In a very loud style industry the reserved and reticent Altaf Hussain is an extreme rarity. While working as a hair and make-up artiste for the past 18 years with Nabila, he has been the brain and the hand behind most of the captivating and ravishing looks that models and stars fascinate us with via ad campaigns, magazine shoots and fashion shows.

Altaf has secured himself a place among the top hair and make-up wizards in the country, but despite this prolific and productive association with fashion and entertainment he keeps away from the media glare; timidly admitting that at heart he is a small-town person living in a big city who is happy to do his work unobtrusively and then quietly go home to the peace and quietude of his personal life.

In a this interview to Images on Sunday, Altaf talks about how it all began for him. He firmly believes that if one works hard and maintains a positive attitude one will ultimately realise his/her dreams. “I absolutely love the process of creation... coming up with ideas is the best part of my profession as a hair and make-up artist. It's not just a job for me, it's a lifestyle and I feel very lucky to be able to live it.

“I was looking for a job when make-up artiste Munaf spoke to Saquib Malik and advised me to meet him. Being a friend of Nabila, Saquib spoke to her about me and I got a call from her. After two months she assigned me my first 'job'.”

Nervous as hell, he remembers not expecting things to start rolling so unexpectedly. The task was on the sets of a TV play and to blow dry and do the hair of the leading lady — none other than Babra Sharif! “I was so nervous... after all it was Babra. But she was very nice and cooperative. I did her hair for the play for five episodes and a month later Nabila called again and asked me if I would like to join her as an assistant.”

But those early days weren't exactly a bed of roses. “Initially I didn't really like it... I didn't blend in. Here I was a fresh grad out of college and now I was working in this all-female environment. I wanted to run away. But then I persistently took interest in what I was doing and within a short span of time I picked up the finer points of the profession. Nabila initially groomed me as a make-up artiste since she saw that I am good with colours and then eased me into doing hair as well. She would get a model, ask me to cut her hair and then inspect my work.”

After receiving the fundamental, basic training from his mentor, Altaf has been attending regular courses abroad. “The first time I accompanied Nabila to Vidal Sassoon, London, where I got see what a huge industry hair and make-up is abroad. Since then I have been attending refresher courses every two years or so.”

While keeping one's skills and techniques fresh and up-to-date in all areas of hair and make-up is very important, according to Altaf “the looks originating abroad cannot be totally applied or copied back here. They have to be adapted to suit Pakistani faces.”

Taking about creating looks for campaign shoots, Altaf says that he has earned enough credibility as a stylist for clients ranging from heads of multinationals and creative heads to place their trust in him. “For photo and magazine shoots, I listen to what the designers have in mind and also advise them about the latest look, etc. At times, I plan a creative hair and make-up shoot where the vision is entirely mine, and I tell the photographer what kind of effect I want with the lighting, etc.” He is a great admirer of international make-up artists Kevin McCoy and Mickey Contractor, the latter from India.

In a field where there is an abundance of backstabbing and severe deficiency of loyalty, Altaf's dedication and devotion to his mentor is quite well-known and even talked about deferentially within the industry. What is it that has kept him grounded to Nabila's for almost two decades now? “I respect her a lot for the vistas she has opened for me. I have also been amply rewarded in return and now as Creative Vice-President I am also in charge of training staff. I believe if you show respect and loyalty, you get the same in return. I have never let her down professionally and she has paid me back in kind. During the past 10 years or so, apart from one of two all the big names in the style industry have approached me with lucrative offers.”

Altaf also worked for the big screen when he did Gia Ali's make-up for her debut film, Deewane Tere Pyar Ke, and says that he enjoyed the project in the sense that he got to see Mauritius where much of it was shot. “But I didn't exactly relish the experience as it was very time consuming. I enjoy working for TV dramas and fashion shows more.”

What are his relations like with others in the industry, specially the models? “We have a policy of no favouritism. Some models might not be happy with this but we deal with everyone equally,” says Altaf.