New Delhi: Glamour, fame, money - three things that make the world go round and if one gets a chance to have all of them in a short span of time, who would like to miss the opportunity? That's precisely the reason why so many youngsters are taking to the ramp, leaving behind their well-settled traditional careers to earn a quick buck and rub shoulders with the who's who of the glamour industry. The models admit that the magnetic power of money and fame which come as a package deal with their new found professions pushed them to the world of glitz and glamour.

     "I did my BCA (Bachelor of Computer Application), and I had plans to pursue an MCA (Master of Computer Application) but I started getting a lot of work, and it's handsome money. You earn quick, and it is simple. So then I thought that it is better that I start with this (modelling), because I can do an MCA anytime," said Bhanujeet Singh Sudan, a model. And yet they do not discount the value of their degrees which though for the time being are lying in the cold storage, would come handy as good back-ups when the short- lived world of modelling comes to an end. "Modelling is a very is a very short-lived career, you have to be honest about it. I like to think that I have a Computer Science degree, my dad has a business, so I would like to take it as far as I can. I am not going to think in ten years time I'll still be a model...I'd be lying to myself. For a man it is a very short-lived career..it is a woman's world," said Upen Patel, a model. "I have the brain, the head for business management. So, I have always been quite into that also. And once you are done with modelling, you need something to fall back on, so I guess that is where business management falls into place," said Rachel, another model.

     Taking cue from some of the models who have made it big into the world of Bollywood, many others consider modelling as a stepping stone to acting. It was a night to remember. From strawberries, to water melons, to grapes to oranges... everything was on stage. The "Pop", "Burst" and "Cursh" look embodied all the models who sashayed down the ramp on the grand finale of the Lakme India Fashion Week in New Delhi on Monday. As the week-long extravaganza came to an end, three funky designers Aki Narula, Anamika Khanna and Anshu Arora Sen presented their interpretation of "Fruit Shock" - a riot of colours, music and action. Sashaying down the ramp were the three faces of Lakme - Indrani Dasgupta, Yana Gupta and Katrina Kaif. The first to go was designer Anshu Arora Sen who presented "Pop". Her clothes were quirky and fun, with strings, plastic ribbons and painted fruits attached to them. Carrying forward the mood to the beat of some heavy techno music was Aki Narula's collection, "Crush". Dominated by snazzy prints and texturised fabrics, Aki's collection was playful and cheered by his peers - designers Rohit Bal, Manoviraj Khosla, Wendell Rodricks and Ritu Kumar. Last up was Anamika Khanna with "Burst" as models with designer earmuffs swayed down the ramp. Her clothes, which seemed full of energy, had vivid colours and were heavily texturised. Narula, whose designs interpret a commonman's daily life, said he was inspired by juicy fruits. "The inspiration came from fruit shock and later crush and strawberry and water melons which were the part of fruits I was assigned. I used the colours and textures of the fruits," said Narula.Khanna, who used a lot of sequins, said she went over board to present her ensembles. "It was kind of an overboard collection where where we went crazy..layering, text, over work, over applique, over everything...but aesthetically, it was very satisfying to me," said Khanna.

     The finale was the most exciting part of India's biggest fashion party, which the industry expects would have generated one million rupees more than last year. Designers, who have already bagged contracts from international fashion houses like Browns, call this year's show, happening for the fifth year in a row, as the most successful ever.
-May 4, 2004

A night to remember at fashion week

     New Delhi: It was a night to remember. From strawberries, to water melons, to grapes to oranges... everything was on stage. The "Pop", "Burst" and "Cursh" look embodied all the models who sashayed down the ramp on the grand finale of the Lakme India Fashion Week in New Delhi on Monday. As the week-long extravaganza came to an end, three funky designers Aki Narula, Anamika Khanna and Anshu Arora Sen presented their interpretation of "Fruit Shock" - a riot of colours, music and action.

     Sashaying down the ramp were the three faces of Lakme - Indrani Dasgupta, Yana Gupta and Katrina Kaif. The first to go was designer Anshu Arora Sen who presented "Pop". Her clothes were quirky and fun, with strings, plastic ribbons and painted fruits attached to them. Carrying forward the mood to the beat of some heavy techno music was Aki Narula's collection, "Crush". Dominated by snazzy prints and texturised fabrics, Aki's collection was playful and cheered by his peers - designers Rohit Bal, Manoviraj Khosla, Wendell Rodricks and Ritu Kumar.

