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Interview With Tariq Amin
Interview With Tariq Amin
THE MAGAZINE
Interview with
Tariq Amin
by Ahmed Hayat & Irim Ahmed
not for those teeny bumper parties; I people. Having this huge Tariq Amin shaving of eyebrows goes a long way in
am partying in Mexico instead. That’s title, although you can’t do as good as this country. Did you see the video? Did
more exciting for me. Nobody has that the last shit you’ve done but I still have you see the pimp look? It was all very
knowledge to take full control here. not seen anything better than myself. classically approached. It’s a look that
Rizwan Baig, a dear friend, him and My work speaks for myself you know you already have in your mind. So you
Maheen and people from Karachi, the kind of portfolio that I have. I would can do stuff that can be totally wrong
Amir Adnan: these guys that have like to see all the stylists of Pakistan but no, it’s not happening here.
created the Pakistani Fashion. They are collectively on a piece of paper and I
the ones who dress Diana, Karzai and know I will still look better than them. Who is your favorite Pakistani model
royalty. I cannot beg for work, I am a There is no substitute for time and and International model?
little better brought up than that. That’s experience. Unfortunately, nobody
why the state of Pakistani fashion is wants to learn from that experience. I have never had a favorite model. Which
low, because we are doing it for that ‘5 We just want to quickly rise to the top. is my favorite model in Pakistan? None.
rupees more’. We’re Pakistanis, we do Who is my muse? My wife. The most
have to stay true to our nature haina. What would you like to advice a new beautiful international woman with
The most people I know in this industry comer to this industry? whom I’d like to work with is Monica
will sell their mothers for that ‘5 rupees Belluci. There is Faiza (my wife) and
more’. That is the state of our nation. Keep true to yourself and work hard. there is Monica Belluci. That will tell
Nothing comes easy in this life. Don’t be you the kind of a man I am. I can talk
If you could change three things afraid of being yourself. I know a lot of about Monica Belluci for the rest of the
about the fashion industry, what people can’t stand me or don’t like me day. In the local scene I have worked
would you change? simply because I am not a hypocrite. with everybody. There are definitely
They can’t deal with that. They are people who I don’t like to work with.
Blow up a dozen places. I need to blow like ‘its okay’ and I am like ‘No, it isn’t And even they know who they are; they
up a few people that’s it. Everyone okay’. They are like ‘It’ll work’ and I am are not allowed to come to my salon.
knows who my friends are and who like ‘It won’t work’. I don’t like chaloo They can’t walk in because I will kick
my enemies are. Its transparent, I kaam. With my name on it, it has got to them out!
don’t even have to take their names. be amazing, supreme. If I am not 101%
‘Assi kanjur zaroor hai magar begarat then I don’t want to do it. I play to win Who is your favorite Pakistani and
nahin’. otherwise I do not play. 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
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.
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.
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.