RONALDO TO RUNWAY “I knew the way ahead won't be easy and I was prepared”

I didn’t understand whether that was a good thing or not,” he says.

The lockdown changed Saurabh’s fate. "I left my apartment in Mumbai and moved back with my family,” he says. “I decided to work on what it takes to make it abroad. Last year, with the help of Inega, my agency in India, I was placed with PRM, a London-based agency.”

The next step was fashion weeks, where he walked the ramp for Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana. “Most designers prefer skinny models, so I looked for designers who liked commercial boys. My agency in Milan presented me to Dolce & Gabbana and they shortlisted me immediately. It was a request casting, for which very few people are called, and my fitting was done by Mr Dolce himself. The outfit selected for me was a strong look; the Reel of my outfit on Instagram trended at No 2, right after Machine Gun Kelly.”

NEIL VAREL, 20, Mumbai

Neil Varel was born into a Catholic family in Mumbai, his father running a trading business and his mother a government employee at the High Court of Bombay. Surrounded by entertainment in the city of dreams, he developed an interest in fashion while scrolling through videos on Youtube. “I chanced upon the Prada men’s show and was wowed by how confidently the models walked the runway,” he recalls.

It was at the age of 16 that Neil was scouted by his mother agency, Anima. “I loved interacting with the camera and walking at runway shows gave me a rush,” he says. But it was only when he got placements at agencies abroad that Neil started realising his dreams.

“London, Paris and Milan. Agencies in the biggest cities for fashion. I knew I was getting closer.

And now I have agencies across the world,” he says. But while all this sounds glamorous, there is plenty of hard work. “You go back and forth between multiple countries and acclimatising yourself to different kinds of weather. Also, a lot of bookings take place last minute so you need to travel immediately. But quite honestly, it is all worth it,” he grins.

When Milan Fashion Week finally happened for Neil, it was worth the wait. “It was a thrilling experience getting confirmed for my first show in Milan. Nothing can compare to the rush I felt while walking the runway,” he exclaims.

SAJID SHAIKH, 24, Mumbai

A self-described mama’s boy, Sajid Shaikh is the only child to a restaurateur father and homemaker mother. “My mother’s advice has been to give 100 per cent in everything youdo,”hesays.

An avid footballer, he idolises Cristiano Ronaldo; it is, in fact, football that led him to modelling. “Someone walked up to me at a football match and suggested I try modelling," he reveals.

While some find instant success, Sajid had to wait. “It was quite difficult in the beginning; it wasn’t going as planned. There was a lot of partiality in the Indian market. Even though I worked hard, it was difficult to find work. But everything changed when my agency, Anima signed me on.” he says. For models, finding international representation is the next step. For Sajid, it was an emotional experience. “I was in tears when I got placed but having faced a tough journey, I knew the way ahead won't be easy and I was prepared.”

London welcomed him and people noticed his “unique look,” finding it distinct from the other Indians placed abroad. But how did the fashion week in Milan happen for him? “It’s a long and hectic process. Even after the castings and fitting, I hadn’t got a confirmation. It was only a day prior to the show that I got confirmed for Dolce & Gabbana. The show was a great experience and the experience made me much stronger.”

Besides the friends and family, strangers also reached out to Sajid. “People I didn’t know congratulated me. People are aware of the designers in our country so they knew that

it was an achievement,” he says.

“YOU GO BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN MULTIPLE COUNTRIES AND ACCLIMATISING YOURSELF TO DIFFERENT KINDS OF WEATHER. BUT QUITE HONESTLY, IT IS ALL WORTH IT.” —NEIL VAREL, MODEL

MUMBAI TO MILAN “Now I have agencies across the world”

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Bharat Gupta is a fashion commentator and stylist, whose last success was styling Miss Universe Harnaaz Sandhu