Reframing masculinity: Male beauty influencers, hybridity, and the digital Pakistani diaspora

The exponential rise of Instagram, with over 2.4 billion active users as of January 2024 (Demandsage, 2024), underscores its centrality in the attention economy (Marwick, 2015). As a professionalised site of curated digital labour, Instagram’s “visual vernacular” elevates aesthetics to a form of social capital (Leaver et al., 2020), enabled by high-resolution smartphone technology that embeds photography into daily life. Influencers, acting as cultural tastemakers (Hutchinson, 2017), leverage Instagram’s multimodal affordances to construct dynamic, audience-focused representations governed by algorithmic and economic imperatives. These influencers operate as intermediaries between brands and audiences, commodifying relatability and authenticity to maintain engagement (Abidin, 2016). Male beauty influencers, exemplifying these dynamics, challenge gender binaries through performative content while navigating algorithmic power imbalances that define digital labour (Duffy, 2020).

In contexts like the Pakistani diaspora, where gender norms are tied to religious and cultural orthodoxy, social media becomes a space for reimagining masculinity. Figures such as Adnan Zafar, or “Ken Doll Dubai”, represent how diasporic actors use Instagram to challenge traditional masculinity while negotiating intersections of heritage, identity, and global aesthetics. Zafar’s incorporation of traditionally feminine aesthetics highlights how digital performances navigate patriarchal frameworks of both homeland and diaspora, questioning whether subversive acts can transcend the commodification inherent in influencer culture (Abidin, 2016; Chen & Kanai, 2022). Instagram’s economy of visibility, driven by engagement metrics and algorithms, underpins the ambivalence of this space, where the potential for gender norm disruption is entangled with neoliberal mechanisms that commodify resistance for profit. Engaging Bhabha’s (2012) theory of hybridity and Brinkerhoff’s (2009) conceptualisation of digital diaspora, we interrogate these dynamics through the following research question: How does Adnan Zafar’s engagement with beauty and skincare challenge and subvert entrenched gender norms in Pakistan from his position within the digital diaspora?

This study builds on existing scholarship by addressing gaps in predominantly Western-centric analyses of influencer culture, digital labour, and gender performance. For example, Hund’s (2023) critical history of the US-based influencer industry highlights how authenticity has been industrialised, transforming influencers into self-commodified entities within an unregulated neoliberal economy. However, while her focus on Western contexts provides valuable insights, it leaves room for further exploration of how these dynamics operate in non-Western and diasporic settings, where patriarchal and religious frameworks intersect with digital practices. With this study, we aim to supplement such perspectives by examining these dynamics in the Pakistani diaspora. Similarly, while Marwick (2015) and Leaver and colleagues (2020) have explored Instagram’s professionalised digital labour, they have yet to examine how gender norms are reconfigured within these culturally specific constraints. Moreover, digital platforms, while promoting progressive narratives, also perpetuate normative gender constraints, reproducing hegemonic ideologies (KhosraviNik & Esposito, 2018). Our study thus highlights the dual nature of social media as a site of both agency and constraint, where diasporic influencers like Zafar simultaneously contest and comply with patriarchal and neoliberal structures. Addressing Gopinath’s (2005) critique of diaspora studies, our study advances the understanding of hybrid masculinities within Instagram’s commodified economy. By examining how non-Western influencers navigate authenticity, digital labour, and gender performance, we critically reframe influencer culture, situating it within the sociocultural and economic complexities of the Global South.

Adnan Zafar, known as Ken Doll Dubai, offers a critical lens into the intersections of digital media, gender, and diaspora within the Pakistani context, bridging regional and global cultural dynamics. Zafar’s extensive following – 2.3 million on Instagram, 1.5 million on TikTok, and 22.2 thousand on YouTube – demonstrates his broad appeal as a unique persona combining high fashion, beauty, and acting in Pakistani television dramas. Partnering with high-profile brands like Bioderma, Pandora, and Obagi Medical Spa, Zafar monetises his Ken Doll identity to endorse skincare, cosmetics, and luxury jewellery, aligning his personal brand with global consumer aesthetics. This strategic digital self commodification highlights the economic mechanisms of his influencer identity, where brand collaborations and beauty tutorials generate significant revenue. Zafar’s content, featuring detailed beauty routines and grooming practices, challenges normative gender boundaries within South Asian and Middle Eastern contexts. By blending traditional Pakistani features with international aesthetics, Zafar encourages his followers to reconsider cultural taboos surrounding male beauty and self-care. His multilingual content – produced in Urdu, Punjabi, English, and Arabic – extends beyond beauty to humour, cooking, and lifestyle, amplifying his cross-cultural appeal and positioning him within both digital and mainstream media landscapes.

