Talent is talent: Model Sarah Zulfiqar calls out Nadia Hussain over ‘elitist’ comments

After model and actor Nadia Hussain made comments about how the older “educated” lot of models is better than the newer batch, owing mainly to the more accepting and inclusive standard of today’s fashion industry, model Sarah Zulfiqar took to her Instagram stories to call the latter out. Deeming her statements “elitist and ignorant”, Sarah asserted that they “reek of insecurity”. Stressing how talent is talent, regardless of socioeconomic background or privilege, Sarah went on to speak about how the models of today are “speaking out against injustices” and “standing up for themselves and each other”.

In the statements made on an episode of Time Out with Ahsan Khan, Nadia exclaimed that models of today are uneducated and that council members don’t care if they don’t have the “height”. She lamented how there were “no criteria” and that “it was only about whether you could get permission”. 

Responding to the same, Sarah posted in a series of Instagram stories that are now unavailable, “I’m arguably one of the more ‘educated’ (i.e. lucky enough to be very privileged) models out there, and I can’t even tell you how much complete and utter ignorance and pettiness I’ve seen displayed by people who are from supposedly ‘educated’ backgrounds.”

She went on to add, “Talent is talent and maturity is maturity no matter where it comes from. [Nadia’s] statement is incredibly elitist and ignorant.” 

In her comments on newer models, Nadia also criticised the higher number of models in the industry. Responding to the same, the Lux Style Award-winner questioned, “Maybe there are many more models today than there were then, but why is that so horrible?” She went on to advise, “Be confident in your own posing style and niche instead of complaining about other people and you’ll do just fine.”

Sharing a screenshot of Nadia’s comments as present in an article on the interview published by The Express Tribune, Sarah added, “Models of today are speaking out against injustices, standing up for themselves and each other, guiding each other and articulating their opinions.” 

In another story, Sarah wrote, “Her statements reek of insecurity and elitism… people who are confident in their own backgrounds and know their worth really don’t act like this.” She went on to add, “I think people should focus on their own decisions and abilities and what they bring to the table as individuals instead of [complaining] about everyone else.”  

In the interview, where she was joined by fashion designer Deepak Perwani, Nadia stated, “The best was that back then, 70 to 80 percent of the models were from educated backgrounds. Everyone had a similar aspiration. That lot, it really was the best time. Afterwards, all kinds of girls became a part of the profession.”

She went on to complain about the more accepting nature of the present-day fashion industry. She said, “Not even the council members cared if they were uneducated or didn’t have the height. There were no criteria, it was only about whether they could get permission. Where else are you going to get 40 models at once? Back in our day, we’d gather 20 girls for one show… [The new models] weren’t educated. They didn’t have class or a personality.”