By Vanessa Chen and Nishta Subramanian, Staff Reporters
When many students think of international fashion shows, they picture famous models on world-class stages. However, on Sept. 5, sophomore Shirin Patel and junior Ridhima Parnati walked the runway for boutique GlambyRissh’s showcase at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) 2024 as first-time models.
GlambyRissh is an online fashion boutique based in Greater Philadelphia that sells traditional and fusion Indian clothing and jewelry. NYFW invited Charu Miglani, the owner of the business, to display GlambyRissh’s designs at the Runway 7 show in Sony Hall. When she found out about the show, Miglani reached out to friends and family for potential models. Patel and Parnati, both family friends of Miglani, agreed to help with the showcase along with other models, including Miglani’s 16-year-old daughter.
“It (GlambyRissh) is something you don’t normally see, because fashion, I feel like it’s a lot of Western stuff, Western clothing. And then you see this Indian bridalwear,” Parnati said. “This is what you’d wear if you’re invited to a wedding — that’s what (Miglani) designed. I think we really stood out compared to the other people.”
Parnati and Patel modeled for the first time at the NYFW show. Leading up to the event, the girls practiced walking in heels and posing at Valley Forge National Historical Park. On the day of the show, the girls checked into their designated venue, had their hair and makeup done, put on their runway dresses and waited for their set to begin.
“When I was walking the runway, it was kind of cool to see all the audience, especially all the photographers that were there. It’s kind of nerve-racking to see so many photographers just clicking pictures,” Patel said. “Once I was off the runway, I felt more relaxed and relieved because in the moment, I was nervous that I was going to trip or something, but then in the end that didn’t happen, and I felt more relaxed.”
According to Patel, her mother cried when she walked the runway, and she felt very grateful to be able to share the unique experience with her family and friends. Parnati said that although her mother did not see the show because she was helping backstage, her father and brother were proud of how confident and professional she looked on the runway. Following the show, Miglani led the models to the middle of Times Square for a professional photo and video shoot.
“Everyone around there was staring at us. We had photos, videos, everything. The photographers wanted us to be ourselves, and there were a lot of people hyping us up, like ‘You guys look gorgeous,’” Parnati said. “It was really nice to go out there and be like, ‘This is New York City. This is a big city, and we’re in the middle of Times Square showing off these designs.’”
Although neither Parnati nor Patel have plans to pursue professional modeling careers, both girls are willing to model for GlambyRissh again if invited, as they are now global ambassadors for the brand. They believed the show was a unique experience that helped them connect more to their culture through fashion.
“Her (Miglani’s) brand is very focused on bringing fusion and doing more modern and trendy stuff with traditional clothing,” Patel said. “As for my culture, it was really nice to see how the designs are now evolving.”
Vanessa Chen can be reached at [email protected].
Nishta Subramanian can be reached at [email protected].
