Creative Smile: Young designers from Janakpur showcased their creations for the first time in Nepal Fashion Week. From left to right: Shephalika Kamal, Preeti Jalan, Rinku Sen and Hima Manandhar. All pics by Wagle
By Dinesh Wagle
Wagle Street Journal (Saturday Blog)
Last week saw Nepal’s one of the biggest fashion and lifestyle extravaganzas when nearly two dozens of models paraded in front of hundreds of trend conscious spectators wearing beautiful outfits crafted by 134 designers from around the country. Third edition of Nepal Fashion Week (August 10-14) showcased traditional, fusion, western, Indo-western and casual wears. Saris of different designs were major attraction of the show as majority of designers included the best wear of Nepali women in their list of creativity. Over the years, fashion industry in Nepal is growing along with the interest and awareness in general public about the designer clothes. That could be visible in the growing number of aspiring fashion designers who enroll themselves in various fashion designing institutes sprouting all over the major Nepalese cities.
Lady Behind The Show: Shailaja Adhikari, the Managing Director of IEC Nepal, the organizer of Nepal Fashion Week says that overall consciousness about fashion in Nepali public has risen in recent years.
Shailaja Adhikari, Managing Director of IEC Nepal, the organizer of Nepal Fashion Week (this was the third year of NFW), told me in an interview for Kantipur daily that she has experienced growing awareness about fashion and trend in Nepalese over the years. All shows of the five days long event were completely packed with fashion enthusiasts, overwhelming majority were Kathmandu elites, who paid Rs. 750 each for an entry ticket. “People were standing and watching the show as tickets were oversold,” Shailaja said on the last day of the Week. “We tried to provide bigger market and stage for designers this year,” said the lady hoping that the presence of Indian televisions and magazines in the program for the first time will make the difference.
Designers with their creations
I talked to a team of four young girl designers from Janakpur who were taking part in the Fashion Week first time. The three-month-old students of Janakpur based IEC said collectively that the extravaganza was useful for them to gather experience, learn new things and get exposure. “Now we knew the actual demand [of designs] in Kathmandu,” said Preeti Jalan. “We also knew the actual trend in Kathmandu and about people who like to wear designer clothes. We got exposure, got new ideas, learned new concepts and we are all enthusiastic now” Each of the girls displayed a pair of design in the show and they said that their creations “received compliments from many.”
All girls said that they wanted to pursue careers in fashion industry and become the topmost designers of the country. “I used to put new design on my doll when I was child,” said Shephalika Kamal who thinks that fashionable clothing doesn’t only mean those outfits that are displayed in fashion shows. “We can have our daily clothing prepared by designers.” To widen the marked and reach out to the middle class Nepali people, Shephalika opined, designers need to design everyday clothes. “We want the people, however small in number, to know us and recognize our designs,” said Preeti. “And we want to receive the orders for design from around the world.”
Cats of the Show: Models Shristhi Shrestha, Sabita Maharjan and Ramani Joshi, who were giving interviews in the mid of the make session, said that they wanted more exposure from shows like Nepal Fashion Week so that they could get other opportunities in advertising and modeling in future.
And there were Nepali models who were more than happy to be walking like cats in front of the ‘fashion and beauty conscious’ audiences. But there was a small problem. “When we walk on the stage,” said Sabita Maharjan. “Some people start flashing cameras of their cell phone focusing the upper part and lower part of our body. It feels so bad and we get angry but we can’t actually display our anger at that point.” She thinks that some Nepali viewers are yet to grow up and keep their mind focused on the designers’ creations rather than the bodies of models. “[The whole fashion show] is actually the contest among designers,” she said. “We are just displaying their designs. The audience’s attention should be focused on creations.” Yes, Shristhi added, there must be glamour in a fashion show but not vulgarity. They also said they do catwalks on the stage with blank feelings in the mind. “Yea,” Sabita said. “May be we given attention on the beats of music. Other than that we just have blank mind.” Ramona said that if anyone smiles and she notices while doing cat walk, she usually responds with a smile.
Sabita and her friend Shristhi Shrestha said that Nepali modeling industry isn’t big enough to give full time where as their friend Ramona Joshi said that she was providing money to her family on several occasion working as a model. All three girls said that though Nepal Fashion Week was for designers, they also hoped to attract some important people on the audience row who could later give them assignment in other advertisements.
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Comments
33 responses to “Kathmandu Catwalk: Nepal Fashion Week”
Oh..Wagle, my dear!!
You have come back to the form after so many months. The politics had eaten you, at least in this blog. I still remember your interview with participants of Miss Nepal and a blog about your meeting with a model. Forget the name. As you know, this industry is getting bigger and bigger. We have seen changes and improvements. I am happy that you finally found time to cover this field in this blog which, not to flatter you, happens to be my favorite site.
And this gives a good break for us from the gangagol of politics. There was hope about the peace process after the Janaandolan but seeing the recent developments, aas marisakyo. But this news about fashion week has certainly raised hope within me: this is growing!
Nepal’s capital Kathmandu is really growing into a fashion hub giving chances to the skilled and talented and creative designers. This is an absolutely wonderful thing. Events like these should happen all the time to encourage the fashion industry and make Nepal’s name appear into the map of World Fashion.
I salute the women!Keep up your good works!!!
If we are going to fiddle while Rome burns then lovely ladies make a delightful distraction. Why not add a wine tasting review section also?
oh..a pity
fashion events in nepal,
for gents, u have to pay and arrange everything urself.show and ruin ur money.
for girls, get rich.show and collect.
