Miss Universe spreads AIDS awareness from ramp
Natalie Glebova kicked off her AIDS awareness campaign in India with a fashion show in which she wore a diamond-studded outfit.
Natalie Glebova used her Miss Universe-winning looks and a one million dollar diamond-studded outfit on a Delhi catwalk last night to drive home the message that doing an AIDS test is in fashion.
The Russian-born Miss Universe 2005 from Toronto, Canada kicked off her AIDS awareness campaign in India with a fashion show in which she wore a dazzling outfit containing 10,000 diamonds.
Seven more international models, all with strong beliefs in the same cause as the 23-year-old Glebova, walked the ramp in a hotel situated on the outskirts of Delhi at the 'Sanjana Jon NY Show' whose slogan was 'Get an AIDS test done, it is in fashion'.
Glebova, who appeared on the show by the New York-based fashion designer Sanjana, said she was particularly excited about spreading AIDS awareness in India, a country which is close to her heart (her father, who has been in India twice, has told her about Indian culture and she had many Indian high school and college friends in Toronto).
"Namaste," said Glebova, who is on a six-city tour of India as the Miss Universe Ambassador on AIDS awareness, to a nearly 1,000- strong audience at the fashion show that showcased Sanjana's western and traditional Indian ensemble.
Also part of the show was model and Miss Afghanistan Bida Samaidzai, whose appearance in a swimsuit at a beauty contest led to her being barred from entering her country.
"We did convey the message about AIDS awareness through fashion," said Sanjana, an Indian-American born in Kerala. "The most beautiful women can play a meaningful role in making a difference to the society."
Glebova will now join Bollywood superstar Salman Khan to spread the message in Mumbai while similar shows will also be held in Bangalore, Kochi, Hyderabad and Chennai.
Glebova says people should not shy away from taking AIDS tests to end the stigma associated with the dreaded disease.