Mehreen Syed between flights and fittings

Here’s what the supermodel is up to on fronts that go beyond modelling

LAHORE:

“When I did my first show with Kamiar Rokni, I remember him asking Ather Shahzad, “Who is she? She can’t walk at all,” says Mehreen Syed with a good laugh. “I have received the most criticism as a model,” she adds, evincing a sense of self-assuredness rare in an industry fraught with competition. After two months of interview reschedules, and juggling between a flight and fittings, she finally manages to make some time to give a glimpse of her evidently busy routine that goes beyond modelling.

“I was recently in Islamabad finalising details of my NGO iCare, which I plan on officially launching in September,” reveals Mehreen, as she makes herself comfortable on a couch. Just then her 14-month-old daughter Aman walks in, who she takes a moment to look at smilingly. Returning to the projects she has lined up, she states, “Besides this, the International Fashion Academy of Pakistan (Ifap) takes up a lot of my time and has been a long struggle for me.”



Of Ifap, which she initiated in 2011, she shares that it’s a fully self-financed venture. “When I started this, many girls weren’t able to pay for the level of studies we provided,” she states. Mehreen shares she also faced threats from certain factions, narrating an incident where men barged into the Ifap base in Lahore to find out what was going on. She adds that she has shifted her focus on teaching beautician courses rather than modelling ones because they’re too time-consuming. “I do help girls who are deserving, but it takes up a lot of time because they have to be completely transformed.”

Among Mehreen’s laurels is that she’s the co-founder of desibeautyblog.com, which she launched with good friend and make-up artist Nilo Haq. The blog has a unique outlook on all-things desi and beauty-related and has become quite popular, especially in the Middle East. “I love writing and telling people about my personal experiences. Even when I was pregnant, I wanted to try different things myself to be able to tell people about them,” she explains. “I want to tell people truthful and honest experiences rather than getting into the ongoing rat-race between blogs.”

As for modelling, Mehreen says she’s more concerned about how the outfit looks more than how she appears on the ramp. “I don’t think about what my face looks like. I focus on how I can make the outfit I’m wearing look the best. If a designer trusts me with his finale piece, it’s my responsibility to do justice to it.” Of the many awards she has won, she says it’s the 2013 Lux Style Award that she holds dearest. “I finally got it after 10 years of being nominated every year.” Adding that she’ll always consider herself as a model, she says, “Even if people call me a buddhi model, I don’t mind. I’ll be a buddhi model and still do my thing.”

Following her stint in debut film Chambaili, Mehreen’s acting career seems to be at a halt. “Actually, I got married …” she says with a sigh. “One has to prioritise and do things with a mutual understanding when married.” As she stops to pacify her Aman, she continues, “I wanted a baby right after marriage. That was the plan and I couldn’t be happier. If I had to pick, family would be my choice.”

She shares she’s currently considering a couple of scripts, but is still in search of the ‘right’ one. “When selecting a film, co-stars and directors are secondary to the storyboard for me, especially if I’m doing a movie in India, as I’ll be representing my country,” she says. With that, she gives away the fact that a Bollywood movie is on the cards for her, but isn’t willing to share the name.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 11^th,  2015.

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