Age no bar for rampage

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Recently, 14-year-old Divya walked the ramp at the Bangalore Fashion Week, rubbing shoulders with senior models like Indrani Dasgupta. The average modelling age seems to have become much younger now. And the fashion fraternity agrees with this.

“Earlier, 20 used to be the average age for models to enter the glitz world, but today, there is a sea of aspiring models as young as 15, who are enrolling into grooming programs. One of the main reasons for this is that parents are more liberal and do not mind their kids getting an exposure in the fashion world. I believe starting young gives them more time to groom and make a strong base in the industry,” says Liza Varma, fashion choreographer and founder member of Liza Production and Management.
And this is what 18-year-old Sony Kaur had in mind when she got her first portfolio done at the age of 15. “I would go for auditions with my mother. Though for me it was like earning my pocket money since beginners are paid very less, it was also very thrilling. For some time I shot for local ads and commercials until my biggest break came at the age of 18 when I walked the ramp at Chennai Fashion Week recently,” says Sony.
Sony recalls the exciting experience of sharing the ramp with senior models and walking for veteran designers like Neeta Lulla.
“The advantage of starting young is that you have time to decide whether you really are meant for it or not. This way one has time to look at other options also,” says Elixir Nahar, 18, who has been modelling for over a year now.
However, the trend of young models joining the glamour world is still very new in India, says model Kajal Shrivastava. “In cities like Milan and Paris it’s not a big deal for underage models to walk the ramp but in India it’s still a growing trend. I was 17 years old when three years back I first walked the ramp for a fashion designer at The Lalit Hotel. I was the youngest model at the show but now many young girls and boys are making modelling debut while in school,” says Kajal.
Fashion choreographer Shy Klra says new venues are opening up for young models. “Almost all schools and colleges now have beauty pageants and ramp shows. These competitions boost youngsters’ confidence and encourage them to take their talent seriously,” says Shy. One such young talent Urvashi Rautela, 18, who won the title of I Am She Miss India Universe 2012, says she started preparing herself for the glam world at the age of 15. “I might have been young but I knew what I wanted from the very beginning. I worked hard to win the crown. Modelling is not easy but if one is focused enough, young age only goes in your favour,” says Urvashi.