Nadir and Maha: Childhood sweethearts turned power couple

Childhood neighbours turned husband and wife, now fashion industry’s power couple.

KARACHI:

While mixing business with pleasure is not the kind of label a couple would want to be associated with, the dynamic duo of the fashion industry, photographer Nadir Firoz Khan and stylist Maha Burney, are the perfect example of ‘two is a company’ and a rather romantic one at that. With an eye for capturing not just each other but also sheer fashionable beauty, the power couple has managed to achieve quite a lot in the realms of fashion, merely within a time span of two years. Pick up any major lawn shoot for 2013, be it Sania Maskatiya’s Spring/Summer Collection’s exotic sun and sand images to Nida Azwer’s very subtle and calm indoor shoot, the water marks left behind reflect the duo’s creative expertise.

Stepping into the world of fashion, however, did not come without prior knowledge – the two seem to have highly impressive resumes. While the Indus Valley Institute of Art and Architecture (IVS) grad, Nadir has assisted Asim Reza as an art director, Maha is the cool kid from abroad with a Bachelors in Architecture from Columbia University and an associate degree in Fashion Design from the highly renowned, Parsons School of Design. She has also worked for international brands such as DKNY Jeans, Coach and Tommy Hilfiger as a freelance designer.

Blown away by the persona of these oh-so-fashionable lovebirds, The Express Tribune went one-on-one with the couple to discuss love, life and business.

From playmates to soul mates

So how exactly did these equally gorgeous beings end up meeting? “Some 20 years ago, we used to be next-door neighbours. Being only eight or nine, we were best friends as kids,” says Nadir. “However, Maha and her family then moved to another place and so did we. We lost contact but as fate might have it, we were then reunited in Karachi Grammar School. But we did not really mingle much being shy teens.” Despite having mutual friends, they never really ran into each other. It was only later at a wedding when the two connected and the rest, as they say, is history.



Can it then be said that it was love at first sight? “There were so many sights involved!,” laughs Maha. Nadir, on the other hand, believes that it was probably the fact that they had an established comfort level as kids that they hit it off so easily. Tying the knot was rather God’s trick on them but was working together also a sheer coincidence? “It just happened!,” exclaims Nadir. Maha adds that it was Zahir Rahimtoola, CEO of Labels, who encouraged the two to collaborate for Sanam Chaudhry’s shoot in 2011.

The compatibility meter

While Maha is an extremely organised individual, to the extent that her work is usually complete a week before the deadline, Nadir is much more relaxed. He calls himself the “Pakistani organic man”. “We balance each other out. Handling life and work without Maha’s support and organisational skills would have been a tough call,” he admits. Being the loving wife that she is, Maha firmly believes in Nadir’s ability. “He is a very creative man. He is well aware of how he will take all his 10 shots on a video camera and that is something I have never been able to understand,” says Maha. However, she admits that she often panics and loses her focus when things aren’t coordinated and that is when she fears it’s going to be a loss-loss situation for both of them.

Despite their minor weaknesses, the two work tirelessly at odd hours without the help of any assistants. But they also never miss out on an opportunity to take a much-needed break from their hectic schedule and go unwind on a holiday spot.

The professional domain

From being an architect to a designer to a stylist, Maha says, “Good, stylish stuff is emerging from within our own country. Initially, people were not that aware and did not understand it but it’s good that people are now drawing towards it.” She feels that styling has taken a step forward. “The headache is off the designer’s shoulder and the stylist now sits with the make-up artists and explains what kind of look is required,” she adds. “Although there are only a few stylists on the forefront, there is a definitely a dearth of them in our country, ready to be explored.”



We wonder how such talented kids ended up in a not-so-well-paid field, to which Nadir says, “Fashion photography doesn’t pay well; commercial [photography] does. But yes of course if you want to be a photographer in the real sense of the word, one needs to make a name in fashion photography first.” So far Sania Maskatiya’s lawn shoot at the Al-Ain desert was probably the most enjoyable experience for the couple. “Running the equipment on the dunes was very difficult but a lot of fun at the same time,” says Nadir.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2013.                                                                                          

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