The boy has finally grown up. The boyish looks that could have given any of his contemporary models a run for their money some few years back, have matured and today, Emaad Irfani is counted as one of the top male models in the country. With Ather Shahzad being his mentors, Emaad may not be your picture perfect quintessential Greek God, but has mix of Spanish and Mexican looks that takes him away from being just another face.

Best of all he debunks the myth by not being the classic himbo. Emaad has become a perfect choice for ramp and print as well as commercials. He has the height and looks to fit into both. He is the new Lawrencepur face and has just come in HBL's new campaign. In a candid chat with Instep, the media-shy model that is our tip for the top, unmasks himself and packs more of a punch than you would imagine.

What motivated you to enter the fashion world despite the limited scope of Pakistani fashion?
Well, the decision to come in it was neither spontaneous nor a pre-planned one. It's just that I have been an avid fan of fashion and style right from my childhood and teenage years. I take modeling more as an art form than a self-presentation, which is contrary to a common belief that models are narcissist.

It's all about teamwork just like it is in sports, so I don't know why so many innuendos are directed at models.

You were launched by Ather Shahzad. To date most of your work has been with them. Are you legally bound or do you prefer sticking to your mentors?
I definitely agree with you that Ather Shahzad have been the ones who have made me what I am today. I owe a lot of gratitude to them for changing gears in my life in a sense. But here I would like to refute the industry's common belief that they have stopped me from working with anyone else. They have never done so. Yes, they do show a little concern for me if I am working with others only in terms of the lucracy of the deal I strike with them. This is only a goodwill gesture from their side. Considering how unprofessionally our industry operates, one definitely needs a mentor to survive in it. In my case this role has been played by Ather Shahzad all the way.

You lost last year's Lux Style Award to Daniyal. Any comments?
Not really. I only consider it as a gift for the appreciation of our work, not the end of our world. Why make a big issue out of this? This is a reminder for me that I have yet to go a long way.

Your trips to India made quite a few headlines. How has the experience been overall?
Firstly, I take great honour in representing Pakistan and my recent visits made me realise that people across the LoC have a lot of misconceptions about us. Other than giving us an opportunity to show the rest of the world that our talent in fashion is head to head with international standards, it has also shown a softer face of Pakistan in the creative arena.

Like most of our stars, are you also inclined to act in Bollywood?
Not at all. I really don't understand why everyone raves about Bollywood. It's only the film industry of India and nothing else. My perception about it is that it really lacks originality and class, and for me anything related to the arts has to be original.

For a model, shifting gears to acting is a universal norm. What other scope do you see for models in Pakistan?
As I said earlier, modeling to me is somehow related to the Arts. For example during a shoot a designer or photographer would demand from me to portray a certain character and I have to get into the real essence of that character during the shoot. Believe me it is not easy. It takes a lot more than a wooden face to deliver the right expressions, so it is very natural for models to turn actors. As far as other scope for models is concerned, I must say art is a very vast field and models can very well use the credibility of their names to try their hand at different other areas of creativity.

Such as?
May be marketing managers because, as models, we are the main players in any marketing campaign. Other than this they can be photographers, fashion coordinators, event managers, ad designers, video directors et al.

Do you mind sticking to a certain tag? How long can you be typecast?
As long as one is doing quality work. At least personally I'm satisfied with it and I don't care if people tag me as being a stereotype.

What about diversity then?
I agree that diversity is essential but you can be diverse in a lot of ways while still sticking to your 'given' tag.

What do you have to say about the economics of the fashion industry of Pakistan as things stand today?
As of now it seems to be one of the most lucrative and prolific lines with a great bright future ahead. We need to give it a little more time, as it's been just few years since it has been rejuvenated out of stagnancy. I am sure it will pick up at an even faster pace.