For the first time in the history of Indian fashion, Lakmé Fashion Week has hosted model auditions in Assam to include more faces from the North East. The jury includes designer Atsu Sekhose, model Sonalika Sahay, Assamese actress Barsha Rani, head of innovation, Lakmé, Purnima Lamba and vice president and head of fashion, IMG Reliance, Jaspreet Chandok. Over 100 girls registered for the auditions and Lakmé has also relaxed the obligatory height requirement of 5.7 inches.
“I think the girls from the North East have great style and Lakmé saw the potential [there], so they took the first step to travel and look for talent. The international shows have a lot of talent on the runways from diverse ethnicities, and India is also becoming more accepting in that sense,” said Sekhose. He further highlighted the difficulties in transitioning from a small town in the North East to the mainland. “Most of us come from small cities, and to push yourself and move forward and to move to big metros is not very easy, so young girls do hesitate.”
Model Sonalika Sahay is also of the opinion that the industry is opening up to diverse faces. “This is the first time I am a part of an audition that is region-specific. I’ve always felt that the girls from the North East have an exotic element about them. Having said that, we have had top models like Monikangana Dutta and Dipanita Sharma [from the region] and we would love to see more.”
Lakmé has also included a round where semi-finalists will model in the traditional Assamese mekhela chador designed by local talent in its endeavour to highlight regional designers.
