Amir, you are
born in Tehran, Iran. You moved with you family in 1986 to Dubai and you have
travelled the world as an international model. What are your favorite places in
the world and why? Has this time influenced you?
I would like to start with a big hello and a special thank to you dear Nadine for giving me the pleasure of being interviewed
by your magazine.
Back to your first question, well … whether it was modeling,
studying, work or simply holiday trips… I have always loved traveling and it is
really hard to pin point few favorite places … through the years I have had a
chance to know & get acquainted with people of almost all nationalities.
Every city & every person whether good or bad have a little something new
which they add to our personal story book to make us more wise ,enlightened and
complete.
As an
international model for more than a decade you have worked with most
prestigious designers and brands in the world. How did you start your Modeling carrier?
I was 17 when offered my first modeling job for a
newspaper advert and there after I signed up with very few existing agents in
Dubai and my modeling carrier picked up from local fashion shows & TV
commercials gradually to international catwalks & big assignments.
I am the first Iranian male model ( both parents being
Iranian) who entered the international fashion & catwalk scene back in early
90’s.
Modeling
is very tough industry, especially since back in then there was no digital
photography & websites for you to reach agencies in 4 corners of the globe
within minutes from the comfort of your personal PC and neither MySpace,
Facebook & fan pages to get noticed or promote yourself as easy as it is
happening today… and of course we had no
Photoshop magic … so to get work & make it as a successful model you had to
be the real deal.
How would you describe your personal fashion style? What
are your favorites brands and why? Do you have a
preferred accessories or which fashion is essential for you?
When
it comes to personal fashion style I never blindly follow the crowd or what are
season’s trends.
The
clothes you wear say a lot about your personality and you want to express
yourself in a way that is true about you. As or my favorite brands? … Wow!!! 2
decades of fashion craze & too many to mention.
My
favorite accessories would be watches. I have been buying & collecting
luxury watches for many years now.
You are an architect, located with your
own business company in Dubai, responsible for over 150 diverse projects in the
last 14 years like Residential/Commercial & Luxury Villas, Steel Structure
Buildings, Warehouses and Interior Decoration for Private Villas, Offices,
Hotels & Restaurants.
Dubai is known for its many spectacular
construction projects such as skyscrapers, shopping malls, artificial islands
and theme parks and for many people in the still the symbol as the modern fairy
tale of 1001 nights.
How have you experienced the development in
the last 10 -15 years in Dubai? And how do you get your inspiration and ideas
for your own business projects / for your client’s needs ?
It has been a design paradise for Architects &
interior designers. Driving through the main roads you can see amazing
buildings which are each unique if standing alone but since there are too many
… well we who live here are used to it.
Since my father was a civil engineer & my sister later
on joined us as an interior architect/designer … it was perfect match for a
family business. Luckily in Dubai unlike many other cities we have plenty of
space as far as designing and ideas are concern. Bigger rooms, bigger houses,
bigger roads …. Well bigger & taller everything!
In the past 7 years I have been less involved in
architectural part of my company and more in Expansion, Directing & closing
the contract deals with clients.
As an architect, what do you think about
the world, the palms, the Atlantis, the Burj Al Arab and the Burj Khalifa?
The projects you mentioned are all amazing record breaking
landmarks … which are all the superb visionaries of HH sheikh Mohammed Al
maktoum who managed to get Dubai’s name on the world map within the space of 15
years. Outstanding architecture made a significant contribution to that
development.
How would you describe the lifestyle in
Dubai and how you prefer to spend an evening during the weekend? Any special
spots in the town? Why people are so are fascinated by Dubai and the UAE?
Over the past 25 plus years I have seen Dubai changing From
a peaceful simple & quite town where everyone knew everyone , into a fast
moving competitive ,glittering metropolis full of utopias ...so fast growing
that its is hard to keep up with name & list of new places ,hotels, clubs
& restaurants .
I am one of the well known old timers in Dubai & have
done, tried everything this city had to
offer hundred times over so now a days personally I prefer mostly to have a
nice relaxing evenings with only those few close to me … but in general Dubai
always offers the best of daytime activities and a super nightlife full of
beautiful people & places, incase you feel like having more than just a
relaxing evening!!!
Any special spots … ? Honestly there are too many to
mention.
