Why is everyone going crazy for Khar?
She is rich, stylish, and travels the world — so what’s the big deal about Pakistan’s youngest and first female foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar’s Birkin bag, glitzy shades and designer heels that were on display during her visit to India, ask Indian and Pakistani designers.
Khar’s classic black Hermes’ Birkin could cost anything above $10,000-$15,000, her Roberto Cavalli shades cost over $500 and the Jimmy Choos over $900, according to Indian news agency IANS.
Maheen Khan, who has dressed political icons like Benazir Bhutto, believes fashion is secondary when it comes to political figures, but the designer is all praise for Khar. “For me, Hina Rabbani Khar is a prime example of a woman who knows how to dress according to her profession,” she said.
Another leading designer Huma Adnan admits that Khar, whose three-day trip to India concluded on July 28, is one of the most stylish politicians in Pakistan, but finds it strange that so much talk in India has centred around her clothes.
“She is a public figure with a very conservative and neat look. Her sense of using the right accessories makes her different from other politicians. But the fact that she wears high-end brands should not be a topic of discussion,” said Adnan.
When Khar landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport, India, for talks with her Indian counterpart SM Krishna, her blue ensemble, teamed with a simple string of pearls, oversized handbag and fashionable sunglasses caught the attention of many.
A post-graduate in hospitality and tourism from the University of Massachusetts, Khar has her roots in a wealthy feudal family of southern Punjab. In past appearances across the border, she has been spotted sporting bags from luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada and Salvatore Ferragamo.
Khar likes subdued, yet stylish dressing — something she proved with the cream ensemble she wore during India-Pakistan talks in New Delhi.
Fashion critic Aamna Isani, from Karachi, feels proud that Indians are lauding Khar’s dress sense.
“It’s good to know that a Pakistani leader is emerging as a style icon. The last fashion icon we had was Benazir Bhutto, who represented a perfect mixture of style and grace,” says Isani. “But many Pakistan leaders, from Mohammad Ali Jinnah to Bhutto, have been very stylish and fashion-conscious — so why fuss over Khar’s style?” she asks.
Amir Adnan believes that “Pakistani leaders are making fashion statements, but should really be making political statements”. However, the designer is appreciative of their fashion sense. “Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pervez Musharraf, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Imran Khan — all of them are extremely stylish. As for the women, Hina Rabbani Khar, Benazir Bhutto, Maleeha Lodhi and Sherry Rehman are stylish to the core.”
Contrary to Adnan, Shamaeel Ansari believes the country’s male politicians need fashion advice. “Hina Rabbani Khar has turned out well. But the male politicians of Pakistan really need to go to designers,” said Ansari.
Across the border, Indian designer Anjalee Kapoor supported the young minister. “No one has the right to comment on the accessories Khar wore. It’s her personal style. As long as she can afford it, everything should be fine. It hardly matters if Pakistan is a poverty-stricken state. She belongs to a well-off family,” said Kapoor.
Another Indian designer Pam Mehta said that Khar looked extremely graceful in her kurta and pants, “and kept in tune with the traditional look and workmanship with fine embroidery and an extremely fresh colour palette. The accessorising was subdued and controlled with the subtlety of white pearls and a classic Birkin in black and sophisticated black shoes. Her look was not overstated, and was overall very sophisticated.”
Though Khar returned to Pakistan this week, she continues to be a topic of discussion for many Indians on Twitter who have been reacting strongly to the 34-year-old’s exclusive choice of accessories .
(WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM IANS)
Published in The Express Tribune, July 30th, 2011.
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once an journalist asked quiad e azam mohammad ali jinnaha."u trevel in first class,wear expensive suits and puff costly cegares wheras Gandhi Gee trevel in lowerst class in train ,wear cheap priced cloths."quid replied I represent top class community of the world ie muslims.." Dont blamme hinna she is representing great top class nation.
Everybody who is considering Hina Rabbani Khar's attire as a misrepresentation of the Pakistan should go through the wardrobe of our our political figure, above all mentioning the head of our country who, according to a survey, has been found out to be among the people who change their dresses frequently.... FIRST COMES THE BASE AND THEN THE BRANCHES.
The mentioned Khar is the same person who got temporary dams built during the 2010 floods to protect her farms and thus a couple of villages got swept away in it- but hey she got her Birkin atleast :)
like nice decent lady
Did anybody ask her how many tax she had been paid last three years. ?????????????????????
Simplicity destroys business and does not create jobs. Buy expensive fashion accessories, buy luxury watches and glasses and you start an industry. Simplicity means no one makes any money. Spend money wildly on nice cars, Living in tin hut and wearing only cotton clothes and rubber slippers does not help any industry or create a new one. People should learn to be self-indulgent and rejoice in having lots of money and be happy doing that. What matters is that rich people should spend a great deal so the poorer lot can become rich also
Ha, Ha, Ha, you don’t send your women to go and take part in these beauty contest otherwise you would have won a lot, ha, ha, ha, then why you send your women to Lollywood and by the way Veena Malik must be doing pilgrimage in Bollywood, Remember Grapes, Soar Grapes.
