From loom to drape, from meeting weavers to fashion designers, my passion for Odisha’s handloom made its way to modeling and featuring in one of the leading magazines, Women’s era, for the month of January. All by coincidence.
During my teens and twenties, I used to dream about modeling. I guess TV was a new addition in our home those days. I was old enough to watch movies. Even the glamorous advertisements were attractive for me to think of modeling as a profession. That doesn’t mean that dreams always are translated into reality. Belonging to an ordinary, relatively conservative family, I never even mentioned modeling as a career to my parents. As time passed I didn’t think about it often, but once in a while, the thought crossed my mind.
Fast forward a few decades. Here I am recollecting a fun and chaotic yet fantastic afternoon spent with one of the well-known fashion designers of India in Bhubaneswar. Rajesh, a film director, whom I consider a younger brother once insisted on us going to one of the fashion designer’s boutique during my stay in India. I had no expectations but assumed it to just be a high-end clothing store. My elder daughter joined us. When we reached there I noticed it is one of the old two-storied buildings surrounded by a boundary. Inside the boundary is a tropical garden but not in great shape. We went inside and to my surprise, it was an old house converted to a boutique. A bunch of skinny tall models all trying different outfits. We felt very positive friendly vibes for sure. Sabyasachi Satpathy, a participant in the popular Big Boss reality show, is now a well-known fashion designer originally from Odisha is happened to be Rajesh's good friend. What caught my eye in his boutique is Odisha’s handloom fabrics all over his collections. He was funny and charming. While others are slowly trying their outfits my daughter started browsing his collections and showed interest in trying a few. Given I am always passionate about Odisha’s handloom I too picked a few outfits to try.
After a few minutes of conversation and trial then, in a very sassy way, Sabya asked, ‘Oh nani will you try these two dresses?’ We address nani to an elder sister. Both of his sisters used to be my college seniors and he mentioned about them to jog my memory. Anyway, as we were mingling with the other models, I tried the outfits and returned them. Overall we had fun and left. He asked if we could meet the following day to go over my orders since that afternoon went in a haze with laughter. ‘Ok dear, see you tomorrow.’ We took leave.
The next afternoon my daughter and I reached his boutique. Rajesh joined us there. To my surprise, this afternoon was even busier with a room set up for make-up, cameraman and light etc. Tall skinny models are getting their make-up and hairdos. I thought to myself, during my college days I never saw any Odia girl be that slim and into modeling. So I was admiring their girlish yet fashionable movements. We both decided to just try our own clothes as it seem all were busy with some mission. In the meantime, Sabya moved around and talked to all models and fixed their outfits for the photo shoot striking sassy conversations. It was a very energetic ambiance I must say.
All of a sudden he came up to me asking, ‘Nani, would you mind if I take you in my photo shoot? Do you have any makeup on you?’ I nodded saying, ‘Sure, but I have very minimum makeup on me not to make myself look sleepy and tired.’ He said, ‘Not a problem. We will do a touch-up and define your maggie noodle-shaped curly hair’, and smiled. Then and there my career in modeling started I guess.
I was taken to the next room where Masud, a 6ft tall model cum make-up artist, originally from Assam, was assigned to fix my hair and give a touch-up with my makeup. He was very sweet, with lots of patience to go over my messy hair to make it look even curlier. He loaned me a 6” high heel to borrow. Looking at that I was scared how can even I stand on it? I’ve never worn a high heel of that size. Once the makeup was done I was assisted to wear the golden brown colored silk outfit with traditional motifs, accessorized with chunky Dhokra tribal jewelry and the 6" heels. Ready in minutes and there I go for the photo shoot in the outside garden. The garden with no green grass and uneven dirt paths, with few tropical trees, looked nothing fancy for pictures to my naked eyes.
The moment I started walking I needed assistance to walk in those block heels. For a second I twisted my ankle which gave me a panic attack thinking what if I fractured and my trip will be in crutches? I am sure Sabya saw that worry on my face and grabbed my elbow to support it. Literally, Sabya and Rajesh helped me walk to the designated area. I am not kidding it looked as if I am walking in the hospital corridor with assistance. I am sure the cameraman must be thinking this lady is crazy in that heel on an uneven dirt path with rocks, who can barely stand - how can she even pose? He was definitely not wrong if he was thinking that at that moment.
Anyway, he clicked many pictures while I had a hard time finding an even ground to stand and pose. I am sure only one out of ten pics might be worth the effort. After the first dress, I took my shoes out in the garden and asked my daughter to bring my sandals. I thought I was done. But this time Sabya asked for another dress to try. I gave him a look saying this won’t even fit me. He was least bothered by my worries as he knew how to fix it on the spot for pictures.
So tried another nice cotton dress. This time he tied a different Dhokara necklace as a belt and added another for a necklace. Pinned here and there to make it look somewhat fitting to me. This time I protested not to change my sandal because I was afraid of risking my ankle for having fun. It was getting late and before losing the sunlight the shoot had to be over. So he let me be with my comfortable sandals and we captured a few more so-called glamour shots in that deadly-looking garden. The caretaker of that garden was warning us saying yesterday he spotted four snakes there. Not sure if he was making fun of us.
If I knew what was the purpose of this photoshoot I would have made more effort to give my best but being a novice to this profession I was simply having fun and enjoying the attention. A few days later Sabya surprised me with Women’s Era, a leading magazine from India covering his handloom collections and I was featured in that.
How sweet of him and I was thrilled! What I had worried about the background looked just picture-perfect. On a later date when I met him I asked about the whole episode and why he approached me for a photoshoot while he had so many models available to him. He said he had two beautiful outfits planned to feature and the model supposed to wear them couldn’t for some reason wear them. When he met me on the first day he thought I could be the right person to carry it. So on our first meeting, he had asked me to try and skillfully asked me to come on the next day so he can take my orders. He was very well aware that he would be busy on the photo shoot day but was hoping that I will join and take part. All this took place because he thought I had pretty skin and lovely hair for my age and could happily showcase his outfits that he really cared for. I told him, if there is a next time for me, I would wish to have the right shoe and familiar background to express my confidence.
As I am reflecting on this experience today, I am thinking about my wishes from my teenage years and how the cosmos played a role to fulfill them. Also, this experience taught me to appreciate all the efforts made by models who might be going through different challenges to look good to our eyes.
Nevertheless, the rendezvous ended with beautiful memories to reminisce and a warm friendship with Sabya to carry forward.
@Manorama Choudhury
Jan 21st, 2023
Visit Keembdanti by #Sabyasachi Satpathy at
Sabyasachi's collection included subtle elegance with tribal and traditional weaves with handmade and organic artifacts to accessorize.
Great😘