As one of the few high-profile male beauty influencers in the Pakistani diaspora openly engaging with practices like Botox and fillers, Zafar uniquely confronts patriarchal and heteronormative standards in South Asian culture, particularly in Pakistan, where male beauty engagement is stigmatised as deviant (Salam-Salmaoui & Salam, 2024; Yahya, 2020). His deliberate subversion of gender norms through traditionally feminine beauty practices reflects a calculated use of digital media to resonate with both South Asian diasporic and global audiences. Unlike others navigating similar spaces, Zafar’s visibility and cultural resistance, combined with his strategic digital commodification, illustrate his distinct impact. Furthermore, Zafar’s case exemplifies how digital media provide complex spaces to renegotiate masculinity within diasporic contexts shaped by restrictive gender ideologies. While his visibility disrupts hegemonic gender norms in the Global South, his reliance on the economic structures of digital self-branding reveals the inherent ambivalence of influencer culture, where subversion is mediated by market demands. As such, Zafar offers a critical framework with which to analyse the potential and limitations of digital platforms in reconfiguring masculinity within a globalised, diasporic framework.

Masculinity is conceptualised as a socially constructed, performative identity shaped by relational and contextual boundaries, rejecting static definitions (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005). Rooted in performativity theory, masculinity aligns with heteronormative expectations, reinforcing dominance and legitimacy structures (Pascoe & Bridges, 2016). Further, Sedgwick’s (1999) analysis of homophobia underscores how repudiation of “effeminate” traits sustains hegemonic masculinity as an exclusive ideal (Connell & Messerschmidt, 2005; Bridges & Pascoe, 2014). Hybrid masculinities, while incorporating subordinated traits like femininity, often reinforce hegemonic structures rather than dismantle them (Bridges & Pascoe, 2014). Digital spaces amplify this dynamic, enabling men with “masculine capital” to commodify femininity without facing social penalties (Nguyen, 2022).

In Pakistan, masculinity is deeply tied to the familial, religious piety, and heteronormativity, with departures from these framed as morally or sexually deviant (Khan, 2018; Yahya, 2020). Feminine expressions in men are cast as un-Islamic, conflating gender nonconformity with homosexuality (Salam-Salmaoui & Salam, 2024; Sedgwick, 1999). Instagram influencers like Pakistan’s “mascara boys” subtly challenge rigid norms, blending traditional male aesthetics with femininity, embodying hybrid masculinities that both contest and comply with societal expectations (Salam-Salmaoui & Salam, 2024). Such transgressions, however, are often perceived as threats to social and moral order, incurring severe penalties (Yahya, 2020). Zafar’s masculinity exemplifies these tensions, navigating global hybrid masculinities and localised Pakistani codes, illustrating the complexities of performing gender within intersecting constraints.

The study of global beauty standards is central to media and sociological research, with skin tone, body aesthetics, and facial symmetry constituting powerful forms of aesthetic capital that drive social legitimacy and economic gain (Mears, 2015). In the digital era, influencer culture amplifies these dynamics, embedding beauty ideals in economies that privilege whiteness and reinforce racial hierarchies (Banet-Weiser, 2012). This is particularly relevant in South Asia, where colonial legacies and pervasive colourism shape male grooming practices (Mukherjee, 2019). Sharma and Nayak (2017) highlighted how fairness product consumption reflects gendered and racial anxieties, while two of us (Salam-Salmaoui & Salam, 2024) have explored performative disruptions of traditional gender norms by analysing the “mascara boys”. These works underscore the importance of interrogating how masculinity and beauty practices are shaped by intersecting cultural and digital influences.

Research on masculinity remains fragmented in a Pakistani context, with limited attention to the role of digital platforms in mediating gender performances. Foundational studies, like Khan’s (2018) analysis of “pious masculinity”, emphasise moral dimensions of male identity but overlook non-conformist and subversive constructs emerging online. Similarly, Fatima’s (2020) critique of hegemonic masculinity focused on systemic structures but inadequately addressed how digital practices enable challenges to binary norms. While Chaudhry and Amis’s (2022) study on institutional masculinity during Covid-19 offers valuable insights, its narrow focus underscores the broader gap in understanding how masculinity is redefined through digital engagement in Pakistan. In our study, we address these gaps by engaging Bhabha’s (2012) hybridity theory and Brinkerhoff’s (2009) concept of digital diaspora to explore how digital platforms facilitate complex negotiations of identity. Through an empirical analysis of Zafar’s engagement with beauty and skincare on Instagram, we demonstrate how digital practices subvert entrenched masculine ideals within Pakistan’s rigid cultural and religious context. By focusing on the intersection of digital media, beauty practices, and masculinity, this research contributes to a more inclusive understanding of gender identities across the Global South and Global North.

