not do nothing against them. I think contracts do nothing for models, they are in interest of the agencies.

What is power? Who has it? How can you tell? These are questions that have no easy answers. Ask an assertive journalist, and you’ll hear a vehement dismissal of all glamour types and the list of powerful people whittling down to a stodgy industry bigwigs. Ask a starry-eyed showbiz fanatic and you’ll hear a bubbly eulogy for all the hot starlets who in reality would not even have the clout to wangle a solo project. So the dilemma remains.

The next best things are not some secondary alternatives to the real things. These are the real things! They are the next generation of superstars. Perhaps the term “generation” would not be applicable here since the world of showbiz seems to lie in another dimension where time moves a lot quicker and a “generation” often passes in a matter of seconds. After all, as everyone knows, fame is fickle! Not so with this talented bunch. Though they might not be household names yet, each and member of this chosen elite has what it takes to make it in the big bad world of showbiz. Their staying power is exemplified by their accomplishments so far - accomplishments which might not have been vast in scale, but were definitely ample in quality. We predict great things for them, and don’t hesitate to tell you that they will soon graduate from being the next best things, to the best of the best.

Some women are determined to write their own fate. Like Helen of Troy or Marilyn Monre or Cleopatra or our very own Rani. Controversy dogs beauty and no one knows better than Vaneeza Ahmed. Her erratic lifestyle, her clandestine affairs, her phenomenal asking price, her politically correct mantra, her highly professional antics have all brought her more than her share of flak. When inquired she held head high… like all beautiful women do and took every query chin-up. And gave scathing replies of her own. In inimitable Vinny-style.

She has the face and the figure, the attitude and the charm, and grace and elegance just seem a natural part of her. Even though Sophia Mirza falls a bit short, height is nothing but a mere extra in Pakistani modelling.

What started of as a favour to a friend three years ago has become a full fledged career in modelling today. After modelling for various commercials and numerous fashion shows and shoots she is scaling new heights in the glamour arena.

Vaneeza Ahmed aka Vinny has everything a desirable woman should have. You can never pin down what is about her that makes your heart skip a beat. You know it’s something but you are never sure what it is. Personally I vote for her deep-set eyes , her down-to-earth yet you-can’t-take-me-for-granted attitude, her lethal figure , her divine looks or perhaps… Good lord! I am out of breath. Extending herself from the ramp and appearing on 35mm reels, Vinny is a super model who has touched the pinnacle of success and a shinning actor who is all set to seat herself on the coveted best actress throne… So meet the Goddess of the modern world.

Coordination: Zahraa Amjad
Styling: Raheel Ahmed Rao
Hair and Make-up: Saima’s
Photography: Abid Saleem

She can seem high and mighty (maybe its because she towers above you at 5,10). She can move you with her beauty and bowl you over with her charm and intelligence. She hosts , she acts , she models , she …. Fixes your teeth? Who am I talking about you ask ? Nadia Hussain, of course: the hottest new model making waves in the world of fashion is also a dentist in the making, so make sure you brush your teeth before you read on!