Opening Doors

He may have walked the ramp countless number of times in the city,but when 20 something Johab Ahmad takes the stage at ITC Sonar next week,he will have a spring in his steps.

Written by EXPRESS FEATURES SERVICE
September 4, 2009 03:00 AM IST

3 min read

He may have walked the ramp countless number of times in the city,but when 20 something Johab Ahmad takes the stage at ITC Sonar next week,he will have a spring in his steps. This is it for me. The Kolkata Fashion Week is big time,am sure my career will take a leap from here, says Ahmad,who has been a professional model for over a year in Kolkata. Last week,Ahmad along with 28 other Kolkata models was chosen through a much-publicized model hunt,to be a part of the Kolkata Fashion Week II,an honour that was denied to them during the last fashion week. There as much controversy regarding that very fact,but the organizers understandably wanted the best of everything which is why they imported a host of Mumbai models, says model Jessica Golmes,who was one of the models chosen through the hunt.

For Golmes,who is one of the best known names in the Kolkata fashion scene,this is a significant movement. I feel that this is a positive step. An event like this will expose local boys and girls to the very best in the country. They will get to walk the ramp for top designers; they will work under established choreographers. These things matters, says Golmes. Anando Ghosh,who was one of the four Kolkata models to have walked the ramp at the first edition of KFW agrees. People say that Kolkata models arent in the same league as Mumbai and Delhi models,but how can they be so if there arent proper events here. An event like KFW will show the world what Kolkata models are capable of, states Ghosh,perhaps a tad too enthusiastically.

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Nil,of designer duo Dev R Nil,who was one of the judges at the model-hunt,reasons-Its true that Kolkata has talent and the model hunt proved that,but there is a flipside. While KFW may open a world of opportunities for people here,one must also be prepared for rejection. Many local models might be rejected for some reason or the other,but they shouldnt give up. They should be prepared to learn from the experience, he says. Though these model reperesent the best of Kolkata,they have a bit to go before they can match the sheen and polish of their Mumbai-Delhi counterparts. These models will be groomed by Elite Model Management India Private Limited for a period of 4 days prior to the commencement of KFW II, says Yudhajit Dutta,MD,Mindscapes Maestros

Will Nil choose local models to walk the ramp for him? We havent decided on the final list yet,but we have always worked with Kolkata models like Neeraj (Surana). Our line up this time will probably have a healthy mix of Kolkata and outstation models, Nil says.

In fact,the final line-up of most designers may or may not have the selected 22 models. The final selection of the models is entirely up to agencies and the designers. That may prove to be a bit of a problem. I hope the organizers ensure that Kolkata models get proper exposure in the event and are not just relegated to shows of newcomer designers, says Golmes.