It’s been 25 years since the fashion industry was first introduced to the phenomenon known as Imran Qureshi. To mark this turning point, we decided to give a bit of a twist to the obligatory interview: we had Imran interviewed by his own choice of journalist. That might not be how most people know famous fashion designer Rizwan Beyg as, but he was in actuality the perfect choice. Not only has he been a much-admired columnist of an English weekly, but he also happens to be great friends with our anniversary boy, and that is how an otherwise straightforward interview turned into a friendly chitchat session.

He sits at the table with his soft brown eyes and floppy hair and I look carefully for gray but there is none. He claims to be 47 but the face and slight build belie his claim. 25 years later Imran Qureshi is still very much a force to contend with and as the founding father of choreography in Pakistan is very much a part of the who’s who in fashion.

Nabila has a gentle presence, hardly the intimidating façade you would expect a person with her fame and popularity to have. In a way, she is larger than the celebrities she deals with. Her credibility comes from almost 20 years of hard work. The architecture and interiors of her salons are testament to her philosophy: everything must be underplayed except elegance; styles and their lines must be subdued and restrained, the Zen disturbed only by a dramatic burst of anarchy.

Her passion for discipline borders on desperation to constantly take things higher. “I believe in raising the bar. I just can’t be satisfied in taking what’s given to me. I have to push the limits.”

Few, dare to be different. Especially, in an extremely conservative society. Even fewer, find acclaim in doing so. She’s one of them. Nabila. Rebellious and revolutionary. Known for defying conventions, Nabila’s ventured into uncharted terrain and walked her way to victory as Pakistan’s top hair stylist and make-up artist. Today, she’s a name well-regarded in the international fashion scene for her unique work.

For a person whose made her mark in the make-up business over an impressive 20 years, Nabila comes across as rather soft-spoken and unassuming. Pride is a thing that’s not on her palette. A rare virtue in the world of high-fashion, where people wear ego on their sleeve. She allows her work to speak for her. Work that’s visionary, and challenges all that’s in vogue. An attitude, that’s way ahead of times.

Nabila talks in headlines. Most of her talk revolves around Nabila the person, Nabila the professional and Nabila the phenomenon. If at all she ever talks about anything other than Nabila, then it is almost always how Nabila views the world around her. No wonder the media loves her to death. Every time she opens her mouth, there is a rippling effect in the fashion pond. There is no denying the fact that she is no small fish in the pond.

For those who do not know her well enough, these statements sound like cryptic mutterings of a megalomaniac; those who do have learned to decipher her statements. And they all vouch for her sensibility. Surely, all the encoded mutterings of a megalomaniac have some truth in them. Nabila has achieved a status where she manages to get away with verbal blue murders. But it did not happen overnight. It has taken 20 years of hard work, an ever-evolving vision and a very, very sharp and strong focus. She does not have a last name. She does not even need one. She has gone way beyond a name, becoming a brand.

What is power? Who has it? How can you tell? These are questions that have no easy answers. Ask an assertive journalist, and you’ll hear a vehement dismissal of all glamour types and the list of powerful people whittling down to a stodgy industry bigwigs. Ask a starry-eyed showbiz fanatic and you’ll hear a bubbly eulogy for all the hot starlets who in reality would not even have the clout to wangle a solo project. So the dilemma remains.

The next best things are not some secondary alternatives to the real things. These are the real things! They are the next generation of superstars. Perhaps the term “generation” would not be applicable here since the world of showbiz seems to lie in another dimension where time moves a lot quicker and a “generation” often passes in a matter of seconds. After all, as everyone knows, fame is fickle! Not so with this talented bunch. Though they might not be household names yet, each and member of this chosen elite has what it takes to make it in the big bad world of showbiz. Their staying power is exemplified by their accomplishments so far - accomplishments which might not have been vast in scale, but were definitely ample in quality. We predict great things for them, and don’t hesitate to tell you that they will soon graduate from being the next best things, to the best of the best.

The show got bigger this year. Not only did the organizers fly out to Dubai, giving the local entertainment industry much-needed international exposure, they also collaborated with a television network, ensuring a much wider audience than our local channels could ever pull off.

Indian talent, comprising professional dancers, stage designers and technical assistants, was flown in to fill the gaps, but this year’s Lux Style Awards could easily have been better executed than last year’s programme had the picture not been overexposed to the glitter and gaudiness of Bollywood. The India-based Sony TV channel, as director and producer of the show, was perhaps given too much freedom to project it as it wanted, right from the poster at the front desk down to the silver and gold tinsel on stage.

The scene opens to a girl surrounded by kids, all in cricket gear, enjoying an energetic game. The camera zooms in on the girl who is called aside by her elders to welcome a relative. She is hesitant in removing her peecap and smarten herself for the reason.

She is a girl who refuses to give up what she enjoys in life just because she has grown up. She is Fiza Ali

The real surprise was that the character that you had become familiar with in Mehndi is based on Fiza’s true self. “That actually depicts the real me.