Yousuf Bashir Qureshi

Yousuf Bashir Qureshi
یوسف بشیر قریشی
Born (1971-03-02) 2 March 1971
Karachi, Pakistan
Other nameYBQ
EducationUniversity of Nebraska–Lincoln
LabelYBQDS
Websitewww.ybqds.com

Yousuf Bashir Qureshi[a] (born 2 March 1971), commonly known as YBQ,[1] is a Pakistani fashion designer, artist, actor, musician, poet and farmer.[2][3] His atelier and art and design studios are housed in former warehouses known as the Commune Artist Colony, located in Karachi's Railway Quarters.[1][4]

Early life

Yousuf Bashir Qureshi was born on 2 March 1971 in Karachi.[5] As a child, he attended Pakistan Steel Cadet College, a boarding school on the outskirts of Karachi.[6] His family has a long-standing history in farming, with their ancestral home in Hasan Abdal.[7] Through his mother, Abida Bashir, he has familial ties to Ajmer.[8]

Career

Fashion and art

After completing his schooling, Qureshi pursued higher education in the United States, graduating from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln with a degree in food science.[3] Alongside his studies, he began ballet and developed an interest in fashion, art and photography.[3] According to a profile published by ARY News, his photographic work has appeared in publications including Vogue and National Geographic.[9]

He briefly opened a café in Lincoln, Nebraska, before relocating in 1997 to Santa Monica, California, where he has said he designed costumes for Hollywood productions.[10][7] During this period he has said he worked for Madonna, Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette, and contributed to the costume design for The Matrix.[3]

In 2004, Qureshi returned to Pakistan, establishing his studio in former family-owned warehouses in Karachi.[10] His return was marked by two serious setbacks. Four days after arriving from the United States, armed robbers broke into his home; he has said police initially delayed registering a First Information Report because of his years spent abroad.[11] He returned from Hajj on 29 December 2007, two days after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, and found that his house had been burned down amid the unrest that followed. He has said it took him two years to recover before he was able to launch his fashion brand.[11]

Qureshi's first designer clothing was a blend of traditional South Asian styles with his own touch.[12][13] His fashion work is inspired by Sufi mysticism.[14][15] Qureshi has taught courses in fashion design at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture.[16] He has also worked with the Pakistan Design Council in Lahore.[11] In addition to his artistic work, he manages the family farm in Mirpur Sakro.[6]

Music and poetry

Qureshi performs music occasionally and has recorded songs. In 2017, he collaborated with singer Natasha Baig on a Sufi song.[17] He had a minor role in Shehzad Roy's music video for the song "Jind Jaan".[18] He has also engaged in poetry performance, including in Dubai.[19][20]

Acting

Qureshi has credited actor Saba Hameed with helping refine his acting craft, and has said director Nadeem Baig persuaded him to pursue television professionally.[11] He made a supporting appearance in the film Senti Aur Mental in 2016, though the production was ultimately left unfinished.[21][22] From that point, he began making occasional appearances in films and television series.

Personal life

Qureshi has described fear as the greatest obstacle to personal growth, arguing that people are conditioned from childhood to live with fear, which prevents them from reaching their full potential. He has said children should be raised "with love and trust, not fear".[11]

Qureshi has said that after turning 40 he made a conscious decision to stop speaking negatively about others and to let go of expectations of other people.[11] He has also spoken against fear, guilt and greed as forces he believes limit human potential, and has rejected the idea that life should be driven by competition, saying instead that people should aim to achieve things together.[11] He has said he begins each morning by sending a short message to close friends and family to remind them they are loved.[11]

Qureshi views marriage as a form of companionship rather than partnership, saying that "a companion stays with you even beyond death" and that it is "about total acceptance and about giving, not taking".[11]

Filmography

Television series

YearTitleRoleNetworkNotes
2023 Neem Shah Alam "Baba Jan" Hum TV [23]
Kuch Ankahi Mr. Motiwala ARY Digital
2024 Noor Jahan Mukhtar Shah [24]
Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum Mansoor Ali Khan [25]
Duniyapur Aurangzeb Adam Green Entertainment
2025 Paradise Jamshed Express Entertainment
Sher Shah Zaman ARY Digital [26]
Biryani Baba Sain [27]
2026 Raja London Ka Munawwar Mirza Express TV [28]
Aik Mohabbat Aur Fuki Green Entertainment
Muhafiz Aijaz Geo Entertainment
Nashtar Behram Ali Khan [29]

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
2017 Senti Aur Mental Yousuf Bashir Qureshi Unfinished
2019 Parey Hut Love Mahmud [30]