This study employs Brinkerhoff’s (2009) digital diaspora framework and Bhabha’s (2012) theories of hybridity and the third space to critically analyse how Pakistani diaspora influencers like Zafar negotiate gender identity, self-presentation, and cultural boundaries in digital platforms. Together, these frameworks provide an interdisciplinary lens to examine how digital spaces reflect and reshape local and global cultural influences while enabling diasporic actors to redefine rigid gender constructs. Brinkerhoff’s (2009) digital diaspora framework reconceptualises digital platforms as dynamic “homelands” where diasporic identities are actively reshaped, challenging static views of diaspora. Digital affordances are leveraged for sociopolitical engagement and cultural expression, enabling diasporic communities to maintain cultural ties while transforming identities. Zafar’s digital presence exemplifies this process, as his embrace of beauty practices disrupts entrenched South Asian patriarchal norms, illustrating how digital connectivity reconfigures cultural expectations. Bhabha’s (2012) theory of hybridity and the third space complements this study by framing Zafar’s digital identity as a hybrid masculinity that transcends binary cultural norms.

Hybridity, in this context, refers to the intersection of cultural identities and practices that produce fluid, performative forms, resisting fixed binaries such as masculine/feminine or traditional/modern. Within the third space, hybridity emerges as both a field of possibilities – where normative constructs like gender and cultural identity are destabilised – and a site of ambivalence, where acts of resistance remain entangled with complicity in hegemonic structures. This lens frames Zafar’s engagement with South Asian heritage and global beauty standards as a dynamic negotiation rather than a static identity. By foregrounding the performative and fluid nature of his hybrid masculinity, the framework underscores how his self-representations challenge dichotomous understandings of gender while navigating the contradictions of postcolonial and consumerist contexts. This study operationalises Brinkerhoff’s (2009) model by positioning Instagram as a “virtual homeland” where Zafar’s beauty practices strategically disrupt Pakistani gender norms. Concurrently, Bhabha’s (2012) theories of hybridity and the third space elucidate Zafar’s enactment of feminine-coded aesthetics as a performative act destabilising binary gender constructs. Together, these frameworks enable us to explore how Zafar’s digital self-presentation resists and reconfigures hegemonic masculinity, creating a transformative and ambivalent identity within the transnational, postcolonial digital sphere.

In this study, we examine Zafar’s Instagram (Zafar, n.d.) self-presentation and negotiation of gender norms within the Pakistani diaspora over a two-year period (June 2022–May 2024), utilising stratified random sampling to ensure a comprehensive analysis of his substantial online presence (2.3 million Instagram followers as of October 2024). By proportionally sampling 225 posts, 70 IGTV videos, and 50 stories, this approach avoids sampling bias and captures the distinct affordances of each format: polished visual storytelling in posts, in-depth narratives in IGTV videos, and spontaneous, ephemeral moments in stories. Combining both quantitative and qualitative analyses, this strategy enables a nuanced exploration of thematic diversity across Zafar’s self-presentation, accounting for both curated and impromptu digital displays.

The coding process in this study followed Clarke and Braun’s (2017) six-phase framework for thematic analysis, ensuring a systematic and iterative approach to analysing Zafar’s Instagram content. The framework consists of six distinct phases: 1) becoming thoroughly acquainted with the data, 2) identifying and creating initial codes, 3) organising these codes to identify overarching themes, 4) critically evaluating and refining the themes, 5) clearly defining and labelling the finalised themes, and 6) compiling the analysis into a comprehensive report. The first familiarisation phase involved a thorough review of Zafar’s Instagram dataset, identifying key elements such as recurring visual motifs, multilingual captions (Urdu, Punjabi, English, and Arabic), depictions of skincare practices, and humorous critiques of fairness creams. These features were interpreted as strategic performances of his influencer persona, where content is curated to challenge entrenched gender norms while engaging a diverse audience. The second coding phase produced 20 initial codes that reflected both theoretically grounded and emergent patterns in Zafar’s content.¹ These codes captured a range of themes, including Masculine/Feminine Fluidity, Cultural Fusion, Resistance to Gender Norms, Self-Care as Masculinity, Beauty Norm Disruption, Multilingual Hybridity, and Digital Piety. In the third phase, the codes were grouped into preliminary thematic clusters that highlighted Zafar’s negotiation of gender norms and diasporic identity. For instance, codes like Masculine/Feminine Fluidity and Self-Care as Masculinity were clustered under a theme exploring his redefinition of masculinity through beauty practices. In the fourth phase, the initial thematic clusters were reviewed to ensure coherence and relevance to the research questions. Overlapping codes were consolidated, and themes were refined to represent Zafar’s influencer identity comprehensively. In the fifth phase of arranging the data, the refined clusters were defined and named, resulting in the following three overarching themes:

