Shweta Raj, 29, an army kid, has travelled across India during her growing up years. A Delhi based model, she is in Mumbai for the Gobal India Couture Week (GICW).
"The most exciting thing about this fashion week is that I get a chance to wear such lovely designers and meet so many models, not just from Mumbai but Delhi, Indore, Lucknow, etc. That feeling is really nice," she says.
This is Shweta's first-time walking at GICW, and the excitement is evident in her voice. "Not only are the clothes amazing, but the runway itself is the biggest in India. It's so long that I'm kind of nervous and excited to walk on it."
Revealing her preps for the fashion week, she says, "It was about taking care of my skin, also making sure that I have slept well. If I don't sleep well, I feel very groggy. The job requires me to have a good presence of mind and sleep is the most crucial step."
Shweta makes sure she eats right during the fashion week and sticks to home-cooked meals. "I have carried a tiffin in my bag," she reveals. "I have boiled eggs, fruits and oats. That's how I stay fit throughout a hectic fashion week."
Sharing her skincare and hair hacks she adds, "I take care of my hair by not colouring it and had said no to all hair colour shows. For my skin, I follow simple things like cleansing, toning, moisturising and regular use of sunscreen. I have recently added retinol to my skincare routine and that's also working really well for me."
For her, the challenge of being a model in India in present-day is to be relevant. "Times are really changing and Indian markets have moved into fast fashion. It is no longer about one, solo trend. As a model, I am required to be versatile and relevant. Those are the big two challenges, and I hope to keep acing it as I have till date."
For inspiration, Shweta turns to her colleagues who have been in the business of fashion for a very long time like Deepti Gujral and Candice Pinto. "They have inspired me because not only have they been in the game for so long. They are also very popular, well-spoken and relevant. They are essentially good human beings, and I look up to them and try to imbibe their qualities in my work ethics and personal life."
She also is inspired by designers with a clean design sensibility and aesthetics because "the world is anyway too noisy and the cleaner you are, the more you stand out."
Shweta would totally recommend modelling as a professional even though it is a fast-moving job, but she would advise fashion aspirants to keep it as a five or ten-year plan and upskill themselves regularly. "You need to be multi-skilled to survive in this current age," she says.
Shweta has been working since she was 19 and has been saving right from that age. "One needs to keep actively saving. Maybe you can save ₹2,000 today and later over the years save ₹10,000. If you do end up making more money in a particular month, keep it aside, save it and don't use it. It will benefit you during your bad months," she advices.
