THE NIGHT THE MODELS WALKED LIKE AN EGYPTIAN!
Feroze Gujral

I remember reading somewhere, ‘No pain, no gain’. And this truth was hammered home after my experiences backstage on the fourth day of the Lakmé India Fashion Week 2002. I reached backstage just in time to catch the activities for Malini Ramani and Mandira Wirk’s shows. Knowing the two, I was sure the audiences would be treated to something out of the ordinary in terms of make-up. And they didn’t disappoint.

Jojo, winner of Lakmé’s ‘Strokes of Brilliance’ (Make-up artiste of the day) award for second day of LIFW, had worked out a sultry and sensual look. For the ‘just out of bed’ look, as he put it, he decided on copper as the main theme for make-up. While the foundation was normal, he gave the eyes a very strong look by filling the eyelids with gold and copper for the metallic finish, with liberal use of mascara – this added to the sultry look, when combined with lips in a vibrant mixture of gold and brown.

Then the hairstylists swooped down on the girls to give their hair a textured look with a hint of copper, in keeping with the main theme. The girls then rushed to the dressing rooms to step into their clothes, kept handy by their Man Fridays and then sat down for a breather before the show. By now, most of them were thoroughly exhausted, but determined to put their best foot forward in more ways than one. So while day three saw the girls dancing backstage, the fourth saw them chill out with their best friend – the mobile phone, which soon became an extension of their ears!

Then it was time for the much-awaited Ashish Soni show – where ‘pain’ was the theme – at least for backstage. Ashish wanted an absolutely theatrical look. So, he and Jojo decided to go with a highly unconventional, dramatic and yes, painful look!

What is this state of discomfort I keep referring to? Let me explain: Jojo decided to bandage the heads of the models – like Egyptian mummies – with just the face thrown out in stark contrast. Jojo, more adept at wielding brushes than wrapping bandages had to take a crash course in the art from St John Ambulance Services. He first did up the model’s faces. For a colourful contrast to the white bandages, Jojo kept the make-up strong and defined with lots of fuchsia pink and quite a bit of mascara for the wide-eyed look. He left the cheeks untouched and painted the mouth in shades of lush purple with a heavy coat of gloss to finish the “dolly” look.

Then the models sat down for a gruelling session of bandaging where their heads were wrapped tightly up to the neck, with only the face visible. But most of them walked away from the dressing tables in headaches. Groaning, they got into a final rehearsal with Aparna and Tanya. The word ‘pain’ took on a new meaning as the models – most of them dead on their feet – took turns on the ramp under Aparna and Tanya’s instructions, all the time nursing ‘the-mother-of-all-headaches’. They then rushed to get ready and wait in the mummified condition for the show. Ashish, meanwhile, walked about nervously checking the final look.

Once again it was time for me to exit the backstage and join the ranks of fashion enthusiasts to watch the play of brilliance on stage – painful brilliance – but brilliance nevertheless!