FASHIONALIZED: Behind The Scenes At The Vogue 5th Anniversary Fashion Show & Party

Every fashion model and designer's ultimate dream is to be featured in the fashion bible Vogue. Last Saturday Vogue India turned 5 !!! I was part of the vogue launch in Jodhpur and I know the whole team so it's always fun to be part of a Vogue event. I was one of the models at the huge fashion show they had at the event and I had planned a whole behind the scenes blog with pictures for you guys but unfortunately I didn't have my camera this weekend :( So I'm sorry its only words and a few grainy cell phone pictures.

I was at the Trident at 11.30 am (yes models have to report in the morning even if the actual fashion show is at night) After some coffee we were all divided into 8 groups. The Fashion show was a tribute to the saree so 50 of India's tops designers came up with gorgeous black sarees for the show.

After we were divided into groups we started with fittings. I was given a lovely Black Anita Dongre saree with blue sequins work. After the fittings comes the make up. I was in group 1 so we had to go in for make up first and that sucks !!!! There are two reasons for this, firstly coz it means you are in make up the whole day coz you are ready first and secondly coz all the experimenting is done on you until they get the look right! And that's exactly what happened!!! I had to have my eyes done 5 times until the Vogue and Lancome teams finally agreed on a look!

Model Leeza & Me Backstage

After that start the rehearsals which went on for another 2 hours with loads of changes. And then back to the green room for hair. I must say the team from Jean Claude Biguine did a great job and I was very pleased with my elaborate yet elegant up do. And finally its show time !!! So this is when the madness begins, 50 models all changing in a tiny room with professional saree drapers trying different drapes on all the sarees! It all sounds very glamorous but believe me its not! After we were all ready (which is a long, long, long time!!!) If you have seen your wife/girlfriend get ready for a night out just multiply that by 50 girls who know that they are going to be in the spotlight and photographed) we are lined up in our order and then taken through the kitchen and loads of back doors to finally reach backstage.

In a fashion show we have a whole backstage team that cues the models and other people that are part of the show. Unfortunately for me my group was cursed from the very beginning, we were sent on to stage to take our positions while all the lights were on and somebody was still giving a speech! (We were suppose to enter about 10 minutes later in a black out) I was on the top step closest to the wings and the head of backstage was yelling frantically saying,"Why the hell did you send them out!!!") She asked me to tell the girls to come back, so all of us very calmly and gracefully turn and go back in. After all this drama the show started well and everyone walked fine until the finale. Every fashion show has a line up of all the models in the end and then they finally take their positions on the stage for a photo-op. Similarly here we walked in from either side of the stage and posed in our final positions. The show was suppose to end with a live band walking onto stage playing Aa Dekhe Zara, Kisme Kita Hai Dum after which there would be a blackout for us to exit. But of course the model leading the exit line decides to walk out when all the lights are on even before the band is on stage! Haha. This is very normal and there are always goof ups in every fashion show so don't be surprised. And most of the time people don't even notice that things are going wrong, they think its just part of the show. And that's exactly what all my friends at vogue told me after the show, when I asked them if they noticed and they had no clue about what I was talking about.

Vogue's Priyanka Kapadia and me both decided to go metallic!

After this it was time to get ready for the red carpet and enter the party! I wore a lovely metallic black Ce. Ale London dress and accessorized it with a cool spike bracelet gifted to me by my sister ! I left my hair and make up the from the show just got rid of the giant bindi . The party was great and everyone was dressed sooooooooooooooooooooo well. Unfortunately I couldn't stay for long as I was running to a friends bachelorette party.

I hope this post helps you all understand that a models life is not all fun and glamorous. We have to do a hell of a lot for those 10 minutes on stage!