Abbas Jafri - Pakistani male model

Few are the models in our showbiz industry who are considered the real trend setters. There are very few in numbers and u may utter their name in single breathe. Ijaz Aslam, Humayon Saeed and Adnan Sadique full stop. These super models mow famous celebrities have given a direction to male modeling for a long time. Or you may add another name, Farooq Mannan or Abdullah Ijaz. 

There is an other name on the showbiz horizon now. Abbas Jafri.

Born in Karachi, raised between here and Dallas, Jafri is the son of a hotel entrepreneur. His father manages a small chain in Dallas and Jafri wishes to complete his education in Hotel Management to get there. Young and driven, he certainly doesn't come across as someone in control of his life or profession yet but his passion to be known as Pakistan's first internationally acknowledged male model is palpable. He wishes for a platform, a launch-pad in Pakistan that could propel his career to foreign grounds.

In Pakistan, style-conscious men like Omar Farooq of Republic are embracing beards as the look for 2012. Likewise, Abbas Jafri — with the unruliest mop of facial hair around — is the face of the moment.

Abbas Jafri was Lux Style Award winner for Best Model (male) Abbas Jafri, who bagged the award for being 2011's most prominent face.

The beard certainly has worked wonders for Abbas Jafri's popularity; he's become the most well-known face amongst male models in just over a year. He has been modeling for years now but it was only his appearance on the runways caught attention of the world.

He's done the campaigns, he's done the shows. He's been face of Republic in a wintry Nordic avatar. He's modeled for Ismail Farid, Ahmad Bahm, Jazib Qamar and other names in menswear that spell creativity. In a profession dominated by women — honestly, how many male supermodels (even internationally) can you name — Jafri has become just as popular for his unique appearance. His critics suggest that he wouldn't go far if he shaved his beard off.

"I wish our fashion councils were more proactive," he suggests quietly. Quite like his Jesus avatar, Jafri speaks in a gentle and almost inaudible manner and listens with deep browed concentration. For a model, there is a lot of intensity brooding under his surface.

He shares how, for years, cricket was the centre of his existence. He's played for Pakistan in the Under 19 National Team and continues playing on the domestic circuit. Cricket, he admits, is the reason his fitness level is so high.

Finding it hard to balance his studies with the demanding cricket calendar, Jafri switched to fashion when he started getting offers back in 2001. Since then, he agrees that fashion is even more consuming. That said, he's committed to it. Not only is he in correspondence with international agencies and photographers, he is periodically travelling to Europe to understand international trends.

Does the industry here give him room for professional growth, I ask him? "It's a very competitive field but I have been welcomed by almost everyone. And I have been very selective, doing some of my best work with Rizwan-ul-Haq, though I have also done shoots with Guddu Shani and more recently, Nabila."

Jafri adds that he still isn't comfortable with the way male models are treated. He hasn't gotten used to being called 'hot' by other men and can't understand why models haven't acquired the dignity and panache that they should have.

"There's a lot of power struggle and back stabbing in fashion," he suggests without delving into details, "but I like to keep to myself. I'm very selective in my work and I will continue to freelance for projects that are good for my image."

Abbas Jafri with Friha Altaf.

Abbas Jafri at a Brand,s launch.

Abbas Jafri Model of the year. 

Abbas Jafri on the ramp.

Konain ( R ), Salman ( C) and Abbas Jafri (L) in some heating moments. 

Stylish Abbas Jafri.

Jafri on FPW 2012.

EB