What’s the law in Nepal on how much make-up men can wear. The last time I seen that much powder I was watching Queers Eye for the Nepal guy.
HI Its me Nirajan Rijal. I wanna give you something………………….
“Important three things which are necessary in life”
Three things in life once gone never come back…
Words
Opportunity
Time,
Three things in life are never sure…
Dreams
Success
Fortune,
Three things in life that make you a great person…
Handwork
Sincerity
Success,
Three things in life are most valuable…
Love
Self respect
Friends,
Three things in life must not be lost…
Peace
Hope
Honesty,
Three things in life that destroy a person…
Greed
Pride
Anger.
If you are my real friend, than you must be saying “Always think about three things.”
Best Wisher
-Nirajan Rijal
Mobile No. 9842058383
Phone No 025580003/584798
E-Mail: nirajan_rijal@yahoo.com
Itahari 1 Sunsari Nepal
SHRISTI SHRESTA LAI KASLE MODEL BANAYO…SHE LOOKS SOOOOOO SCARY……………NOT A MODEL…TOO MUCH MAKE UP …….
i saw all the collection of designer’s in fashion week. but i liked most was farhan and group’s collection
It’s so nice that new fashions are paving their way in the cities of Nepal! It is where we can witness a fusion of modern and traditional. Thanks for the article!
i saw all the collection of designer’s in fashion week. but i liked urs designs .. and plz help i want to b a fashion disigner jst like u so plz help me i m new in this field and i want alot of it…its my life mission…. and i hope i done it… this is my cell number 03337129953 and my mail are moonchand_chand@yahoo.com so plz help me and give me some tips and suggestions i am waiting for ur kind response take care and bye have a nice day…
It was gr8 show.. I Got many ideas regarding fashion. We are also developing new models website how can we get info regarding fashion designs.
fashiobn is so important , so get it by the time
u should change the model now
I hate this it is horrible
not being rude but the clothes n the designers r fantastic but the models r scary n ugly……………………….
please could u help. I am a co-ordinating a nepalese fashion show in Manchester and I require outfits or anything that could help.
sorry I forgot tu say Manchester is in the U.K
I like the qute smile of Janakpurs designers ,Specially Hima Manandhars
Very Good Initiatives No Doubt.
Hi!
To every nepali …….. I’m from Nepal (Nepalgunj)………….. I’ve complited my degree in “FASHION DESIGN” FROM Bangalore University ,Garden City College……….Now working in a Fashion house………….in B’lore only………
So, i would like to know , Is there any Fashion designer display? this year
Best of luck to all of this team members
regards
Bisheshwars@gmail.com
Hi This is rVEE from New Delhi i am a Fashion Administrator in a Fashion Leading Company in Delhi . We provide Fashion styling, Creative Designing, Immaging and Grooming and Hair & Make Services to the Leading Shows. Actully i am very happey to show that Nepalese also intrested in the fashion trand.
Here i want to say that to the Nepal Fashion Industry. 1. We have to make our mentality that “Fashion is a trand” it;s not a vulgarity 2.We have to make one group that we can show our creative mind in the open Glamours world.3. Lot’s of photographer and Degsinger i have seen there they want show only model’s body parts not focus in dress and their creativity.4. Media also major parts of Fashion 5.Publicity in leading parts of Nepal and All over the world.if any one wanna contact with me please contact to me in yourravs@yahoo.com or yourravs@hotmail.com Thanks
no doubt inner beauty is greater tan outer appeareance true n will stick wth it but obviously we xpect a lot mor frm fashion queens who alk the ramp just putting anyone in the catwalk is not gonna improvise the beauty of the show cmmon ppl these kinda models fr the event as fashion week ten guys m sorry we wld rather not atch …………gve us a braek tere are lotta more pretty gals spot tem
Shailaja Adhikari ji
God Bless U.
today I saw your progress on net. I think I can do a lot for upliftment of your group. please mail me details of your group as early as possible.without financial support and publicity no organizations can grow. I waiting.
regards
shekhar kapoor
mob 09990934458
New Delhi
Hello,everybody.I’m interesting in import the ladies garments from Nepal to India or to any other countries in which i got offices,if someone is ineresting in my enquiries, contact with me.
sorry looking faggots!!! hehe
models??? how come they be models? looks like bunch of faggots getting their asshole reamed out!!!
I feel sorry to say that about my people but this is truth!
Nice change from all band, fights, acidents.
This is a very good blog for us blog addicts, thanks for your blog. I found your site in Google Blog search few days ago and then reading your blog. I am going to subscribe your blog now.
Hello, I vinay tripathi a fashion designer by profession in Delhi. I belong to Nepal and I am working in Delhi now, I saw some fashion shows over there, had research about fashion market of Nepal, and can say that people have started thinking about fashion and they are becoming fashion conscious. However, I would like to know something is that, organizing fashion shows and providing platform is not enough because fashion shows are not only the place where audience comes to have entertainment but also the place where buyers visit for business, many contracts are donning at that time between designers and buyers. It is about the fashion business to open a boutique is not everything for a fashion designer but their dream is to put their traditional fabric, traditional art, and many things like that through fashion. So would like to know is that the fashion industry of Nepal providing any this kind facilities to the designers because I want to setup a business in Kathmandu. Therefore, I would like to know this…
nepal fashion week was really appreciable……great progress in fashion field of nepal.
i want to raise the fashion of nail art in our country n m a nail artist how i can do that?