Frieha Altaf has had many firsts to her credit. Be it modelling, choreographing fashion shows or fashion weeks....
Beauty
Frieha Altaf has had many firsts to her credit. Be it modelling, choreographing fashion shows or fashion weeks, she has laid out the foundation fortifying it over the last three decades. Altaf has introduced many a concept which was later followed by all and sundry in the world of fashion. Once again, she is gearing up to present her latest brainchild ‘Beyond Beautiful’ (BB) to the world. This week You! got in touch with effervescent Frieha Altaf to get to know more about this venture...
You! What is the idea behind ‘Beyond Beautiful’?
Frieha Altaf: The need always drives an idea. I came up with this while I was discussing beauty with a friend. He said that his beauty product didn’t really work with fashion and asked me to do a beauty event. I started developing the idea two years ago and didn’t want to do something regular like an expo. I feel we already have a lot of beauty brands, hair brands, stylists but don’t have enough hair or makeup shows, only fashion weeks. I have too many clients who do beauty stuff and we need one place to house all of it with a lot more happening around it.
You! Has this been done in Pakistan previously, is it an international concept?
FA: Of course, some beauty shows and expos have been happening but they are quite lacklustre. I believe a beauty event has to be beautiful. So, yes, it has been done before, it’s an international concept. Nothing is original. One has to cater to their market and to their need in a way which will be unique to Pakistan. We would like to make it an international event so people can come to Pakistan and continue doing so every year.
You! What does it all encompass?
FA: BB encompasses awareness. It creates information. It is for the beauty industry. There are so many beauty brands that it will cater to. Initially, we went to salons for everything now we have nail bars, brow bars, lash bars... we wanted to make BB something that encompasses beauty, health, wellness, hair, makeup, skincare, extreme beauty, men’s grooming all under one roof.
You! What is there to look forward to at Beyond Beautiful?
FA: At BB, we’re going to see a lot from consumer brands to high-end l brands coming under one roof showcasing their craft/product, or anything related to beauty and the wellness industry. It will define media trends, garner media attention, and create opportunities for international brands to come into the market; and by association widen the local growth and create opportunities for local brands to interact with international distributors.
You! What is beautiful to you?
FA: Perception of ideal beauty is very warped in Pakistan. Beauty here still means fair complexion. The whole idea behind BB is that everyone is beautiful in their own way irrespective of your skin tone or size, you are beautiful. Ideal beauty is not just being aesthetically beautiful but something much bigger than that. I think any woman or man is beautiful when they are themselves. When they take what they have and improve upon it. The way they look, carry themselves, talk, interact, their personality makes them beautiful.
You! Does being beautiful help in the real world?
FA: I think if you’re beautiful you can only get so far but if you’re smart you can go further. And if you’re both beautiful and smart then you can go really further. But the idea behind BB is that everyone is beautiful. Everyone has potential to look amazing within their personality and bring their confidence out. Diversity to me is real beauty.
You! You’ve come a long way since you started out. Please share the secret behind your success.
FA: Personally, for me, when growing up I never looked at myself or my sister as beautiful. We were always challenged by our family to do more. I am a very sporty person, I’ve got leadership qualities. I think there is a part of me that is very much a survivor. I don’t know if it was in my genes ... I guess being young and starting out in showbiz, there was a sense of ‘I am not going to be a wallflower; I am not going to be messed with’.
To me success comes from the drive and the passion that is inside you that wants change things and to make a difference. The secret to my success is also being able to not judge someone. When I started, a lot of people didn’t understand fashion at that time. People didn’t understand modelling, someone going in films but I think the perception has changed since the last three decades since I’ve been working. I have an incredible work ethic. Not taking anything for granted. I am professional to the core and I deliver. And I guess that’s the secret of my success.
You! What is next for you?
FA: I was very bored for the last few years. When you keep on doing something over and over again it tends to get boring. So, a creative soul always has to reinvent itself. What’s important is that when you reinvent yourself and you’re driven to work in this country, you can make a lot of changes. For me, 2018 has been fantastic. I wanted to do social work; I wanted to raise my voice against child abuse and labour and all kinds of ills in our society. I wanted to bring something new to the horizon and for me that’s always the case. As for what’s next, I’m keeping my mouth shut. It’s very easy to talk. Everybody talks but I want to make sure that I execute and then talk about it. It’s better to let others talk about it and not yourself.
