Breaking barriers with Nabila Changes

Launched with L’Oreal team, book comes at time when Paris-based company is looking for avenues to expand business.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s fashion industry has broken grounds in the last few years and 2011 has embarked upon yet another milestone with the launch of a 135 page book celebrating one of Pakistan’s pioneer stylist’s, Nabila Maqsood.

“This event is immensely significant for the fashion industry as it has been in search of a role-model for decades. This journey was a litmus test for Nabila and the book proves that others can do it too,” said project manager Zain Mustafa.

Maqsood’s 25 years in the business have been a journey of professional and personal growth and the autobiographical work, Nabila Changes, launched by the petite diva of style, talks about the importance of embracing change and coping with development.

It’s interesting to note that the work by Maqsood does not only pay tribute to herself as an individual, but brings to the forefront a collaborative effort which displays the talents of photographers such as Amean J and senior fashion journalists like Aamna Isani.

Launched with the L’Oreal team, the book comes at a time when the Paris-based company is looking for avenues to expand business in Pakistan.  Musharraf Hai, CEO of L’Oreal Pakistan, fondly recalls how the spontaneous plan to launch a book culminated into an inspirational story for aspiring stylists, “The book simply tells you that you can,” says Hai.

Maqsood is not the first fashion celebrity who has launched a book with photographer Tapu Javeri publishing Tapulicious in August 2010. “Education plays a really important role in today’s world and putting such books together will not just render the work immortal but generate a library for all those younger generations who aspire to enter into these very fields,” said Frieha Altaf.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2011.