T-Diaries: Iraj Manzoor

A glimpse into the world of Pakistani powerhouses

Tell us why you chose to become a model?

I actually never chose this career! Modelling was something I started doing out of boredom 23 years ago, during my summer vacations. I did a shoot for my father’s friend, who owned a men’s magazine and after that, I started getting offers for shoots that were willing to pay well. So in all honesty, despite the fact that I had a lot of fun during my first shoot, the main reason I took up offers was because of the monetary reward.

What inspires you?

Mother Nature is my greatest inspiration.

How has the Pakistani fashion industry changed over the past years?

The fashion industry of Pakistan has developed a lot and with every development there are both pros and cons attached. Nowadays, with an abundance of designers/models/photographers there is a lot of repetition of work. The influx of too many people doing the same thing has resulted in mass production with more focus on quantity rather than quality.

Who is your favourite designer and why?

I believe designers are like different colours of a rainbow that flow with the moods and represent different styles. Therefore, I don’t really have a favourite. However, if I had to choose I would say Maheen Khan and Sonya Battla as I have worked with them a lot and have grown up as a person with them. They concentrate more on the personality of the clothes than on perfection.

You are a working woman, how do you maintain a work-life balance?

I think it’s very easy to maintain a work-life balance. I get this strength from my mother Zeenat Yasmin, who is an actor and a workaholic and yet managed to balance both her personal and professional lives perfectly. I don’t believe it when people say they don’t have time for a certain thing. If one wants to do something, they can compartmentalise it. Of course you need to have will power to make time for things you want to do.

An idea that changed your life?

Becoming a model changed my life and one of the biggest advantages that come with it was that I became closer to God. This field has a very synthetic environment. I feel people in the industry are very non-organic and become plastic. This motivates me to work hard and keep my centre intact. I strive to be stronger, stay close to nature and avoid becoming materialistic.

Any advice for aspiring female models?

Nowadays, young girls wanting to enter the industry expect success to come overnight and are not willing to listen. However, they need to understand that life doesn’t work that way. They need to keep working on themselves and strive over a period of time. After all, perfection isn’t achieved through shortcuts!

Published in The Express Tribune, Ms T, October 5^th, 2014.