Redefining Masculinity Through Beauty (8 codes)

In the final phase, these themes were synthesised into a cohesive narrative that captured the complexities of Zafar’s role as a male beauty influencer within a diasporic and globalised context. Each theme was carefully analysed to ensure it directly reflected Zafar’s role as a male beauty influencer rather than merely his broader digital identity. For instance, Faith-Infused Lifestyle Branding demonstrated how Zafar leverages religious-cultural elements to reinforce his brand’s authenticity while navigating the commodification inherent in influencer culture. To validate the coding process, we reviewed 20 per cent of the dataset using the final codebook, achieving an inter-coder agreement exceeding 85 per cent. This independent review ensured the reliability of the framework and accurately represented the complexity of Zafar’s influencer practices. The following chart (see Figure 1) shows a comparative analysis of the thematic emphasis across three distinct content types – posts, IGTV videos, and stories – within the dataset.

Figure 1

Theme distribution across content types

Figure 1 illustrates Zafar’s use of Instagram’s diverse formats to represent distinct dimensions of his influencer identity. The theme Redefining Masculinity Through Beauty is primarily expressed through posts (72.7%), which effectively utilise static, high-quality visuals to challenge traditional masculinity by normalising male beauty practices in a culturally resistant context. For the theme Global Hybrid Aesthetics, posts remain the dominant format (70%); however, there is a notable integration of IGTV videos and stories to expand on this theme’s multidimensional narrative. Rather than focusing solely on posts, Zafar employs IGTV videos and stories to explore the interplay between global aesthetics and South Asian cultural markers, reflecting the hybrid nature of his diasporic identity. Finally, Faith-Infused Lifestyle Branding shows the most substantial reliance on Stories (31.2%), which enable spontaneous, real-time expressions of Zafar’s religious and cultural practices, such as his documentation of Umrah. Posts and IGTV videos, in this context, are reserved for more detailed and structured narratives, complementing the immediacy of stories. By strategically distributing his content across Instagram’s affordances, Zafar effectively constructs a layered, culturally resonant influencer identity that aligns with his thematic priorities and enhances his engagement with diverse audiences.

Redefining masculinity through beauty

This theme explores how Zafar’s engagement with beauty and skincare practices disrupts the rigid constructs of masculinity entrenched in Pakistani society. By participating in beauty and self-care rituals traditionally deemed feminine, Zafar challenges and destabilises normative gender ideals. His performative acts, exemplified in Figure 2, contest hegemonic masculinity within a deeply patriarchal context, redefining male identity through subversive self-presentation.

Figure 2

Zafar endorsing beauty brands

Source: Zafar, n.d.

Zafar’s engagement with luxury skincare brands like NARS and Dermalogica on Instagram encapsulates the ambivalence inherent in negotiating Pakistani masculinity within the globalised influencer economy. Through curated high-resolution visuals of beauty routines, Zafar actively unsettles entrenched patriarchal norms that marginalise male grooming as feminised and morally suspect (Connell & Messerchmidt, 2005). His performance situates male beauty practices within Bhabha’s (2012) third space, not as a mere field of fluid gendered possibilities, but as a site of ambivalence where local resistance to patriarchy is deeply intertwined with global consumerist logics. This ambivalence complicates his subversion of traditional masculinity, highlighting the dual pressures of cultural resistance and neoliberal complicity that define his influencer identity.

Furthermore, Zafar’s tactical use of Instagram’s affordances underscores this duality. Hashtags such as #menskincare and #menbeauty operate as acts of disidentification (Muñoz, 1999), decoupling beauty from its feminised connotations and reimagining it as integral to masculinity. While these strategies expand the possibilities for male self-expression, they are simultaneously embedded in consumerist narratives that prioritise visibility, marketability, and Western-centric ideals of beauty. Instagram’s algorithmic economy incentivises subversive acts to align with its commercial logic, transforming resistance into commodified spectacle (Cotter, 2019). This tension exemplifies the contradictions of ambivalent hybridity (Bridges & Pascoe, 2014), where acts of defiance against local gender norms are enmeshed within the structural imperatives of global capitalism. Zafar’s reliance on luxury brands amplifies these contradictions. His promotion of Western beauty standards through products like NARS and Dermalogica reinforces colonial hierarchies of desirability, situating his subversion of Pakistani masculinity within a consumer-driven framework that reconfigures rather than dismantles patriarchal structures. While his digital presence challenges the cultural policing of male grooming, it simultaneously perpetuates neoliberal ideals of self-optimisation and aesthetic labour (Banet-Weiser, 2012). These dynamics position Zafar’s influencer persona as a paradoxical figure: one that contests hegemonic norms while remaining complicit in their rearticulation.

