CHIT CHAT sorts. A West-inspired pop artist that ushered a new era Jamshed, on the brand’ s ethos and its survival amidst in Pakistan’ s music industry is now a well-versed religious mentor and takes every opportunity to offer a bit of Instep: Is J. Lawn suffering amidst increasing competi-
growing competition.
spiritual cleansing to those around him. But while such tion from designer lawns in the country? a change of heart and religious inclination was seen Junaid Jamshed: Yes, it is. I see the accounts every day across many a celebrity in the’ 90s, only a few remained and I can see that it’ s dealing with intense competition. determined over not backtracking into music – Jamshed I won’ t say that we are not concentrating on womenswear; we are in fact working really hard but I also do being a major example. What eventually stopped him from giving into life’ s musical temptations? We all are realize that others are also working very hard. But as far well aware of the change by what, after all, was the reason behind the change? to go before they match us.
as our menswear is concerned, others have a long way
“ Jim Carrey recently tweeted that‘ everybody should get It’ s not like we slacked; it’ s just that we branched out to rich and famous and do everything that they ever dreamt different product categories that shifted our focus and of so that they can see that it’ s not the answer’. That which, in turn, slowed down our progress in womenswear, allowing others to give us a tough time. That said, is the perfect explanation of your question. It happened around the time when‘ Dil Dil Pakistan’ was quoted the I am very happy with the way our local market is fl ourishing and I can see that they will eventually progress into third most popular song in the world. That same year I had a solo concert in Wembley Arena. The day after my the international market. I am actually enjoying the competition. We are 20 crore in population, it’ s about time we concert, Tina Turner was performing at the venue. A total of 16000 tickets were sold for my concert whereas only concentrate on our own consumer base and economy. 8500 tickets got sold for Turner’ s. I saw it all, fame and Instep: You’ ve recently launched a make-up line. How fortune, and yet I wasn’ t internally satisfi ed. I met priests do you think it’ s going to fare amidst stiff competition as well as Hindu samrats while on my search for inner from Masarrat Misbah, currently a popular local beauty peace but it was when a friend of mine made me meet brand from a beauty expert? Maulana Tariq Jamil that I fi nally got a sense of things,” JJ: I don’ t think there is any stiff competition. The market Jamshed shared about his road to spiritual enlightenment.“ When I told him that I have everything but even properly and yet it’ s becoming diffi cult for our sales guys
is huge. We haven’ t even advertised our make-up line then I am a unhappy man, his exact words were as follows:‘ Tumhe chot ek ghutne pe lagi hai aur tum marham for now. Misbah has her own market to cater to, she will
to handle the demand at a handful of outlets that stock it
doosre ghutne pe laga rahe ho. Allah ne insaan ko do do well with her line and we will with ours. And besides cheezon se banaya hai. Ek jism se banaya hai aur ek even if a 1000 make-up brands launch in Pakistan, there rooh se. Jism matti ka hai tou iski tamam zarooriyat ko still won’ t be a competition. All everyone needs to focus Allah ne matti mein rakkha hai. Rooh Allah ka amr hai on is quality control and value for money and consumers yeh, aasmanon se aayi hai. Is ki riza bhi aasmanon mein will come to them themselves. hai. Dil ke sukoon ka taaluq rooh se hai aur rooh ki ghiza Instep: The brand has made a conscious effort of not using models or any sort of human fi gure for its marketing hai Allah ka zikr’. That was a turning point in my life as if somebody had hit me hard on my head with a hammer. campaign. The same was approach was not followed in Then 9 / 11 happened and I was like no this isn’ t what launching Wasim Akram’ s perfume … Muslims are. Americans can’ t be thinking about us like JJ: I am personally against the concept of displaying this because America was one of my favourite countries; women on billboards. I am a modest Muslim and I fear it was like the Mecca of music. So I decided to take it Allah. I fi nd it disrespectful. As far as Wasim Akram is upon myself to show the world how a successful Muslim concerned, it was the brand’ s need so as to register is really is like. And I am still on that journey.” which Wasim Akram we are talking about amongst our
Of business and branding customers. I don’ t think J. needs celebrities to boost its First launched in 2002, the J. brand has come a long image. By Allah’ s grace we are a big brand already but way – from being a standalone shop on a street in Karachi to having multiple outlets not just across the country we show his face so as to avoid any sort of miscommu-
this was our tribute to Akram and so it was important that
but also across the world – the last few were launched nication and confusion. in Muscat, Damam, Dallas and Los Angeles. The brand Instep: At the perfume’ s launch, a particular picture with initially took over the market through its annual lawn collection preceded with a marketing campaign that came backlash from people who were quick to label you a
actress Ayesha Omar went viral and attracted severe
under the spotlight for not featuring any model with bare hypocrite. Your response? arms on man-sized billboards. But, it won’ t be wrong to JJ: I was the host and she was my guest. If she wanted say, that over the years the J. Lawn has lost its monopoly to a myriad of designer lawns that now crowd the should’ ve done? Just blatantly refuse? To be honest, I
to come and get a picture with me, what do you think I
market. That, however, hasn’ t stopped the brand from was double-minded over getting the picture taken but branching out to perfumes, accessories and now makeup. Instep spoke to the driving force of the brand, Junaid did not have the heart to say no.
she was my guest and I did not want to be rude to her. I
25 | BOOM