Tariq Amin has quite a reputation. He has a reputation for styling fashion like no one else can in Pakistan. He has a reputation for being one of the most fundamental building blocks of the fashion industry - styling the first Lux Style Awards in 2002 and the first annual Carnival De Couture. Much before that, he has a reputation of providing the fashion industry with some of its biggest names, models and stylists including Aliya Zaidi, Bibi, Atiya Khan, Humayoun Khan, Mubashir Khan, Shaheen Saeed, need I say more? And of course, at the end of it all, he has a reputation of being the emotional, volatile man that he is. As the nursery rhyme goes, 'When he's good, he's very, very good and when he's bad, he's horrid."

But why does he come with such a warning?
At six feet plus, Tariq cuts an overwhelming and intimidating figure. Add to that a shaven head and a body decorated with chunky silver accessories and you have a man who gives off very dangerous vibes to most people. Not many people who see him know he is married with two young children and that he prefers to live in Islamabad, not Karachi, because he feels an innate bond with nature and because he feels Isloo is a better place to raise his family. But his appearance defies all that. The interesting thing is that 'danger' is just a sign he carries on his skin… like the roles he undertakes in music videos. He is a performer, after all, whether he steps into the skin of a clown in 'Sun Re', a genie in 'Channo', or the devil incarnate in 'Mr Fraudiay'.

But under all that paint, there is a man who has given so much to Pakistan's fashion industry. Modesty isn't one of his strongest virtues and he does tend to go on about his accomplishments, which again makes him sound proud and aggressive but one has to agree with him to a large extent. Tariq has played a pivotal role in building this industry and his work is still remembered as the strokes of a master.
It's not just his skill that has elevated his status. Back in 2004, when the Lux Style Awards flew out to Dubai and Tariq was handling the styling, one witnessed uproar back stage. But instead of some model throwing tantrums, it was Tariq, in his characteristic moods, convincing management to give his (meaning Pakistani) stars the same kind of treatment that was being meted out to Sonu Nigam and Priyanka Chopra who were scheduled to perform at the show. He was fighting for dressing rooms for Meera and Shan too, and it came down to the ultimatum, 'do it or I walk.' That of course, made the LSA management's life hell but for the industry it was the ultimate oath of loyalty.

But that was then and this is now. Tariq has virtually been working in hibernation for the past two years, surfacing only for the occasional styling whether it's an Ammar Belal shoot or an Abbas Ali Khan music video. Fashion shows haven't really been on his palette until he made a comeback last month with the crazy, funky Castrol show and then the equally classic Sunsilk style icon presentation.

"The best thing about my two year sabbatical," he says, "is that I was missed and that feels good." But he is quick to clarify that the break was not something he opted for. It was the consequence of his fall-out with his best friend and work companion, Frieha Altaf. Since he was doing a great body of work with her, he suddenly found himself in a vacuum. The split happened in a rather dreadful manner, with Tariq sending out a nasty SMS to more than half the industry.

"It was nasty but I was so hurt," he justifies the message that will go down in the annals of fashion history. "I acted emotionally because she betrayed me. I was so close to her and she betrayed me. Frieha was my best friend, she's family, and her kids called me Uncle. Even today if she decides to say 'sorry' I'll put it all behind me," he adds, dismissing the conversation with the wave of a chopstick.
We meet at the Pearl Continental, Karachi where Tariq has a salon and not much has changed since the last time I interviewed him here, before a Lawrencepur show. The mirrors on the wall are just as big and the place is just as busy as ever. Tariq quickly and chivalrously pushes away a bowl of Maggie noodles for lunch at Sakura. And as he talks about his love for Japanese food, he remembers a past trip to Japan where the organizers had arranged for a 'naan kebab' lunch for the crew.

"I told them I haven't come to Japan to eat this," he laughs, "I ended up paying for my own lunch but having sushi with those who had decided to join me."

Is it the fact that he speaks his mind that people find it hard to work with him?
"I don't think they do," he states. "I'm an easy going person and I'm not difficult to work with at all. I do have an opinion and just the fact that I'm not afraid of saying it but the whole 'he's so difficult to work with image' is something that was intentionally created around me so no one would want to work with me."
But what now, I ask him. He has made a fantastic comeback and how does he intend to proceed from here? Other than his salons and the Sunsilk contract - he's been associated with the brand for quite some time now - he also runs a record label, Indispensable Communications which he co-founded with Kashif Haqqi.

"IC has shifted base to Dubai," Tariq states, refusing to answer any questions on the controversies and the fact that many musicians who had initially signed up with IC were dissatisfied with it. "You'll have to ask Kashif these questions as I'm just the creative director. I handle the styling of the videos and as far as that goes, I have to say that I've given the music industry several number one hits." Tariq mentions 'Channo', 'Malal', 'Khamaj', 'Sun Re' and several others as prime example.

"I've done so much for people out of the love for the art but now, after so many years, I want to do something for myself. I want to work for myself and I want to live for myself. For the first time, I want to invest in my life. I have a family, my kids are growing up and I need to invest in their future. What has changed about this industry is that no one wants to pay you now. Some people have destroyed its professionalism. It's all about freebies and scratching each others backs and I refuse to be part of this brothel. I have earned the price that I charge and I'm not afraid to claim it."

Tariq Amin is an elitist and he's proud of it. He looks down on people - 'wannabes' as he calls them - who come from no-where and socially climb themselves into the scene. Fashion is art and art is an elitist thing, he says. "I have good aesthetics because I've lived the life; I've read the books and traveled all over the world. More than anything, I've grown up seeing my parents live the life of luxury - the clubs, the saris and the cigars. I have good aesthetics because aesthetics are in my blood."

And he's certainly not ready to give it all up so easily. Tariq Amin is back with a couple of things up his sleeve. He's already managed his first event - the Castrol show - and he's back to styling shoots - he's just done one with Nomi Ansari. He's also exploring the artistic side of him and has been involved in putting Benazir Bhutto's anniversary art exhibition together. The exhibition is currently up at the PTV station in Islamabad but will be shifted to the PNCA before it travels to Lahore and Karachi.

Tariq also knows he would do a fantastic job if he started a modeling agency and is just waiting for the right deal to come up. The important thing is that Tariq is back and being Tariq Amin, he'll never be short of ideas!