Maha Tahirani has a number of high-profile fashion campaigns to her credit. Not only does she know how to serve stunning looks in editorials, but in a span of just two-and-a-half years she has proved that she has the poise to set the ramp on fire. It was last year that Maha bagged her first LUX Style Awards nomination for Emerging Talent, while she was nominated in the Best Female Model category at this year’s Hum Style Awards. Though she hasn’t received any awards yet, Maha is certainly one of the most talented fashion models to have surfaced in recent times.

In a candid conversation with Instep, the dusky beauty with brains shares what it takes to stand out and how her modelling journey began.

“I was at Nabila’s salon when stylist and makeup artist Tabesh Khoja saw me from afar and suggested that I should start modelling. I found it quite funny because I was chubby at that time,” Maha shares the moment she was ‘discovered’.

“Tabesh recommended a few gigs. I tried my luck and all of them worked out for me one after the other. However, my first modelling project was for Sana Safinaz.”

We can’t help but wonder if Maha had to work rigorously at losing weight to succeed as a model.

“Well, I had zero body fat,” she says. “I was a lean girl, but because I was just 19 at that time, I had baby fat on my face and when I say I was chubby, I mean I had chubby cheeks. I only shed two kilos and that was taken off my face.”

“I was new and had no clue about certain tips and tricks, bloating, and water retention and that I was not supposed to take carbs right before a shoot. But with time, I understood that these things make a lot of difference,” she adds.

It is not a huge secret that the fashion industry requires models to look a certain way. Maha agrees, but thinks the tide is turning now for the better.

“Whether nationally or internationally, a model has to be lean, tall, have high cheekbones and features that set her apart,” she says. “Having said that, I think in the next five to 10 years, the standards will change and widen.

“I think there is a lot of pressure right now to fit in physically and one tends to become a little unhealthy to conform to the norms. But, if you look toward the positive, modelling helps you become better-groomed and gives you a lot more than it takes away from you.”

So what makes Maha different from other models? The model is of the view that modelling is all about making a statement, and in fact going out of the way to stand out.

“When I joined the industry, I was quite young and far from experimental. I was very lucky to have Tabesh, who explained to me that it is important to go out of your comfort zone and experiment with different looks even if it is not your best one. When it comes to making an impact, you have to do something that not everybody is doing. People might not appreciate it but that is how you will be noticed. You will be setting an imagery of the fact that there are other looks that you can experiment with,” she shares.

Maha believes that the best way to make your presence felt is to do something that you might not like when you look at yourself in the mirror. The model explains, “When Sadaf Kanwal stepped into the world of modelling, there was no concept of thick, bushy eyebrows; it seemed odd because it wasn’t in fashion or a trend. She might have thought that it could be a hit or a miss. When she went out there she got noticed and what she ended up doing was change the idea of a standard beauty look.”

On whether she faced challenges in the beginning, she tells Instep that she had to work on her body language and that was the only challenge she faced. “I am a staunch believer that if you are good at what you do, and polish your skills, you will be noticed. One of my mentors said to me that there are certain professions that you don’t pick, they pick you because you are meant to do them. It is your job to somehow manage and turn it into magic or make it iconic. And this has stuck with me. Having said that, I feel modelling is stressful because the working hours are very unpredictable; it could be a 3-or-4 am-call or you have to shoot till two in the morning.”

What sets Maha apart from others, in her opinion, one of her strongest physical features are her big eyes. She reveals that she tried out a lot of experimental looks and that definitely worked in her favour. “My skin tone too sets me apart. Duskier complexions have generally been well-received in the industry, take for example Zara Abid and Amna Ilyas. I feel my complexion helps me stand out and is one of my strengths.”

“Moreover, one power that I’ve always had is the great skill of talking. I’ve always been a conversationalist, and I think grooming plays an important part in making you a good model with great body language. When your personality shines, your body language starts talking on its own. This turned out to be my power and who knows there might be many that I have yet to discover,” she elaborates.

Maha Tahirani recently completed her LLB degree from the University of London. On how she managed studies and modelling together, the model says that it was tough before the pandemic hit the world.

“I used up all my energy when I was shooting and taking my classes. However, due to Covid-19, classes went online and it was a relief because I didn’t have to be physically present for my classes,” she says.

The next natural step for models in Pakistan usually tends to be acting, but for now Maha wants to pursue her academic ambitions. She has applied for the Bar Exam and she might appear for the CSS Exam as well.

“I have no clue what the future holds at the moment, and I am trying to figure out where to put all my energies and ambitions because there comes a time when you have to pick your power,” says Maha. “As for acting, I haven’t thought of it yet; if I get a good offer I might give it a shot to see what it’s like and gauge whether it’s my forte or not. However, in the next five years I see myself as a way more confident and comfortable person in my aura and with that power I don’t need a profession to define me.”