She has an instantly recognizable
face that has graced many a billboard in her long career in the fashion
industry. After spending 20 years as a model in an industry where, by the time
you are in your late 20s you are considered ‘too old’, she can walk the runway
and outshine any working model today. Glamorous on the catwalk, Vaneeza has
always preferred to tone her appearance down in person.
Between when she
started and now, Vaneeza has gone to heights no model in Pakistan has so far,
kick-started the trend of designer lawn, headed a fashion channel, got married,
has a toddler and now manages her own prêt wear line. Personal or professional,
she juggles both sides like a pro.
Vaneeza Ahmad on what it takes to go from an
ordinary model to a supermodel
How is it that she’s
been able to sustain a successful career in modeling, being a popular model
among the masses and the fashion elite alike, whereas the same cannot be said
for a lot of working models nowadays? “Not every model can become a
supermodel,” she responded, “There’s only one Naomi Campbell, Christy
Turlington etc. After Gisele, I don’t recognize anyone now. You have to have
personality for people to say ‘This is Naomi Campbell or Vaneeza Ahmed or Iman
Ali etc’. Otherwise you’ll just be another pretty face. If you don’t have a
strong personality, nobody will remember you.”
Another major problem
currently plaguing the fashion industry is the lack of training a new model
receives. “When I was at Style 360, I used to train girls for the Bridal
Couture Week,” said Vaneeza, “I would urge them to rehearse because our
reputation was at stake. I started this and now no one is doing it. People
don’t understand that it’s not a choreographer’s or a producer’s job to tell a
model how to walk.”
“During my time, there
weren’t many girls so we would train ourselves, guide each other about our
walks,” she related, “Iraj would tell me what to do and I’d tell someone else.
It’s very commendable that the lot after me, Fouzia, Neha etc have worked
really hard. I still remember we were in Kuwait for a show and Neha would ask
me in the restroom to tell her what she was doing wrong and then rehearse
there. That’s why now they’re shining: they look good and walk well because they’ve
worked hard. The newer lot thinks they’ve done it all. One picture of yours
gets up on a billboard and you think you have fame and know it all.”
“Your photo on a billboard doesn’t make you a
supermodel. Being a supermodel means you’re doing good commercials, your photo
shoots are great and you’re great on the ramp and nobody can replace you. You
have to be a complete package. Otherwise you’re either a print model or a ramp
model, not a supermodel.”
“Some girls naturally
walk really well like Amna Ilyas and two or three others,” she continued, “I
really like this new girl Rubab; she’s very pretty but she needs to work just a
little on her ramp walk. Amna Babar has improved a lot. And if she works a
little harder like she does in her shoots she will become a supermodel.”
“Your photo on a billboard doesn’t make you a
supermodel,” said Vaneeza, “Being a supermodel means you’re doing good
commercials, your photo shoots are great and you’re great on the ramp and
nobody can replace you. You have to be a complete package.
Otherwise you’re
either a print model or a ramp model, not a supermodel. I consider Cybil a
supermodel because she does everything great. Iman Ali was a supermodel because
she would do loads of everything: shoots, commercials, editorials. That’s a
supermodel; someone who does her best in every aspect of modelling.”
Nevertheless the
question still remains: why do we have untrained and amateur girls walking on
the ramp, representing the leading designers in town?
"There’s a dearth
of good models but they’re not ramp models. They’re print ones who are asked to
do ramp because maybe they look good in print. This is happening across the
world.
We need people to
train—these days, our models don’t make an effort themselves as well; they
don’t have that urge. Yet there are some of the girls who have worked really
hard.
Although Mehreen
(Syed) maintained herself throughout her career, she was one of the models, who
was determined and worked hard to improve and reach the top. Similarly Neha,
Mehreen—these girls had relentless focus and drive. I quote their examples to
others— now Mehreen stands out amongst others because of her work and
grooming."
Shows like Veet Miss
Supermodel provide platforms to
aspiring models but do these contests help in selection as well as training of
future models?
“For sure, it gives
new girls a platform. Someone hailing from Hyderabad might not have an agency
or a trainer so at least there is a platform for them to get some exposure.”
The super model also
holds the opinion that collaboration from different corporate agencies is
needed for these venture, rather she’d be more than happy to assist, if asked.
Having acted in quite
a few plays, Vaneeza Ahmad was also behind the renowned annual fixture Bridal
Couture Week (BCW) organised by HUM Network. Chances are that we might see her
soon either on the fore front or behind the camera.
“TV is more exciting
and fun to work with. I loved doing BCW and I had produced a play before that
so yes TV is something I do miss. I often tell people: Mujhe TV bohat zor ka
aata hai—so I might get back to it from next year.
I want to produce and
my brother and I are planning something as well. The kind of person I am, I
will remain active and would be doing something or the other.
Now that my daughter
goes to school, the shop is open and given that I’ve settled in Lahore, I can
focus on work.”
Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, February 8th, 2015
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