Moreover, Zafar’s negotiation of hybridity within the digital diaspora highlights the precariousness of his influencer identity. Instagram functions as a virtual third space (Bhabha, 2012), where Zafar’s aesthetic interventions blend South Asian heritage with global beauty practices. However, this hybridity is not liberatory; it is a site of constant negotiation shaped by the ambivalences of postcolonial consumerism. In accordance with Brinkerhoff’s (2009) digital diaspora framework, it is possible to situate Zafar’s identity within a transnational space where cultural ties and market forces intersect, emphasising the extent to which his resistance is shaped by the economic demands of visibility and branding. Ultimately, Zafar’s influencer persona embodies the ambivalence of hybrid masculinities. While his beauty practices subvert localised gender norms, they remain deeply entangled with the commercial and colonial logics of the global influencer economy. This dual positioning highlights the broader tensions of performing resistance within a commodified digital sphere, where subversion and complicity coexist in precarious balance.

Global hybrid aesthetics

This theme explores how Zafar’s digital content integrates traditional Pakistani aesthetics with global trends, leveraging his linguistic hybridity as a diasporic figure in Dubai. By blending Urdu, Punjabi, English, and Arabic in discussions of beauty and skincare, Zafar affirms his cultural ties to Pakistan while engaging global consumer culture. This hybridity constructs a dual identity, merging local traditions with cosmopolitan influences. For instance, in a story, Zafar humorously critiques cultural dynamics, addressing a fan’s query about skin colour through strategic language use (see Figure 3).

Figure 3

Zafar’s question/answer session

Comments: Zafar stated the following in this story [translated]: May all your problems be solved. Formulas are for mathematics and algebra, why are you using formulas in creams? Even if you add toilet cleaner to the creams, your colour won’t be like other people. You should embrace your complexion. I always say work on your glow, your face, hands, and ankles should all be of the same colour. Understood my dear? So, if you need a recommendation for this, then use “Allure Cream”, because Allure skin brightening cream by Rija Skincare is not loaded with mercury and things that are bad for your skin. Come out you childless woman (authriye)! (while opening the box of cream). This is safe and effective, and it has hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and alpha arbutin, which will make your skin complexion the same, and your skin will glow. Work on getting your glow. Don’t say stupid (boongiyan) things.

Source: Zafar, n.d.

Zafar’s Instagram story exemplifies a layered critique of colonial beauty standards interwoven with the complexities of digital influencer culture. His trilingual approach – blending Urdu, Punjabi, English, and Arabic – operates as more than a stylistic device: It positions his content within Bhabha’s (2012) third space, where hybrid identities interrogate and disrupt dominant cultural narratives. This linguistic fluidity reflects his diasporic identity and resists the hegemony of English as a symbol of prestige and authority (Philipson, 2008). By incorporating colloquial Urdu and Punjabi, Zafar aligns himself with his South Asian audience while satirising Pakistan’s entrenched obsession with fairness, reframing his linguistic hybridity as an act of disidentification (Muñoz, 1999) that destabilises postcolonial hierarchies valorising Eurocentric beauty standards (Chen et al., 2020).

Through humour, Zafar critiques fairness creams, likening them to “toilet cleaner”, which incisively exposes the absurdity and toxicity of South Asian beauty norms that equate light skin with social capital (Mady et al., 2023). This mockery dismantles colonial legacies that tie skin tone to racial and social hierarchies. However, this critique is entangled with contradictions: While rejecting low-cost fairness products, Zafar’s endorsement of high-end brands like Rijja Skincare aligns with consumerist discourses that commodify beauty. This duality, as Tovar and colleagues (2023) have argued, exemplifies social media’s capacity to merge critique with commercial engagement, creating tensions within an influencer’s, such as Zafar’s, identity. By promoting luxury skincare, he implicitly upholds neoliberal ideals of self-optimisation, where beauty becomes an aspirational achievement, complicating his resistance to patriarchal and colonial aesthetics.

Instagram’s ephemeral stories amplify this ambivalence by offering a space for Zafar’s critiques to appear casual and intimate, cultivating relatability while enhancing his digital persona’s perceived authenticity (Abidin, 2016). These transient narratives frame his humour and commentary as spontaneous, leveraging the platform’s interactivity to deepen engagement and project sincerity. Yet, this authenticity is a commodified asset within Instagram’s marketplace logic, where Zafar’s carefully curated humour serves dual purposes: cultural critique and the reinforcement of his relevance within a commercialised digital ecosystem. His performative intimacy disrupts the emotionally restrained masculinities valorised in South Asia (Connell & Messerchmidt, 2005), presenting an alternative grounded in relatability and vulnerability. However, it remains tethered to neoliberal imperatives that monetise authenticity and visibility.

