By Davina Raisinghani www.khaleejtimes.com
Held at the chic Armani Hotel Dubai, Burj Khalifa, this time round, Manipal University’s annual event Fashionova saw a brand new batch of students bring their stylish best to the catwalk.
And as the unique creations rolled out onto the ramp, it became fairly obvious that labelling this set of designers amateurs would prove a gross misnomer – almost every piece showcased during the evening hit a high mark on the innovation scale.
Joining the models onstage were the top three Miss India 2010 winners, Manasvi Mamgai (Miss India World), Nicole Faria (Miss India Earth) and Neha Hinge (Miss India International). And while the three women were excited to model the works of the emerging talent, it was the city’s favourite past time, shopping, that filled their days.
“It’s quite a treat that malls here are open till 12 in the night. After we got done with our fitting sessions, we headed down to Mall of the Emirates for a session. They have some great stores down there,” said Mamgai as City Times caught up with her backstage prior to the show.
Meanwhile, Faria claimed she was quite eager to get down to the next round, “We’re heading down to Dubai Mall tomorrow, before our flight. I’m hoping to get some good stuff there as well.”
The women behind the faces
Age: 22 years
Fashion foray: Like most Indian girls while growing up, I wanted to be a Miss India. I started modelling when I was 18. Ever since I won, my life has been pretty hectic, even though my mum and I stay in the same flat, I hardly see her.
Training for Miss World: I’m undergoing all of it while juggling my sponsor commitments. Although, it’s not in full-swing just yet, the basics such as work on my skin, hair and gymming has started. Next we’ll prepare for Q and A, speech and diction and etiquette.
Her style: I’m definitely not into seasonal trends. I prefer my clothes to be comfortable; jeans, loose tops and flip flops is my normal attire.
Top fitness tip: It’s 70 per cent diet and 30 per cent exercise. Once your food is under control, and I mean small portions but multiple meals, the rest just follows. I’m very cautious about what I eat.
Destination Bollywood: Absolutely. I’m getting offers right now but I’m too busy to do anything at the moment. However, if I’m offered good movies and roles, why not?
Nicole Faria – Miss India Earth
Age: 20 years
Fashion foray: Participating in Miss India was always in the back of my mind. Sometimes you have a feeling about a certain profession being meant for you and this was one of those things.
Training for Miss Earth: I want to be the whole package and not just work on specific aspects. But I’ll definitely put in effort into preparing for the Q and A round. Once I’m on stage and the audience is there before me, I don’t feel nervous at all.
Her style: I prefer comfort above all. Even if the clothes you’re wearing are not perfect, if you’re comfortable, you can carry them off confidently, and that’s what’s important.
Top fitness tip: It’s really important to stay fit. And there’s no way around working out.
Destination Bollywood: I won the title of ‘Bollywood Diva’ at Miss India, so I will be working in a Madhur Bhandarkar film. I’ve proved my looks during the pageant and I’d like to prove my acting skills in his film.
