Models are not standardised, factory-fitted objects: Tanya Shafi

Former supermodel remains delightfully introspective about things that matter

LAHORE: As much as she belonged to the prime batch of models, Tany Shafi was an anomaly of sorts. Fashion ran in her family and yet, she chose to branch out from being just another fashion model. She ruled the ramp and magazine covers like everyone else but soon transitioned in a TV show host. Silver Screen and a celebrity talk show titled Timeout with Tanya were two of her major outings as host.

PHOTO: PUBLICITY

Her cousins Sana and Safinaz Muneer – of Sana Safinaz fame – were already established designers by the time she began modelling. But even years after retiring from the runway, Shafi remains elegant as ever and delightfully introspective about things that matter.



“I don’t think I was ever, necessarily, the one at the top. There were a handful of us to choose from,” recalls Shafi. “As the industry grew, so did the demand for more models. I think my batch model was just lucky.”

Shafi never thought of modeling as the epitome of good fortune, “Any industry you work in can get tough. Everyone – irrespective of the type of job – will have good days, bad days and even apathetic days.”

PHOTO: PUBLICITY

Much like her contemporaries, Shafi maintains that socialising with different people was the most exciting part of modelling. “I have been fortunate enough to meet a bunch of really, really lovely people through modelling,” she says. “I really do miss the collaborations and camaraderie. I miss the people I used to see daily at one point in time, many of whom had become family to me. Other than that, it was just a job which afforded me a degree of financial independence.”

But unlike other models of her time, Shafi does not think it is best for one to leave the industry while at their peak. “I can’t speak for anyone else but I believe models aren’t standardised, factory-fitted objects. Each one should decide for herself, what the respectable time to exit would be,” she explains. “I bowed out ten years ago, when I was 32, simply because I didn’t want to model anymore.”

For now, Shafi has shifted her focus towards educating the youth of Pakistan. “I like to say that I am teaching children how to think. I have a small nursery of 10 to 19-year-olds who I work with individually, to improve their writing and relationships with literature,” she shares. “I love it and try to learn as much from them as they do from me.”



PHOTO: PUBLICITY

As an industry veteran, she realises how far Pakistani fashion has come over the past few years. “I can see that the industry has grown substantially so I would assume that both the workload and competition for models has also increased,” she states. “That has got to be far more overwhelming than how things were in my time; I think I had it much easier. Also, I find today’s social media landscape quite unnerving in just too many ways…”

So it’s hardly surprising that Shafi advises aspiring models to stay true to who they really are. “For goodness sake, just be yourselves! You’re not supposed to be like anyone or anything else because you, yourself, are beautiful and unique,” she urges. “Also, don’t take people too seriously, especially when it comes to their opinions. Everyone is different, no matter what generation they belong to.”

Throwback Thursday is a weekly feature in which we document the lives and careers of Pakistan’s veteran models.

Have something to add to this story? Share it in the comments below.