Mehreen Syed takes charge off the ramp

Lahore

She’s worked her magic on the ramp countless times and supermodel Mehreen Syed took charge off it as well as she marked her fashion academy IFAP’s styling debut for a fashion event held in Lahore.

The International Fashion Academy of Pakistan, or IFAP, was conceived and created by Mehreen five years ago as a training institute for those interested in the various facets of the fashion industry – be it modeling, make-up, photography or choreography. Its students have been taught by some of the leading names of Pakistani fashion, and the launch of the global retail store INC. gave Mehreen the perfect opportunity to test their skills. She refers to them as her ‘bachas’ (children) and is keenly invested in their progress.

The store launch featured a runway presentation choreographed and styled by Mehreen, modelled by students of IFAP, with hair and make-up by the academy’s graduates as well. With close to 40 models, including 18 children, backstage was organized chaos prior to the show but Mehreen was unfazed even as five different people vied for her attention at the same time. With her two-year-old daughter Amun in her arms, she calmly soothed some last-minute nerves as she chatted with Instep.

“To be honest, choreography itself isn’t a very tough job. I’ve brought in four professional models also - Abdullah, Sabeeka, Nooray and Neha - who know exactly what to do. It’s not the show that I am nervous about. I just want my students, who are so deserving and would not ordinarily get a chance to be in the spotlight, to do well.”

The show kicked off with two of IFAP’s most prolific graduates, male models Jahan-e-Khalid and Athar Amin, sauntering down the ramp in fun printed shirts and shorts. The rest of the outfits that followed were in the same vein – fun, easy-to-wear western separates that will do well in the market. Not all pieces worked – Nooray’s colour blocked dress, for example, got a ‘nay’ from us as did some of the embellished tees – but there were enough variations in the range to suit a variety of tastes and preferences. The kids’ line was particularly eye-catching, or maybe it was just the adorable little models that made the clothes look good.

For a hair and make-up team that hadn’t styled a show professionally to date, the IFAP’s team debut was worth acknowledging. The red lips from L’Oreal’s versatile ‘I am Red’ palette and simple kohl-lined eyes were well-executed. The hair could have benefitted from some fun summer styles such as messy braids instead of the poker straight look that all the models wore but according to Mehreen, the idea was to keep it deliberately simple. “We did about 200 different looks, not just for the two segments of the fashion show but also for some of the guests who were part of the event. It was a proud moment for me that the team pulled it off and managed to stay calm despite the immense pressure. With this out of the way, I know we are ready for bigger things.”

Those things are already on the cards, with IFAP having received a certification from the Punjab Technical Board for its beautician courses. Mehreen is also working on an ambitious CSR project, whereby girls from underprivileged homes will be provided make-up training for free and IFAP will set up small salons within their homes to empower them economically.

One of Mehreen’s supporters for the latter project is Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, an old friend of hers and he was roped in as the show stopper for the night, much to the delight of the audience. Not that the audience itself lacked any star power. With everyone from Mehreen’s mother-in-law Nasreen Sheikh to Nilofar Shahid, Shahzad Raza and Mahgul to Rema Taseer, Faraz Manan and Meherbano Sethi of Luscious Cosmetics in attendance, the front row dazzled with the who’s who of the city.