Lifestyle Vistas

How have Pakistanis' lifestyles changed in the last 27 years?

AuroraUpdated 18 Aug, 2025 10:37am

In its March-April 2011 edition, Aurora profiled Nabila, the iconic stylist and entrepreneur, and asked whether her “borderline obsession with beauty” might be considered superficial. She disagreed, instead describing her ‘inside-out’ philosophy: “I think that looking good is directly linked to feeling good and having high self-esteem. Feeling good is what motivates me, so I assume that it can motivate others as well.”

Nearly 15 years later, this mindset seems to have fully permeated the Pakistani consumer psyche. Over the past 27 years, Aurora has chronicled the transformation of lifestyle choices in Pakistan; in beauty and personal care, fashion and textiles, health and wellness, real estate and more. These shifts have been driven by the rise of mall culture, expanded digital access, changing aspirations and a growing desire for holistic living – all dramatically accelerated by the pandemic. In the late nineties, Aurora‘s coverage of the beauty sector focused on fairness creams and imported skincare brands that mirrored both global and local aspirational ideals. Over time, this narrative changed. According to Statista, Pakistan’s beauty and personal care market is projected to reach $5.10 billion in 2025, up from $1.7 billion in 2018, with 7.3% of sales expected online. This growth is fuelled by digital literacy and a surge in home-grown brands such as Her Beauty, Conatural, and Sapphire Botanics, many of which emphasise clean beauty and sustainability. Even traditional players like Saeed Ghani have rebranded to stay relevant, evolving their communication strategies to reflect values such as inclusivity, individuality, and self-care.

The fashion and textile industry has undergone an equally dramatic shift. Where early Aurora issues tracked the rise of Khaadi and Gul Ahmed as retail disruptors, today’s brands have become full-fledged lifestyle houses, offering not only apparel but home decor, perfumes, footwear and accessories. With a combined market value of over $5.6 billion, these brands have expanded into Pakistan’s secondand third-tier cities, democratising fashion. More importantly, they have embraced inclusive storytelling. Campaigns such as Generation’s ‘Greater Than Fear’, which featured models with vitiligo, hair loss, and diverse body types, have challenged outdated beauty norms and reshaped how fashion reflects society.

The wellness movement is a newer but equally powerful force. Although fragmented in data, Pakistan’s health and fitness market was estimated at $1.67 billion in 2022. Aurora has reported on the rise of high-end gyms, therapy practices, and mindfulness-based experiences, including yoga, meditation, and sound healing. While wellness remains largely limited to upper-income groups due to cost and accessibility, it reflects an emerging cultural shift, where mental clarity, work-life balance, and self-optimisation are increasingly valued.

Another vital – and often underestimated – reflection of changing lifestyles is real estate. Over the past decade, Aurora has documented how the category evolved from traditional property sales to aspirational living. Real estate advertising, once driven by price and plot size, is now focused on lifestyle, community, and urban escape. Brands such as Emaar, DHA, and Bahria Town have transformed their messaging to sell not just homes, but aspirations – gated communities with smart homes, green belts, shopping districts, wellness clubs, and even art installations. Projects like ARY Laguna went a step further by branding themselves around ‘Pakistan’s first manmade beach,’ illustrating how real estate is no longer just about shelter – it’s about status, experience, and future-proof living.

Over nearly three decades, Aurora has not only reported on these shifts but helped decode how advertising both reflects and reinforces evolving values. Today’s Pakistani consumer no longer sees lifestyle choices as fragmented. Beauty, fashion, wellness, and even real estate have coalesced into a single pursuit: living better and more meaningfully. What was once aspirational is now expected – and in this journey, advertising has served as both mirror and map.

From Aurora’s archives

INTERVIEWS
Shamoon Sultan, CEO, Khaadi