Chennai girl Rochelle’s mercurial rise as a beauty queen came as no surprise. She was always on the city’s top runways and promoting local brands. But her entry into the Miss International pageant at Japan, coupled with her transformation from a girl-next-door to a demure diva has pleasantly surprised those who know her well.
Speaking exclusively to paper from Mumbai, she says, “I’m off to Japan tomorrow. It’s been a year filled with a lot of learning and exercising,” she giggles.
Speaking about her ongoing preparations for the pagent, she says, “I am not sure how much looks alone would play a part in winning the crown. Surely, there has to be more to us than just a polished exterior. But I do admit that an unconventional look can get me noticed.”
The girl who has been a local favourite has now chosen to go national when it comes to styling. She says, “For the national costume round, I will be wearing a lehenga by Ritu Kumar. It has peacock motifs on it.”
Speaking of the effort she put into grooming herself, she says, “I am uninitiated and despite being a model I didn’t know what I would need for a pageant of this magnitude. Some of my friends in Chennai put me on to Marvie Beck for make-up and Alicia Raut helped me perfect my gait.”