It was Incredible India on the catwalk, like Nepal had perhaps never witnessed before, as the ramp queens pirouetted in spectacular sarees, salwars and lehenga cholis to vitually knock the audience dead. Unmistakable strains of Indian music filled the air as the devastating models draped in everything from chiffon to linen and cotton to lycra sizzled on the runway looking like they’d just stepped off the sets of a Bollywood blockbuster.
Shimmering visions of the Bharatiya Nari in all her resplendent glory bewitched all and sundry, even though many of those visions came with the classic Nepali features and in one case, even Caucasian. The auditorium at the Yak and Yeti was packed to capacity with standing room only as the most high profile fashion event in the country reached a deafening crescendo.
Indian ethnic wear is never complete without the celebrated bridal collection, and kickstarting the evening was Manju Banjara’s depictions of the Indian bride. Blood red hues to complement the flames of the wedding fire glided down the runway in breathtaking variations whether in sarees or lehengas with intricate metallic embellishments to do any Mughal artisan proud.
In comparison, the western bridal collection from the same designer that followed failed to come anywhere close to its predecessor. Western brides in white gowns clutching bouquets couldn’t quite create the same impact as the fire brigade red brides.
The glistening Indian collections that dominated the evening’s proceedings, were interspersed with western wear including Uttam Banepali’s semi formals and Pratigya Thapa’s Camden collection.
Star names to grace the final day were Nepal’s object of lust actress Rekha Thapa who scorched the ramp with fellow actress Namrata Shrestha. The first ever Miss Nepal Ruby Rana Shah who was crowned back in 1994 accompanied by her husband Prajay Vikram Shah and actress Arunima Lamsal added extra spark to the already starry evening. However the star attraction of the day was undoubtedly Femina Miss India 2008 Simran Kaur who demonstrated to all in attendance why her poise and luminescence made her the toast of a nation of 2 billion people last year.