From car sales to haute couture, Imran Khan has always explored enterprising possibilities through his professions.

Selling cars in a local garage led the Bradford lad to become a familiar face on the catwalk after he accompanied a colleague on a modelling assignment.

It wasn’t long before he was launching his own events management company, Elite Events and Elite Models in 2009, supplying models and doing make-overs after picking up tricks of the trade through his own modelling experience.

Now Imran has turned his talents to clothes design after responding to positive comments he receives about his trademark dapper blazers.

Working in a sales environment, Imran is conscious of being ‘suited and booted’ – he says appearance counts and now, for the 33-year-old, it is paying dividends, with increasing demand and some celebrity clientele.

When we spoke he had just completed a blazer for artist John Mackie, from Haworth, which he credits as one of his proudest achievements. “He is an amazing person,” says Imran.

He has also created blazers for the magician, Paul Daniels, who he met at a charity function, and Bollywood stars.

The person he would most like to dress? “David Cameron,” he says, adding: “The Only Way Is Essex boys and Peter Andre.”

Imran’s penchant for designing blazers stems from wearing suits as a boy. He loves to complete the stylish tailoring with a pocket handkerchief.

“When I was young, I used to love wearing suits with handkerchiefs. While working here I have won two awards, smart dresser and personality,” says Imran, referring to his day job – working as a sales pitch co-ordinator at GC Motors in Harrogate.

He says it was with encouragement from his boss, Giles Castleton, that he dabbled in clothes design. Imran would often sketch blazer ideas and Giles encouraged him to pursue his ideas.

“I started to draw and sketch – it’s all about creating a look,” says Imran. “Giles said ‘Why don’t you start selling blazers?’ “I love blazers and every time I wear a really nice blazer, I have seen lots of women comment on them. I thought I might as well sell them.”

Imran sent his designs, chose his material and three weeks later received the finished product which he is now selling through his recently-launched IK Collection on Facebook.

Blazers are a timeless classic and Imran says they are very much in demand. He also predicts 1970s styles will soon be swinging back in.

“Anyone can wear a blazer,” says Imran. “I’ve noticed a lot of young kids have started to wear them as well and you can add things to them like handkerchiefs.”

MUA (Make Up Artists’ showcase) is another string to his enterprising bow. Imran explains it enables make-up artists to show off their skills around the country.

His latest event took place at Bradford’s Midland Hotel in April. The event featured fashion shows helping to raise the profile of the charity Imran set up in 2006.

He launched the Khan Can People’s Charity in response to the earthquake in Pakistan. Imran travelled to an area of the country where his parents came from, raising money to buy family shelters and to renovate a local school, Gujan Khan, in Rame.

“I started to organise fashion shows and bridal exhibitions,” says Imran. “Since then 200 children have gone through education.”

As well as helping the school in Pakistan, Imran is also eager to support worthy causes closer to home through initiatives such as delivering Easter eggs to children in a local hospital.

He is also participating in another charity fundraiser, the Desi Dhamaal charity show, on June 3 at 6.30pm at St George’s Hall, Bradford.

Imran is providing blazers from his collection and is also doing the hair and make-up for the event hosted by Faraz Khan and featuring Abrar Ul Haq, Omar Nadeem, Sama Blake, Angusman Rehmaan, Waqar Ex, Suni J and Khiza and Asif Khan.

Looking back on his success so far gives Imran the opportunity to reflect on his schooldays. Struggling with dyslexia, his schooldays don’t hold fond memories, but he appreciates how important education is.

“I used to fidget a lot,” he recalls. Lack of concentration and mixing up numbers and letters were signs of dyslexia yet Imran recalls it was often perceived he was simply messing about. Eventually he had a support teacher who helped him through and now he hopes to inspire others by talking about his achievements.

Modelling opened up doors to television work. He has starred on the small screen as an extra in Coronation Street and Channel 4 drama Shameless and he has also appeared in TV adverts.

He says the best advice he would give to aspiring entrepreneurs is “if you have an idea do it and show people.”