Zafar’s humour functions as a calculated act of disidentification (Muñoz, 1999), distancing him from hegemonic masculinities and dominant beauty norms. His sarcasm balances critique with entertainment, dismantling stereotypes surrounding male beauty while engaging audiences. By reframing skincare as humorous yet integral to masculinity, Zafar challenges the perception of beauty as exclusively feminised. However, Zafar’s own fair complexion, prominently displayed in his self-presentation, complicates his critique of fairness practices. While mocking societal obsessions with light skin, his visual alignment with Eurocentric beauty ideals inadvertently reinforces the aspirational standards he seeks to subvert. Moreover, his reliance on luxury brands situates this redefinition within consumerist frameworks, reinforcing neoliberal narratives equating self-worth with consumable self-care (Orbach, 2017).

Zafar’s endorsement of skin-brightening products perpetuates an aspirational ethos tied to colonial beauty standards. This ambivalence positions his masculinity within a liminal space that resists local patriarchal constraints while remaining complicit in global consumerist aesthetics. His selective brand endorsements and mockery of fairness practices exemplify a hybrid masculinity that negotiates colonial legacies and consumerism (Bridges & Pascoe, 2014). Ultimately, his critique underscores the entangled nature of colonial histories, global market forces, and localised gender norms. Through humour, multilingualism, and strategic branding, Zafar constructs a masculinity that is neither wholly resistant nor conformist but exists within a postcolonial ambivalence, highlighting how digital identity construction intertwines critique with complicity in neoliberal and colonial frameworks. This nuanced interplay reveals the complexities of challenging entrenched norms in digital spaces where acts of resistance are inextricably tied to systems of capital and visibility.

Faith-infused lifestyle branding

This theme examines Zafar’s negotiation of religious and national identity within Dubai’s transnational context, highlighting tensions between cultural rootedness and the fluid hybridity of the global digital sphere. His deliberate documentation of Umrah² (see Figure 4) serves as a performative reaffirmation of Muslim identity, aligning religious devotion with transnational visibility while reinforcing cultural and religious authenticity.

Figure 4

Zafar performing Umrah

Source: Zafar, n.d.

Zafar’s digital representation of his Umrah pilgrimage exemplifies the ambivalence of religious identity performance within the globalised digital diaspora. Situated within the third space (Bhabha, 2012), Zafar’s portrayal of faith does not merely reflect personal devotion but strategically leverages religious practices to enhance his digital influencer persona. Through highly curated posts and stories, he recontextualises sacred rituals like Umrah into consumable narratives, blurring the lines between private piety and public performance. This dynamic aligns with Echchaibi and Hoover’s (2023) notion of “digital piety”, where acts of faith, mediated through digital affordances, are transformed into globally accessible symbols of identity construction. Furthermore, Zafar’s use of linguistic hybridity, seamlessly integrating English and Arabic, positions his content as both locally and religiously rooted and globally resonant. Digital platforms serve as symbolic spaces for negotiating intersecting cultural and religious identities. By embedding Arabic – often perceived as a marker of religious authenticity – within predominantly English narratives, Zafar effectively appeals to a transnational Muslim audience while simultaneously asserting his diasporic identity.

This strategy exemplifies Bunt’s (2018) concept of “cyber-Islamic environments”, where digital platforms become arenas for performing faith in ways that both engage tradition and adapt to modern, globalised contexts. However, Zafar’s representation of Umrah is marked by profound ambivalence. While his content projects authenticity, the curated aesthetics and aspirational framing embed sacred practices within the commodifying logic of Instagram. Abidin’s (2016) analysis of influencer economies reveals how even acts of devotion are susceptible to platform-driven imperatives of visibility and engagement. In Zafar’s case, the performative nature of his Umrah posts raises questions about the intersection of faith and marketability. His digital piety, while resonating with diasporic audiences, operates within a neoliberal framework that commodifies religious expression, reducing acts of devotion to elements of personal branding.

Zafar’s portrayal also negotiates the complexities of Muslim masculinity in a digital age. His performative embrace of humility, emotional expressiveness, and public vulnerability during his pilgrimage resonates with Hopkins’s (2006) framework of “multiple Muslim masculinities”. These traits, often marginalised within dominant models of Muslim manhood, highlight the fluidity of masculine identities within diasporic contexts. Yet, this reconfiguration of masculinity remains tethered to the aesthetics and performative strategies of influencer culture. Instagram’s algorithmic economy prioritises relatable yet aspirational content, compelling Zafar to frame his religious devotion as both a personal journey and a spectacle of spiritual achievement. This duality illustrates the ambivalence inherent in hybrid identities. On the one hand, Zafar’s portrayal disrupts static and monolithic representations of Muslim identity by situating faith within the lived realities of a diasporic digital subject. On the other, the alignment of sacred acts with the logics of commodification and visibility underscores the contradictions of performing faith on platforms designed for commercial gain.

