Cricketer Jhulan Goswami walks KFW ramp with eclectic bunch

KOLKATA - Accustomed to beating the opposition with her searing deliveries, Indian women’s cricket captain Jhulan Goswami walked with elan on a different pitch Saturday - the ramp of the Kolkata Fashion Week.

It was a ramp show with a difference on the fourth day of the KFW-II as professionals from all walks of life - many of them not even remotely close to size-zero figures of models one normally sees at such shows - showcased the collection of upcoming designer Tejas Gandhi.

From famous percussionist Bikram Ghosh to hair stylist Brigette Jones, they all walked the ramp for a cause, draped in the 34-year-old Tejas’ creations. Among those who featured were dancers, journalists, lawyers and doctors, as also a musician and a politician.

“I want to contribute a portion of my income from the show to the weavers’ family. If I help them, then they will also help me with better fabric. This will help me to do better designing,” Tejas told reporters after the show.

Tejas used jute, mutka, cotton and a lot of mesh work for his Indian and western wear, which he showcased on the theme “Every man, Every woman”, underscoring that the creations were for people of every shape and size.

“It’s a different and nice experience. I had to do makeup!” a visibly overwhelmed Jhulan Goswami said after walking the ramp draped in a jute trouser with pink-pleated checks and an off-white organza chanderi shirt.

Bikram Ghosh, who did the music for the show, took part in the catwalk with his actress wife Jaya Seal.

“It’s really nice to be a part of the ramp walk. Though I have walked the ramp twice before in Delhi and Kolkata, this is the first time I am doing this with my wife,” Ghosh said.

Among the participants was an elderly doctor, Anjali Sengupta. “I was Tejas’ teacher. It is really nice to walk the ramp for my hardworking student,” she said.

B. Ramana, a leading laproscopic surgeon, said: “I was not at all nervous. Being a surgeon I am never nervous.”