I think we should emphasize on what she says not on what she wears....
When I submitted my 88 pages' research report to my Professor his remarks,after reading were, "I am impressed with the quality of paper and presentation". I was very happy and was sure to get an A. When the result came I flunked. I asked the Professor who replied that,"I have a habit of praising and the only things I could find worth praising were expensive paper and presentation. She had to be praised for one thing or another on her first visit to India.
I am not crazy for her. I might go crazy over her for a while
I think Khar is a very classsy and intelligent lady. I hope she brings a new dawn to India and Pakistan relationship!
@New Delhi_India:
Umm .. there could have been many .. had we been participating on state level in such events that is!! .. ohh you dont know that we do not participate in such beauty pegeants .. ofcourse you wouldn't .. ignorant Indian as expected :)
One thing u shud know .. our women are very beautiful .. they do not need layers of make up and short dresses to prove it normally .. you can come and see it for ur self !!!
@Smack
I totally agree with you. Khar is just like an average Pakistani woman (not talking about her dressing and accessories though)
@New Delhi_India
You have never seen Pakistanis on such pageants, not bcoz they are not that good, but bcoz they dont participate in such events. Do visit Pakistan whenever you can, and you will see the difference, not only in women, but also in men.
Having said all this, I hope Khar is able to perform her duties well also, which is way more important!
All in vain ? Stop fighting , Cool down !!!! In fact , Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder . "Elle est belle et elle est jeune "
After reading Dr Priyanka & New Delhi_India comments..
Still, we can't deny that Realist hit the nail on the head.. :)
@hashmi: Remember pretty face, before 1947 your great grandmothers and your great grandfathers were all Indians, that's why you look the way you do! Khandher bataa rehain hai ki imaarat buland thi (the ruins are showing that the building was grand) :)
First world problems for third world.
@hashmi:
and unfortunetly you have not a single people in total, in Pakistan, who could find herself in any top 20 contenders in Miss Universe, Miss Word beauty pageants.
@dr priyanka & new delhi_india
we're talking about indians in general. the names you mentioned i guess are the only beautiful people in your country, which is like 10 people in total.
@Realist.: Agree with you.Indian women like Aishwarya, Priyanka Gandhi[Rajiv Gandhi's daughter], other former Indian miss worlds like Persis Khambatta,Priyanka Chopra, Yukta Mukhi, Diana Hayden, Miss universes Lara Dutta, Sushmita Sen etc and Indian men like Hritik Roshan, Ranbir Kapoor, Rahul Gandhi etc are ugly and you are the most handsome man in the world.
verily clothes maketh the (wo)man! so there! the comparisons between the style regimen of both countries, apart-----this tete-a-tete between these two foreign dignitaries should be used to bolster co-operation in all spheres between the two super nuclear powers _____ and not for commentators to focus on apparel only! .there are serious issues here that have to be ironed out between khar/krishna .once the two have reached consensus, bollywood and it's "sister" industry can then throw one big party! ----------and start the process of making films/music/fashion galas together. as it is, india has now enjoyed the services of many cross-border actors/singers.from Paksistan. certain models/singers have now even regarded india as second home! the day will come when peace shall reign!
No one is going crazy after her.. its you people who are making it a big deal.. dont forget you wrote one whole blog article about her handbag .. !!!
Who said the great majority of Pakistani women wear niqab? They must be really stupid. I live in Lahore..you can go out on the streets and decide for yourself whether the majority of Pakistani women cover or not and the answer;s pretty obvious. I am not against purdah or niqab but just stating a fact.
People should quit making assumptions that all women wear niqab.
Amazing, Many are Narrow minded but a majority are Open Minded. :)
fashion is best
@Realist.:
Great, how many Pakistani beauties won Miss Universe, Miss World titles, please let us know.
I think HRK would be best as a brand ambassador of Pakistan rather than a foreign minister. While I'm happy of the fact that she has been able to portray a positive and soft image of Pakistan and has been able to put Pakistan and it's fashion on the radar of international journalism, I'm still doubtful about her credentials as a foreign minister. This doubtfulness does not emanate out of the fact that she is a young woman but because she hasn't proved her mettle in any of the posts she has held till now. Just because she is a woman I don't think we should be overlooking her professional competence. Man or woman, whoever is good at their work, will shine out eventually. Secondly, as far as her expensive accessories are concerned; the only thing that pinches me is that she is a part of a government which is not known as "clean" and she comes from a background that believes in exploitation of the masses - so somehow I feel that it may be the money of the masses that is being used to acquire the Hermes's and Jimmy Choo's. As far as Indian media is concerned, it's this very patronizing attitude of theirs which stands as a barrier to true and meanignful relations between the tow countries.
After reading the article and some of the comments I have come to realize the sorry state of affairs in not only the political elite (not very surprising) but also of the educated class of the country.
I am sorry - Ms. Khar is a foreign minister and not a model. While she does not have the education and the experience to do her job, rather than trying hard to prove her intellectual prowess (if she has any) she decks out in designer junk –what to impress the Indian designers! If Ms. Khar is incompetent than the public, individually and collectively, has the responsibility to demand if not excellence than at least marginal level of competence from her as an elected officials. “…many Indians on Twitter who have been reacting strongly…” Sadly enough Indians are expecting more integrity from Ms. Khar than Pakistanis.