     Last up was Anamika Khanna with "Burst" as models with designer earmuffs swayed down the ramp. Her clothes, which seemed full of energy, had vivid colours and were heavily texturised. Narula, whose designs interpret a commonman's daily life, said he was inspired by juicy fruits. "The inspiration came from fruit shock and later crush and strawberry and water melons which were the part of fruits I was assigned. I used the colours and textures of the fruits," said Narula. Khanna, who used a lot of sequins, said she went over board to present her ensembles. "It was kind of an overboard collection where where we went crazy..layering, text, over work, over applique, over everything...but aesthetically, it was very satisfying to me," said Khanna. The finale was the most exciting part of India's biggest fashion party, which the industry expects would have generated one million rupees more than last year. Designers, who have already bagged contracts from international fashion houses like Browns, call this year's show, happening for the fifth year in a row, as the most successful ever.
-May 4, 2004

Indian models sizzle as fashion week comes to an end

     New Delhi: Indian Fashion may not be that "hot" abroad but models certainly are. As the curtains for the fifth annual Lakme India Fashion Week are about to be drawn, models are the ones to have benefited the most from the week-long extravaganza. Many have signed in for international fashion houses like Browns from London and Tommy Hilfiger who has recently launched a chain of stores in India. Top models like Jesse Randhawa and Sheetal Malhar, who have been in the business for more than a decade, earn anything between Rs. 20,000 and 45,000 for one appearance. Even for new-comers, money is not that bad.

     Catwalk for three shows in a day and models easily make a fortune for themselves. Besides there are other incentives which include being chosen as brand ambassadors and spokespersons for top corporate houses. And after a long day at work, most of them unwind by partying which also means making more and more contacts. But Randhawa, who has even bagged a few Hindi films recently, says it's not important for an established model to mingle much in fashion parties, as for a newcomer. "Not so important for established models but for newcomers it is. I like always to go for the finale party which is grand one," said Randhawa. Having walked the ramp many times over the past one week, changing make-up in a minute and applying hair mousse throughout all the shows has surely been a tiring experience for these models.

     Maverick designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee's discovery Sharan Mishra says her first time at the fashion week was a mix of work and fun. "It's for the first time that I have participated in the fashion week. For me it is hectic like doing makeup one after the other. But it's fun also," she said. Though a short-lived career, modelling attracts millions of young men and women from across the country which is also a stepping stone to more glamorous Hindi films. The success of top models like Aishwarya Rai, Sushmita Sen, Arjun Rampal, Sonali Bendre, Pooja Batra and Namrata Shirodkar who have made it big in Bollywood is inspiration for the newcomers.

     On the sixth day of the fashion week yesterday, India came alive with the country's best known designers showcasing their traditional ensembles.
-May 3, 2004

Theme India sizzles the ramp on sixth day of fashion week

     New Delhi: Theme India came alive with the country's best known designers showcasing their traditional ensembles on the sixth day on Sunday. From lehangas, to saris to churidars - thespian designer Ritu Kumar, known for highlighting the beauty of Indian textiles and craftsmanship - showcased her attire with aplomb. Exquisitely embroidered ghagras were accessorised with traditional Rajasthani jewellery. The mesmerising music, which merged both Indian and European styles, added to the ambience. Her second line saw models in ochre-colored pants walk the ramp with prayer beads in hand. The line, inspired by Spain's Flameco dancers showed a range of skirts, Livening up the show was a Flameco dancer, who did a small segment complete with a fan and other trimmings. "More than anything it wasn't just drama. It was putting things into context. If I was having a procession in Spain that was showing nomadic movement. It was a nice way of showing the clothes rather than showing slides. This show was based on the nomadic collection which I brought exactly the way it was 20 years back," Kumar told reporters after the high-profile show, attended by celebrities.

     One man repsonsible for putting the desert designs of Rajasthan on the world fashion map - Raghuvendra Rathore - graced the ramp with rich silk skirt in maroon and turquoise blue and elegant tops to match them. Though he presented a limited range and style Rathore's collection had some very interesting and wearable clothes. Rathore, whose models sported a sad look on the ramp said he deliberately chose to present a slowed down version of his collection. "The idea behind this look was that when people cry how do you make them happy by giving gifts. It's a person who has cried and is happy. That's the thing we have tried to project the music is slow and the idea would be to bring in very fast music, very trendy outits out and slow it down a little bit. We don't want to do fussy things like hair make a statement I think it's about women so it's lot of feminine look," said Rathore.

     Another designer-duo to have mastered in the art are Meera and Muzaffar Aliwho presented their Prjt line "Kotwara" with a shimmering drape on the ramp. "Kotwara", famed for its beautiful, traditional designs, aims to bring back to life a bygone era where graceful women spent summer afternoons lounging in the courtyards of Lucknow, listening to Sufi music and gently laughing among themselves. Pristine white colours, melted with silver tissue, were crafted into exquisite pyjamas, kurtas and long-draped "odhnis" to bring alive that elegant atmosphere on the ramp. Delicate Muri embroidery from the Chikankari family was used to create exquisite motifs of flowers on the salwar-kameezes. The dressiness of the chiffon lehengas was offset by the use of subtle colours like rose, peach, pink red and green. The Prjt line of the Kotwara collection is priced under Rs. 10,000, while the Diffusion line ranges between 10,000 and 25,000 rupees. The overall collection presented on the sixth day brought many cheers to the nascent Indian fashion industry which is expecting 25 percent more business than last year. The show ends on Monday.
-May 3, 2004

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