References and notes

Explanatory notes

  1. ↑ Urdu: یوسف بشیر قریشی, pronounced [ˈjuː.sʊf bəˈʃiːr qʊˈreː.ʃi]

References

  1. 1 2 Qamar, Saadia (25 November 2012). "Being YBQ". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  2. ↑ "Collection of artwork: Yousuf Bashir Qureshi displays his Recollections". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune. 2 June 2015. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Bukhari, Timsaal (27 June 2015). "Have you met this storyteller? YBQ tells his own tale". dawn.com. Dawn. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  4. ↑ Rehman, Maliha (22 June 2022). "A costume show without the costumes". images.dawn.com. Dawn. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  5. ↑ "Yousuf Bashir Qureshi". karachiartdirectory.com. Karachi Biennale Trust. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  6. 1 2 Mansuri, Anam (3 July 2010). "An artist of the floating world". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  7. 1 2 "My philosophy to living unapologetically: in conversation with YBQ". socialdiary.pk. Social Diary Magazine. 16 October 2021. Archived from the original on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  8. ↑ Nayar, Aashmita (14 January 2016). "Why was noted Pakistani designer Yousuf Bashir Qureshi sweeping an old house in Ajmer?". huffpost.com. HuffPost. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  9. ↑ Abidi, Yusra (2 December 2014). "Yousuf Bashir Qureshi: a man of capacity for wonder". blogs.arynews.tv. ARY News. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  10. 1 2 "Yousuf Bashir Qureshi (YBQ)". ifmch.com. International Foundation for Mother and Child Health. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Yousuf Bashir Qureshi reflects on fear, loss and finding purpose through creativity". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune. 10 July 2026. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  12. ↑ Qamar, Saadia (29 March 2015). "Staying true to the soil". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  13. ↑ "Pakistani artists to light up Washington DC". tribune.com.pk. The Express Tribune. 18 September 2023. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  14. ↑ Arzumanova, Inna (2019). "Veiled visibility: racial performances and hegemonic leaks in Pakistani Fashion Week". In Mukherjee, Roopali; Banet-Weiser, Sarah; Gray, Herman (eds.). Racism Postrace. Durham: Duke University Press. pp. 264–282. ISBN 978-1-4780-0325-0.
  15. ↑ Akmal, Adeela (1 June 2018). "The natural nearest form". thenews.com.pk. The News International. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  16. ↑ Guzder, Deena (1 October 2010). "United Pakistan: a fashionista designs a flood relief plan". pulitzercenter.org. Pulitzer Center. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  17. ↑ Khan, Manal Faheem (6 July 2017). "Natasha Baig's fashionably Sufi collaboration with YBQ". thenews.com.pk. The News International. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  18. ↑ Rehman, Maliha (25 February 2016). "My sponsors felt my album was too controversial, says Shehzad Roy". images.dawn.com. Dawn. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  19. ↑ "Pakistan's YBQ to bring poetry to Dubai". gulfnews.com. Gulf News. 17 October 2018. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  20. ↑ Shabbir, Saima (10 August 2025). "Folk music, culture and unity shine at Pakistan's 79th Independence Day event in Dubai". arabnews.com. Arab News. Retrieved 20 August 2025.
  21. ↑ Shabbir, Buraq (5 May 2016). "Pakistani cinema could become a job provider in the future". thenews.com.pk. The News International. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  22. ↑ "Yasra Rizvi announces not to complete shoot of Senti Aur Mental; releases a song from film". pakistanicinema.net. PakistaniCinema.Net. 24 December 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  23. ↑ "Drama, betrayal and heartbreak — these new serials are a must-watch". dailytimes.com.pk. Daily Times. 3 June 2023. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  24. ↑ "I got irritated in the first 15 minutes: Kubra". dailytimes.com.pk. Daily Times. 13 June 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  25. ↑ Nadeem, Syed Omer. "Everything you need to know about Kabhi Main Kabhi Tum". arydigital.tv. ARY Digital. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  26. ↑ "Sher dominates YouTube with its cast and narrative". dailytimes.com.pk. Daily Times. 30 May 2025. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
  27. ↑ Noor, Saba (18 September 2025). "Drama review: Biryani". youlinmagazine.com. Youlin Magazine. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  28. ↑ "Raja London Ka – Full cast & crew". www.imdb.com. IMDb. Retrieved 17 June 2026.
  29. ↑ HAR PAL GEO (21 August 2026). Nashtar Episode 01 [Eng Sub] Digitally Presented by Happilac Paints - Danish Taimoor - Anmol Baloch. Retrieved 23 August 2026 – via YouTube.
  30. ↑ Shabbir, Buraq (6 May 2019). "Parey Hut Love trailer hints at a grand melodrama". thenews.com.pk. The News International. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
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