As you have mentioned … there’s a fascination with this
town & especially over the last decade I have seen people from all over the
world either move or planning to somehow
make it here if possible.
Although this is a city for many dreams to come through …
I must warn you! It is not all 1001 night fairy tales which many imagine it to
be. Dubai is a melting pot of 85% expat population which includes educated
& non educated business professionals from every country & race …. All
here for one purpose and that is to make money. So while visiting or staying
for few weeks might feel like a fairy tale … living & making it out here
requires hard work & being really good at what you do in order to stay
ahead. This is a city designed for winners only and without work people won’t
last more than few months in here.
Dubai is bidding to host the EXPO in
2020 under the theme ‘Connecting Minds, Creating the Future’, for a period of
six month, what would attract a lot of visitors. Besides this, where do you see
Dubai in the following years or where would you like seen Dubai recognized for
in the next years?
Dubai is still a new city & it is going through many
fazes of transformation & challenges … today it thrives with the fastest
growing population of expatriates!
As for its future? With the foremost infrastructure, oil,
world-class constructions, one of world’s biggest sea port, tourism, lowest
rate of crime & most importantly the financial benefits for businesses… I
think it’ll just get better.
What are your favorite cars or yachts
and why? Do you make race ralley’s in the desert?
My favorite car right now is the new Aston martin
vanquish 2013 which is absolutely gorgeous inside & outside. When it comes
to sport cars I like cars that you can drive them wearing either casual or a tuxedo
and still look good I them. Aston, jaguar and Bentley GT would fit the list.
I have a limited
edition sport jag xkr which I drive sometimes during weekends … but with ever
increasing traffic & hyper drivers all over town I prefer mostly the back
seat comfort & quite of my other car.
As for desert ralleys ? Ha ha … I am not really in to
that!! Maybe if I was 18.
You are a Certified International Boxing
Instructor ( AIBA- Golden gloves ) Have you won discipline by boxing? What do
you like about this sport? any sports besides?
Boxing is in my blood line & part of me .My father
Mr. Iraj Dor Tolouee is a former world, Asian ,national boxing champion &
founder of sport in U.A.E. I learned boxing from a young age & it has
greatly influenced or shaped my character & strong personality in life
outside the GYM.
I did competitions many years back but to become a full
time fighter … it required certain disciplines, strict life style & full
time dedication which back then did not match the lifestyle which naturally
came with my modeling ,studding & business carrier, therefore I concentrated
more on becoming a good instructor with international qualifications teaching
hundreds of students over past years .
To box does not necessarily mean stepping between the
ropes and dodging punches from an angry opponent trying to knock your head off.
Boxing can simply be a means of getting yourself into
great shape, learning effective self-defense for personal safety & the
world outside the ring ,to release tension and stress ... especially after a long
busy day. To develops focus ,balance and concentration. The sport allows you to
be aware of your positive qualities and abilities, as well as recognizing your
faults, mistakes and shortcomings .
I do enjoy other forms of martial arts, have a brown belt
in kempo, love swimming, shooting, golf, tennis.
What means
personality for you?
Personality is a sum total of all the different ways in
which a person reacts and interacts with others. When I meet someone for the
first time within first 10 minutes…it is their personality which determines
whether I want to meet this person again or not. It is an assumed role or
manner of behavior, Charisma, or qualities that make a us stand out from the
crowd.
What goals and dreams you have set for
yourself for the future?
Interesting question … you know ,if you would have asked
me the same 10 or 15 years ago my answer would have been quite different … more
recognition, more success, more money no matter what !!! But as I went through some of that my
priorities began to change. I have grown wiser & now appreciate what’s really
important in life. I would say my goals are now set on first health, love,
peace & happiness no matter what. As long as I have these in my future …
the rest should be fine.
What does
‘beautiful’ mean to you and could you leave us with your own personal quote
reflecting how you feel about it?
Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. To me, someone with
certain features, who's confident, self-assured, pure and kind could be
described beautiful. When it comes to people …Beauty is either about the obvious
physical attributes that are pleasing or the inner appearance of a person.
Their soul, kindness, beliefs, feelings, attitudes, etc.
Thank you dear Amir for taking time for this fantastic interview. It is more than a pleasure for me.
(PS: This interview was taken in June 2013 and I've made this while working as a Co-founder of an e-magazine. All I have written is my work, my preparation for it and it is my fully right to post it.)
