MS. WORLD'96 FASHION SHOW

Salut, Seychelles!

So... there shall be a fashion show in Seychelles. It shall be telecast worldwide, eventually, to an international audience. It shall feature 88 of the world's most beautiful women, all representing nations around the world. The spotlight shall be on The Look as much as on the women. And creating The Look for Miss World 1996, the fashion show, will be seven Indian designers, all of whom design for Bombay's top fashion house - Ensemble.

When the Seychelles government agreed to sponsor the swimsuit round for Ms World, it also wished to include one more event: a fashion show. Thus, Ensemble was called in by organisers Amitabh Bachchan Corporation Limited to grace one of the biggest media events held each year - the Miss World pageant 1996.

Countdown to Miss World 1996 has begun and soon the world will be watching...

Designing for the show are seven of India's best, including Rohit Bal, Arjun Khanna, Raghavendra Rathore, Monisha Jaising, J J Valaya and - Tarun Tahiliani.

Choreographer : Lubna Adam

And what of the show itself? After all, the world must see such a worked-upon collection in a suitable setting. The show will be filmed on two ramps connected over a swimming pool. The music chosen is, of course, of extreme importance. The choreographer of the fashion show, Lubna Adams, elaborates: "Some designers were keen on using certain tracks which would convey the feel of their clothes and I let them do so. The music is not neccesarily the newest in the market, but it is such that it suits the clothes."

That is all that really matters, of course.

And, of the models themselves, who will after all present these clothes as they present themselves, to be judged for the pageant? Adams comments: "Bear in mind that the 88 pageant contestants may not necessarily have been modelling before. It shall be challenging, as much as exciting, to bring about a high standard show, to make the models do something they have perhaps not been used to doing and make it look fabulous."

For this task, Adams is taking along three assistants just to assist her as she choreographs, for she will be handling 88 models. There can be no dress rehearsal due to time constraints. As opposed to a normal show, where Adams can work in the number of required rehearsals and where the models are familiar with her work methods, this event shall indeed be a novel experience.

"Time is an essential factor," Adams comments, on the eve of her departure to Seychelles. "I have, they tell me, three hours with the girls." In the span of that time, her choreography must be perfected in order to present the girls and present the clothes. There is indeed excitement, but there is also apprehension considering time and the task at hand....

.... So there shall be a fashion show at Seychelles. Eighty-eight beautiful contestants modelling to a worldwide audience. Judging from the excitement, the committment, even the apprehension, it seems India is ready. It shall be quite a show... Salut, Seychelles!

CHOREOGRAPHER LUBNA ADAM with

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RAGHAVENDRA RATHOD.........................other CONTESTANTS

THE TWO STAGES FOR THE FASHION SHOW LINKED BY THE RUNWAY.