Lights, camera...FASHION!

I opened my mailbox and there I saw a subject line which read: 'Would you like to attend the Lakme Fashion Week at Grand Hyatt?'

Like to? I would LOVE to, I almost shouted!

After doing a little dance in my head, I geared up to attend the oh-so-grand fashion show the next day. One moment I was at home flipping through the pages of a newspaper, seeing those stunning people do their thing at Fashion Week and the next moment I learned I would be right there, witnessing all the action. The thought itself was thrilling!

My first destination upon reaching the venue was backstage. I rushed in, hoping to get some interviews of models and designers. Contrary to what you see on the ramp, the scenario backstage is a completely different thing altogether. It's a chaotic, mad world out there! As calm as the models and designers appear in the spotlight, behind the scenes they're completely themselves and let loose. Everyone's at their natural best sans any pretensions whatsoever.

Upon entering, you feel lost because everyone is up to something or the other and you find yourself desperately hunting for some 'important' personality who can spare a few minutes for your feature.

When it's your first time, blunders are commonplace and I was no exception. A sweet soul managed to land me an interview with a designer and when I finally got to him with great difficulty, something came upon me and I started bombarding him with questions on corruption! Considering that his show was up next, the last thing he must have expected was a question on Anna Hazare. After staring blankly at me for a few seconds, he came up with an answer that even a 10-year-old could have given me. And what have we to do at such times? We just nod, smile, thank him for his 'time' and quickly make a move! No Anna Hazare questions , I made a mental note!

Making my way through the chaos backstage, I entered the green room and the sight was amazing. It was a mess back there, but a beautiful mess. Models doing their hair, fashion choreographers giving last-minute instructions, makeup artists all over the place, last minute fittings and what not! After talking to a few models (and not messing it up this time), I made an exit.

Finally, it was time for what I was aching to see -- the showings. I entered the seating area, desperately hoping to spot a few big celebrities, but unfortunately there weren't any. All I did see was a lot of unknown faces, going all "you're looking gorgeous, darling!" to each other, blowing air kisses et al.

The fashion show was stunning -- right from the music to the lighting, with models parading in gorgeous outfits, one after the other. Everything about it was astounding! I'm no fashion expert and as I couldn't care less about the latest designs and 'what's hot-what's not', every outfit looked great to me! I even spotted a few models I spoke to backstage on the ramp. They looked so poised, their walk exuding a great deal of confidence, so unlike a few minutes ago!

I didn't notice how time passed and soon I had to leave. This was it, my first experience at a fashion show and not just any fashion show but THE Lakme Fashion Week! It was an amazing experience and the amount of hard work and dedication that goes into putting up such a show is commendable. Aside from all that is said about the fashion industry, the work they do is great and it's no easy task!

I returned home completely in love with the whole feel of Fashion Week and even though my heart sank a little when I learned of the celebrities I would miss out on seeing in the grand finale, I thoroughly enjoyed getting a glimpse of the fashion world. Will there be a next time? I really hope!