Zafar’s digital piety, therefore, exemplifies how sacred practices, when mediated through influencer culture, oscillate between resistance to traditional norms and complicity in global market dynamics. Thus, his digital performance of Umrah underscores the tensions of hybrid religious identities in the postcolonial digital diaspora. While his engagement with Islamic rituals reaffirms his connection to tradition, the transformation of these rituals into curated digital content reveals the pervasive influence of neoliberal frameworks on contemporary identity construction. By situating sacred acts within the commodified aesthetics of Instagram, Zafar not only redefines Muslim identity but also highlights the intricate interplay of faith, consumerism, and visibility in digital spaces.

Similarly, Zafar’s Instagram posts strategically construct a layered identity that merges his Pakistani heritage with Dubai’s cosmopolitan cultural influences. His frequent display of traditional attire, such as the Shalwar Kameez³ – even on fashion runways – asserts a deliberate and proud connection to his cultural roots. Simultaneously, his adoption of traditional Arab and Western clothing reflects a calculated negotiation within Dubai’s hybrid cultural landscape, showcasing his ability to fluidly navigate and embody multiple cultural identities (see Figure 5). This intentional self-presentation highlights Zafar’s engagement with transnational, multicultural dynamics, balancing cultural pride with adaptive flexibility to reflect the complexities of his diasporic environment.

Figure 5

Zafar in Pakistani, Arab, and Western attire

As Figure 6 illustrates, Zafar’s sartorial choices on Instagram – comprising 40 per cent Western, 26.7 per cent Pakistani, and 22.2 per cent Arab attire – reflect a calculated negotiation of diasporic identity that aligns his personal brand with global and local cultural contexts. The prominence of Western attire in permanent posts reveals his strategic adoption of global aesthetics, leveraging aspirational beauty standards to heighten his transnational appeal within the influencer economy. This calculated visibility positions Western fashion as a symbol of modernity, while traditional Pakistani and Arab clothing are curated in ephemeral formats like Instagram stories or IGTV videos, underscoring the medium-specific nuances of his digital self-presentation. This selective approach situates Zafar’s sartorial practices within Bhabha’s (2012) third space, where cultural allegiances are neither fixed nor oppositional but actively negotiated through a hybridised aesthetic.

Figure 6

Distribution of Zafar’s attire across posts, IGTV videos, and stories

Zafar’s occasional embrace of Pakistani attire, such as a red sherwani,⁴ signifies a postcolonial reclamation of masculinity. By incorporating red – historically associated with authority in both Eastern and Western contexts (Victoria and Albert Museum, 2022) – he subverts South Asian gender norms that often associate bold colours with femininity (Philips, 2004). These sartorial decisions challenge colonial legacies of regulated expressive masculinity, showcasing diasporic agency through traditional symbolism recontextualised for a global digital audience. Simultaneously, his use of glitter and flamboyant fabrics critiques rigid masculine ideals, creating an ambivalent aesthetic that resists full alignment with “soft masculinity”, yet disrupts traditional binaries through performative resistance.

The inclusion of Arab attire, such as the thobe,⁵ further emphasises Zafar’s adaptive engagement with Dubai’s cultural landscape. This attire positions him within a cosmopolitan Middle Eastern identity while preserving his South Asian roots, aligning with Craik’s (2020) notion of fashion as a sociopolitical tool. By situating his influencer persona within Dubai’s cosmopolitanism, Zafar embraces Bhabha’s (2012) notion of hybridity to navigate the intersections of regional expectations and globalised aesthetics. This fusion is integral to Zafar’s influencer identity, reflecting the commodification of cultural markers that simultaneously assert uniqueness while catering to global consumption. In contrast, Zafar’s Western attire, such as a black sequined suit and bowtie, underscores cosmopolitan masculinity aligned with global beauty standards. This self-presentation embodies Banet-Weiser’s (2012) concept of brand culture, where personal identity becomes a commodified performance layered with aspiration and critique. His ironic self-branding as Ken Doll Dubai critiques the artificiality of digital masculinity while amplifying his relevance in transnational influencer networks. Through this performative act, Zafar both critiques and capitalises on the neoliberal demands of influencer culture, where visibility and brand alignment define social capital (Cotter, 2019).

