Fashion for a Cause

As a teenager,Lourdes Victoria Kruse had a secret wish of walking on a ramp,dressed up in designer threads. Little did the Minister Counselor of the Dominican Republic know that her dream would be fulfilled at a charity event in India. On Saturday,the 50-something Kruse did a nimble turn down the ramp in a sequined sari,her nervousness masked behind a brave smile. “I have never worn a sari in my life. I was worried about tripping over the pleats,” she said after the show. The event,held at the Ethiopian embassy,was part of NGO Angel Foundation’s campaign for the girl child.

Dozens of diplomats and a few ambassadors turned up on the ramp to support the cause — nobody had any experience in modeling and several were quite out of shape. “Don’t I look model material?” quizzed Dorca Kgosietile,ambassador of Botswana,who sashayed in a vibrant coloured sari as electronic fusion beats played in the background. “I have worn saris before since I have been in India for five years. I usually like to wear Indian outfits whenever I can,” she continued.

The diplomats were the highlight of the evening and,as guests nibbled on delicacies after the show,the plight of the girl child seemed to have been pushed aside.