Deepak Perwani

Deepak Perwani
Born1974 (age 49–50)[1]
NationalityPakistani
Occupations
  • Fashion designer
  • actor
  • model
Years active1994–present
RelativesNaveen Perwani (cousin)
Websitedeepakperwani.com

Deepak Perwani (born 1974) (Sindhi: ديپڪ پرواني) is a Pakistani fashion designer and actor. In 1996, he introduced the fashion label Deepak Perwani (DP) as a bridal and formal wear couture house. The Bulgarian Fashion Awards named Perwani the sixth-best fashion designer in the world in 2014.[2]

Perwani's accolades include seven Lux Style Awards and a Guinness World Record for designing the largest kurta in the world. He has been Pakistan's cultural ambassador to China and Malaysia, and regularly represents the country's fashion scene at local and international events. He has designed for high-profile figures such as Javed Akhtar and Shabana Azmi, among other celebrities. Additionally, Perwani has acted in a few TV shows and films, having made his debut in the drama Mere Paas Paas (2004–05).[3]

Life and career

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Perwani was born in 1974[1] in a Sindhi Hindu family of Pakistan,[4] and was raised up in Mirpurkhas.[5][6] His cousin, Naveen Perwani, is a snooker player who has represented the country globally in several tournaments.[7] Deepak pursued a year-long course in Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, before returning to Pakistan in 1994. In 1996, Perwani introduced his own fashion label, Deepak Perwani (DP), as a bridal and formal wear couture house and also opened a flagship store in Zamzama.[8][9]

In his career, he has collaborated with international brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Benson & Hedges and Hugo Boss.[10] Perwani holds a Guinness World Record for designing the largest kurta in the world—that took a team of fifty professional tailors and thirty days to make it, weighing 800 kg, 101 feet tall and 59 feet 3 inches wide, with each sleeve being 57 feet long.[11]

Perwani has been Pakistan's cultural ambassador to China and Malaysia, the brand ambassador for the World Gold Council, and is also a member of South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA).[12][13] He has won seven Lux Style Awards,[6] five BFA awards,[2] and one Indus Style Guru Award.[13]

Besides fashion designing, Perwani has also acted in a few films and TV shows.[14] He made his debut in Mere Paas Paas (2004–05)[3] and later appeared in the successful drama Kadoorat (2013) alongside Sanam Saeed, which was followed by Soteli (2014) opposite Sabreen Hisbani.[6] He played supporting characters in Yunhi (2023) and Very Filmy (2024).[15][16]

Media image

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Perwani is accredited in the media as the first designer to make a mark in for male fashion in Pakistan.[17] He regularly represents the country's fashion scene at various local and international events, and has designed for high-profile figures such as the Indian writer Javed Akhtar and actresses Shabana Azmi and Frieha Altaf.[18][8] His designs were also used to launch Nadia Hussain—Pakistan's first supermodel.[19] Perwani earned an image of "bad boy" of men's fashion owing to his unconventional designs.[13] Actress and model Vaneeza Ahmad calls him the most innovative designer she has worked with.[20]

Journalist Sameer Arshad of The Times of India refers to Perwani as the global face of Pakistani fashion and one of the "enduring symbols of the country's soft power".[7] In 2014, the Bulgarian Fashion Awards (BFA) named Perwani the sixth-best fashion designer in the world, ranking him number one in the Middle East region.[2] Perwani is also the only Pakistani designer to be featured in the Atlas of Fashion Designers by Laura Eceiza.[11]

He is active on the social media applications Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Suktara Ghosh of The Quint included him in her listing of "Five Pakistani fashion designers you must follow on Instagram".[21] Perwani has been vocal on his Twitter handle against the forced conversions of young Hindu girls in Sindhi region of Pakistan.[22][23]

Filmography

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Television series

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Year Title Role Channel Ref(s)
2004–05 Mere Paas Paas Adil Hum TV [3]
2013 Kadoorat Mahmud [6]
2014 Soteli ARY Digital [6]
2023 Yunhi Naveed Ali Hum TV [15]
2024 Very Filmy Ehsaan [16]
Qarz e Jaan Bakhtiar [24]

Films

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Year Title Role Notes Ref(s)
2017 Punjab Nahi Jaungi Fashion designer [25]
2018 Altered Skin Farooq [citation needed]

References

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  1. ^ a b Joseph, Manu (5 September 2004). "Jai Kali Karachi Wali". Outlook India. Retrieved 21 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b c Tapal, Nida (13 August 2014). "BFA: Deepak Perwani crowned 6th best fashion designer in the world". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Menswear is all about being in trend with New York, London and Paris: Deepak Perwani". dailytimes.com.pk. 8 June 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  4. ^ NewsBytes. "Deepak Perwani hosts a crackling Diwali party at this new home". The News International. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  5. ^ "How Diwali is celebrated across the world". Gulf News. 15 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e Ullah, Muhammad Asad (19 March 2017). ""Fashion is a very fickle business"". Gulf Times. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  7. ^ a b Arshad, Sameer. "Pakistani Hindus are a resilient minority too". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  8. ^ a b OK!Pakistan (17 February 2018). "DEEPAK PERWANI". OK! Pakistan. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  9. ^ Sabeeh, Maheen (10 October 2024). ""I am fashion" – Deepak Perwani". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  10. ^ "Pakistan's Deepak Perwani wants to design for Deepika". Business Standard. 29 September 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Pakistani fashion designer Deepak Perwani who holds a Guinness World Records". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  12. ^ "Pride of Pakistan: Deepak Perwani". Daily Times. 14 August 2018. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  13. ^ a b c Ahmed, Sabrina F. (2008). "Deepak Perwani". The Daily Star. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  14. ^ Zeenat Style. "Deepak Parwani - Zeenat Style". zeenatstyle.com. Archived from the original on 16 November 2011.
  15. ^ a b "Drama Review: Yunhi - Hurmat Majid - Youlin Magazine". youlinmagazine.com. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  16. ^ a b Mossadiq, Zainab (27 March 2024). "HUM TV's Very Filmy strikes the perfect balance between love, laughter, and meaningful messages". Images. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  17. ^ Ahmed, Irim (11 March 2007). "Interview with Deepak Perwani". Raw (magazine). Retrieved 27 October 2024.
  18. ^ Sheikh, Irfan (6 September 2010). "Deepak Perwani: Inspired by art". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  19. ^ Moini, Rajaa (23 March 2022). "Newer models don't have class or a personality: Nadia Hussain, Deepak Perwani on 'better' days". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  20. ^ "Marriage is on the cards, says Deepak Perwani".
  21. ^ Ghosh, Suktara (17 August 2016). "Five Pakistani Fashion Designers You Must Follow On Instagram". TheQuint. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  22. ^ sheikh, sajeer (21 December 2023). "Stop forced conversions: Deepak Perwani addresses 'dark reality that Pakistan needs to change'". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  23. ^ "Stop Forced Conversions: Deepak Perwani". The Pakistan Daily. 21 December 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  24. ^ "Qarz-e-Jaan's debut episode captivates viewers' hearts". Hum TV. 23 November 2024.
  25. ^ Haq, Irfan Ul (29 August 2017). "It was a big challenge: Deepak Perwani on designing 300 outfits for Punjab Nahi Jaungi". Images. Retrieved 27 October 2024.
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