YANA GUPTA: CZECH MATE
Khalid M Ansari (Hindustantimes.com)

What does it take to knock the delectable Lisa Ray out as the face of Indian cosmetic major Lakme? Talk emerald green eyes and 5'8" of pure oomph, and you could be talking about the most famous export from the Czech Republic since supermodels Eva Herzigova and Daniela Pestova. Having posed for Calvin Klein, Victoria's Secret, Nivea, Toyota, Honda and Sony, Yana Synkova never thought that a spiritual sojourn in India would end up giving her both - her life partner and a richly satisfying modelling career she had always wanted. Married to Pune-based artist Satya Gupta, Yana is Indian fashion industry's HOT new property. And her infectious smile and irresistible sex appeal has already set the ramp on fire at the Lakme India Fashion Week 2002. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:

After having modelled for so many international cosmetic and apparel brands, do you find Indian clothes in sync with Western taste?
Indian clothes have in fact progressed beyond meeting the Western taste to a point where they also quench the thirst for something classic and enduring. For the average European donning an Indian label has come to have inalienable connotations of mental peace and physical rejuvenation. If that's not the greatest compliment, I don't know what is.

What do you feel about the prêt designs for global markets that have so far been displayed at the India Fashion Week?
Most of the collections are truly international in letter and spirit. The look is distinctive and the feel impossible to resist. Even when I had never ventured beyond Calvin Klein and other international brands I could appreciate the fact that Indian designs were amazingly different and eminently wearable. Though some designers at the LIFW are a trifle disappointed with the low-turnout of international buyers, I feel their absence does not detract from the obvious merit of the works on show here.

Has the national obsession with fair skin and light-eyes played a pivotal role in your enormous success in India?
Not really, since I don't think European and Indian models are fundamentally different. Rather it's your inherent sex appeal and body language that makes all the difference. Every product or garment has a unique character. If you are intelligent enough to understand the message and faithfully communicate it to your audience, that is the secret of your success as a model. You ignore this simple fact at your own peril - that is why many aspiring models, despite being fair-skinned and extremely good-looking, fail to make a mark. While alluring looks may get you a break into the industry, your staying power depends on a holistic personality.

Talking of sex appeal, how important a role do you think it plays in a model's rise or fall?
Honestly there's no substitute to sex appeal. In fact modelling and sex appeal go hand-in-hand. To be a successful fashion model, every part of your body must radiate raw sensuality. Modelling is all about giving a face to a product, encouraging people to identify themselves with a brand to the extent where its acquisition becomes necessary to their self-esteem. How can a body that is dumb to its own sexuality inspire others?