Zafar’s carefully constructed sartorial hybridity also reflects Bhabha’s (2012) concept of mimicry – “almost the same, but not quite”. By integrating Western grooming standards and fashion practices, Zafar crafts a hybrid identity that resists total assimilation into Western paradigms while simultaneously challenging South Asian patriarchal constructs. This mimicry creates an ambivalence that is central to his influencer persona, blending cultural heritage with global marketability to appeal to a diverse audience. However, this identity remains tethered to the aspirational ideals of consumerism, revealing the tension between diasporic agency and the commodifying imperatives of the global influencer economy. Eventually, Zafar’s sartorial strategies articulate a hybrid masculinity that destabilises traditional binaries between modernity and tradition while leveraging fashion as a medium of critique and aspiration. His vibrant colours, unconventional fabrics, and multicultural aesthetics resist hegemonic masculinity by presenting fluid possibilities for self-expression within digital diasporic spaces. However, these performative acts are embedded in the commercial frameworks of influencer culture, where the subversion of norms is continually reframed within systems of capital and visibility. Through his fashion choices, Zafar constructs an influencer identity that navigates the ambivalences of hybridity – simultaneously resisting and perpetuating global consumerist and colonial narratives – illustrating the complex entanglement of cultural identity, digital performance, and market-driven logics.

Zafar’s engagement with beauty and skincare practices illustrates the evolving dynamics of influencer culture, digital diasporas, and hybrid masculinities, reflecting both the opportunities and constraints of digital labour within an algorithm-driven media landscape. His digital persona, shaped by the structural imperatives of Instagram’s platform capitalism, highlights the paradoxes of cultural resistance and commodification. Zafar’s case exemplifies the contradictions of influencer culture, where acts of subversion are reconfigured as marketable spectacles within the globalised attention economy. His visibility, cultivated through high-resolution visuals, luxury product endorsements, and strategic branding, situates his digital labour within a precarious “visibility game”, where success depends on balancing audience relatability with platform algorithms. This entrepreneurial approach transforms personal identity into a branded commodity, simultaneously creating opportunities for subversion while exposing the constraints imposed by platform capitalism.

Zafar’s digital performance aligns with Bhabha’s (2012) concept of hybridity, particularly its emphasis on ambivalence and the negotiation of cultural boundaries in a third space. His deliberate engagement with traditionally feminine-coded beauty practices destabilises binaries of masculinity and femininity, creating a fluid and performative identity that resists fixed categorisations. Through his critiques of patriarchal norms, Zafar positions his content within this third space, where cultural identities are reimagined and negotiated. However, this fluidity is tempered by the commodifying logics of platform culture, where acts of resistance, such as his humour-infused critiques of fairness creams, risk being recontextualised as aspirational consumer narratives. His collaborations with global beauty brands illustrate how hybrid masculinities can simultaneously challenge and reinforce hegemonic norms, reproducing the consumerist frameworks they seek to critique.

As a diasporic figure, Zafar’s identity work exemplifies Brinkerhoff’s (2009) framework of digital diasporas as “virtual homelands” that enable hybrid identity construction. His multilingual content – blending Urdu, Punjabi, English, and Arabic – reflects the fluidity of diasporic identities and resonates across transnational audiences. By navigating between his Pakistani heritage and the global aspirations of his Dubai-based persona, Zafar constructs a layered identity that bridges cultural boundaries. However, this hybridity is not without contradictions. While his use of South Asian aesthetics resists the homogenising forces of global culture, their integration into a luxury-focused digital narrative risks commodifying cultural heritage within the influencer economy.

Further, Zafar’s critiques of fairness creams and his strategic use of humour challenge local gender norms while maintaining his brand image and algorithmic visibility. These performances underscore the industrially constructed nature of authenticity in influencer culture, which must continuously adapt to shifting audience expectations and platform imperatives. Zafar’s humour and critiques function not only as tools of cultural critique but also as mechanisms for sustaining engagement and commercial viability, illustrating the intricate commodification of personal identity.

Zafar’s engagement with religious and cultural identity adds another layer to his digital persona. His portrayal of his Umrah pilgrimage merges private faith with public performance, constructing a hybrid Muslim masculinity that challenges monolithic representations of Islam while leveraging this performance for visibility. This intersection of faith and fashion encapsulates the tensions between cultural resistance and the structural demands of platform capitalism. Thus, Zafar’s digital performance reveals the intricate tensions between subversion and complicity, visibility and precarity, and authenticity and commodification. By navigating these contradictions, Zafar’s case exemplifies the complexities of performing hybrid masculinities in a globalised, algorithm-driven digital media landscape. Situated within Bhabha’s third space and Brinkerhoff’s virtual homelands, his work disrupts patriarchal gender norms in Pakistan while operating within a framework that reproduces the neoliberal logics of the influencer economy.