I use the word phantom because a male model is usually just an apparition that walks down the runway or lends a shoulder to the model in a shoot but seldom do we relate to him by name or nature.
Best model (male) nominee: Abbas Jafri aka Jesus!
Best Model (male) nominee: Kashif Deewan
Best Model (male) nominee: Waleed Khalid
While one is familiar with Iffy Zafar and Abbas Jafri this year, it took me time to figure out who Waleed Khalid and Kashif Deewan were.
Kashif Deewan (above) has been modeling for many brands, most prominently I feel for Republic. And Waleed Khalid (left), the fourth nominee, is the face of HSY for men. Interestingly, both Republic and HSY are also nominees for Best Menswear. They have been nominated along with Fahad Hussayn, Ismail Farid and Jazib Qamar.
While Ismail Farid and HSY are both past winners I really feel that Omar Farooq @ Republic is the hottest contender for the award this year. His shows have been consistently impressive and he is one designer who has managed to win us over with his refined and sophisticated aesthetic and for designing menswear that we would actually like to see our men wearing.