“Fashion critic Aamna Isani, from Karachi, feels proud that Indians are lauding Khar’s dress sense.” “Shamaeel Ansari believes the country’s male politicians need fashion advice. “Hina Rabbani Khar has turned out well. But the male politicians of Pakistan really need to go to designers,” said Ansari.”
Comment like these explains why incompetent and corrupt politicians get away with murder (sometimes literally) in Pakistan.
While I have nothing against dressing in style or any individual spending her own money any which way she desires as an independent agent, public servants and elected officials should be held by a different set of ethical and moral standards. By taking the oath of public office Ms. Khar is no longer an independent agent and has the duty to represent her constituency.
Contrary to the popular belief, with the display of her expensive taste and flaunting her wealth, Ms. Khar displayed bad taste and poor judgment as a foreign minister.
I am sure that if Ms Khar had achieved anything substantial through her talks, people would have been talking about that instead of her sartorial sense. Although I am glad that Ms Khar looked fantastic, because that certainly dowsed some tension, maybe she needs to spend less time shopping and more time coming out with a foreign policy that that is more in line with what the masses feel.
@Forbidden Fruit: 'Thanks to Khar for putting the “cool” back in our national dress.'
Exactly. And thats the point to focus more on than how she will handle the India-Pakistan affairs. Who can frankly?! http://think-islam.blogspot.com/2001/07/thank-you-ms-hina-rabbani-khar.html
@arshad ahmed
As soon as you whip your mother, wife, sister and your daughter, only then will pakistan talliban take charge of Pakistan.
It is an issue because such a wealthy person does not pay INCOME TAX. At least she could have made a token gesture which is worth equivalent to of her hand bag!
i would have been more proud of her, had she worn, made in Pakistan shoes, made in Pakistan eyeglasses, and made in Pakistan accessories, etc, who cares if jimmy choo or some other overpaid designer item was on her, what is in her is more important than what is on her.
Although she is smart, but she needs to avoid this show off.
What's the big deal? I cant believe people are making a big deal about Mrs. Khar's accessories when our nation's leader is the one who needs some media attention regarding his finances and what not. Is it because she's a woman? It is obvious that her accessories are bought with her own money - she doesnt steal from Pakistan like Zardari does. Plus, she comes from a opulent family.
Because Indians DO NOT have a Decent looking Female Politician.
& they have gone crazy over an Average looking Pakistani lady. Gives me a thought Indians at large are NOT good looking at all.
Thanks to Khar for putting the "cool" back in our national dress.
It is the show of the power bought with money. The foreign minister should have extensive experience as it is matter of international issues. This is alsp on today's politics in India and Pakistan.
Hina Rabbani Khar is a new addition in the world’s politics.
After decade’s long presence on the political canvas, Hina has replaced many old faces.
I am confident that Hina is going to convince the world political leaders to give a new look towards Pakistan.
Very soon people will notice that her photograph is going to be published on the cover page of Time Magazine as one of the world’s most attractive and convincing foreign minister of Pakistan.
I wish all the best to Hina in her future endeavors.
The writer probably does not understand that no one in Pakistan deserves to go to designers. The Indian counter parts continue to wear local gear and accessories and are humble in respect to the standing of their nations.
Pakistani Ministers are better suited to representing Pakistan and not making a mockery of our miserable state of economics. I fail to understand how simplicity is not practised and wealth flouted. What wealth are we seemingly showing off. The wealth of the nation being taken hostage by a few select and making the average citizen a beggar at best.
I didn't notice the Rolex on India's foreign ministers hand. Did You?
well it certainly reflects upon the fact that ms. khar was not able to gain the focus of many to her ideology/speech but rather on what she was wearing. the author asks: so what's wrong in her being stylish? i think the author will see the answer in the first paragraph where it is outlined at what expense the first female foreign minister gets her fashion sense. $500? $10,000-15,000?
How can someone who is wearing such expensive things even be remotely aware of all the poverty, suffering and despair of the very country she is representing?
great leaders such as Nelson Mandela and Gandhi--whose names and actions have outlived their lives and become immortal in history were not known for the price tags of their designer shades or clothes. touche to the first female foreign minister for not only misrepresenting what the average person of Pakistan is, depicting how she could quite possibly never understand what the average Pakistani goes through everyday and ultimately getting more attention for her clothes than her message. let the veena maliks of the country stand together now to say, "is this because she's a girl?"
when ever there is a crisis female entity is known for settling the nerves of the male ego,so she is just a drawing room show piece sent to india,she is not the face of pakistan people,larger part of pakistan woman are in purdah and she is just representing the fringe of pakistani women who are modern and who will be whipped on their backs as soon as the pakistan talliban will take the charge
I personally don't understand that why so much fuss about her expensive accessories? Do Indian politicians wear cheap dresses because a lot of Indians are poor. Give her a break everyone! I mean anyone who could afford expensive lifestyle will not choose a simple one.
she didn't land at Indira Gandhi International Airport.