The Man Behind N-Gents, Lahore

Markhor’s collaboration with N-Gents, Lahore, opened new doors for us and allowed us to meet many wonderful individuals, including the creative director of N-Gents himself. A man of class who is very thoughtful and passionate towards everything he does. He has travelled the world and built great relations with top companies and brands around the globe, including some prestigious footwear brands as well.

It’s always a joy to converse with him in person and to hear about his remarkable experiences, so we decided to share some of those with you.

How would you describe where you are in life right now?

Life is an unending journey. It never stops. However, currently, it is at a fascinating transition point filled with the wealth of learning from my past experiences and an anticipation of an even more exciting journey ahead. 

What has been your biggest passion project?

N-Gents without question. 

What does the term “gentleman” mean to you in today’s time?

A gentleman is that elegant man who carries a set good values, Style, honour, courtesy and politeness. Values, over generations keep evolving but the key attributes of a gentleman remain constant and relevant at all times. A gentleman’s behaviour is aspirational for all men. The dedication of a man to guard and pass-on these values, style and honour of an era-gone-by is something that resonates with a gentleman.

Why do you think it’s important to maintain this niche (of gentlemen) in the world?

Men aspire to be gentlemen and there is a place for the gentlemen in all societies. A gentleman has a place in every society irrespective of cultural, geographical, ethnic or faith based divide. The society, ever since it became civilised, has always appreciated gentlemen. They are always distinguished from the men who may not be considered as gentlemen in behaviour. The sense of style continues to evolve but the timeless values of being a gentleman do not change. We want to maintain this niche for its powerful appeal to men of all generations to come. We provide a contemporary style in old world ambience with service level of a bygone era to provide a home to this niche.

Tell us a bit about your footwear collection.

Footwear is a key indicator of style in any man, let alone a gentleman. It reflects the inner man (or shall we say gentleman) to the outside world. A footwear collection shows one’s attitude towards life. Anyone’s footwear collection can express exactly that. 

I like to be involved in creating my own footwear. I personally work with footwear artists or bespoke manufacturers to create the design and patina of my shoes. I have been fortunate to work with none other than Olga Berluti herself to create my bespoke footwear.  

Why should one invest in a pair of handmade leather shoes?

Simply because they are comfortable and adaptive to one’s foot size and shape. They also offer an opportunity to the buyer and creator to express themselves, express excellence and creativity. Hand sewn leather shoes have a breathing ability to keep the feet healthy. The style of handmade shoes stands apart from the rest of footwear. Above all, the purpose of a pair of shoes is comfort first and then to express yourself. Both these things can be better achieved with handmade shoes. 

Are there any other interests that you can share with us? How do these interests help keep you centered?

Golf, ethical and sustainable hunting, trekking and cooking are some of my other interests. They are all very engaging activities and demand focus, therefore, it becomes a habit to remain centered. They also balance out and separate work from leisure by creating a breathing space in between. 

Pierre Hermé stated in an interview that, “When technique is mastered, that’s when it becomes invisible.” What can you say about this?

If you are referring to the Patissier Maestro Pierre Herme, I think he meant that the complicated process of creating a master dessert should not be visible. What should be visible is the end product, its attraction and its ability to kindle a desire to eat it with an emotion. In creating everyday products and services we are not selling the process or technique but the end product. That’s why at N-Gents, we try to create an experience that evokes an emotion to come back.  

As a man who works systematically, everything around you has a set pattern. Why are those things important, even if most of your customers won’t ever see them?

Simply because it is the summation of all these small things that create the ultimate experience for our guests. To understand the personal grooming needs of a guest, one has to pay attention to a score of minor details. Therefore, attention to detail and creating a repeatable set pattern in those details is the most important thing in our business. 

Could you imagine a life without work?

No, never. 

As someone who has travelled across the globe, what has been one encounter that stuck with you?

Quite frankly, it's difficult to single out one encounter. There are a few that stuck with me and most of them revolved around compassion, deep human interaction, non-glamorous, down-to-earth incidents or people.  

How would you define the term “achievements in life”?

For me, achievement is a journey in life and not a destination. As we evolve, so does the sense of our achievements. However, in life, we have set prerequisites that achievements should be pre-defined. That should not be the case, for serendipity cannot be called an achievement. You have to set goals, work hard to achieve them and only then can they be called an achievement. 

Please give a word of advice to the younger generations, about work, life in general, anything.

Set your life goals very high, dream big, plan how to achieve your dreams and never be deterred by failure. Keep trying. Never feel threatened by adversity. Recognise the rapid change happening in knowledge and technology base based new socio economic order. Adapt the new code of life and the new pace of socio economic change. Those adapting this new code will be the winners.

However, the boundaries between work and family, work and play are getting blurred. Speed of action and response is replacing the due diligence process of our actions. Take a pause to strike a balance between work and play, work and family. This can give you a higher sense of fulfilment and achievement in life. will lead a happy life. Find that “me time” daily in your life to evaluate the equilibrium of life and continuously adapt until you are happy.