There’s no disputing that there’s been a sudden profusion of stylists in the industry. They are suddenly everywhere and considering she was one of the first in her time, Shumaila Chughtai doesn’t get half the credit for pioneering the trend in Pakistan.
Weighing in on the new demand for stylists in the country Guddu, seen here with partner Shani, feels that it’s a step in the right direction for the industry.
CATCHINGUP
Shumaila Chugtai, better known as the ‘Guddu’ in Guddu Shani,
talks about being one of the first stylists in the country.
There’s no disputing that there’s been a sudden profusion of stylists in the industry. They are suddenly everywhere and considering she was one of the first in her time, Shumaila Chughtai doesn’t get half the credit for pioneering the trend in Pakistan.
One half of the award winning photography duo, Guddu Shani, Chughtai is a graphic designer by profession who founded the company in 2005 with her husband and the pair has never had to look back.
Chughtai, whose moniker is Guddu, started out styling while her husband would take charge behind the lens at a time when the concept of styling fashion shoots wasn’t even a distant dream in the country.
Between the couple they have two Lux Style Awards wins, 13 consecutive nominations for photography and two for makeup. Needless to say, Guddu knows her craft and one only needs to go through the extensive portfolio she has cultivated over a decade of working in fashion to know that she is a visual communication artist par excellence.
Instep sat down with the styling guru for an intimate chat about being one of the first to start out in the profession in Pakistan.
“With my background in arts, I’ve always been inclined towards fashion, styling and creative expression through visuals. Styling is an integral part of photography and appealed to me from the very beginning. We used to outsource makeup initially to Khawar Riaz or Maram Aabroo but somehow felt that our vision wouldn’t come in execution the way we wanted. Then I took up makeup as well for GS,” she explains.
Guddu then proceeded to teach herself makeup by studying internationally acclaimed artist Kevin Aucoin and then practicing till she mastered the skill. A knee injury and family commitments eventually made her step away from makeup.
Talking about her aesthetics and what propelled her to take styling seriously at a time when the makeup artist basically played the role of an all rounder, Guddu reveals that she felt that a western, contemporary aesthetic was missing at the time they started out.
“There were people doing great work in the industry but the aesthetics were very ethnic and deeply rooted in Eastern sensibilities. Shani (as she lovingly calls her husband) and I extensively studied international shoots and photographers to pick the fine details that make up a polished image. I would study intricacies like the spacing between fingers, placement of feet and subtleties of expression so that we could bring a similar look to our work,” Guddu elaborates.
Talking about her extensive portfolio of high fashion editorials, Guddu states that being an artist really set the base for her work. From art movements to the treatment of a painting, anything could trigger inspiration. Once an idea was in her head, Guddu had to execute it or she’d keep dreaming about it till she did.
Considering that commercial photography doesn’t allow you the leeway to play much in terms of styling, Guddu would plan shoots with her husband with the sole purpose of exercising their creativity and realizing the visions she had in the form of visuals.
What are her cardinal rules for styling? “I would say a stylist has the most important job on set. She’s the one who brings the entire shoot together by amalgamating the demands of the client with the vision of the photographer or moodboard and then directing the makeup artist.
A stylist can’t just plug her own aesthetic everywhere but has to be mindful of the brand’s target audience and what the shoot is meant to communicate. The person must understand the product they’re shooting and have exposure in fashion in order to be successful at their job.”
Weighing in on the new demand for stylists in the country Guddu feels that it’s a step in the right direction for the industry and will help elevate the level of fashion being produced.
