Fashion in my childhood

One more interesting fact about me. I started doing TV shows (professionally), at the age of 7 year. I was anchoring/hosting children shows and was even getting paid for it. That was my first pocket money (Rs. 30, to be precise, per episode). This was of course, for Doordarshan (other channels were unheard of). And I was very confident in front of the camera. I would write my own lines and rattle them when the camera rolled. I also wanted to design my own clothes that I wore for my shows.

My earliest stint with fashion started when I was as young as 8 years. (Can you believe that?). I designed my first creation when I was as young as 8. And I also knew what shoes I wanted with it that time. I was inspired by a picture in a magazine (that time it was a russian magazine- the only one that was published on a glossy paper- called Soviet Nari). I saw a russian girl wearing high shoes with a dress, which really fascinated me. Now those shoes were unheard of in those days. ( I am talking about 1977). They called it gum boots. And Viola! I took my mom for cloth shopping. I wanted a check skirt with a same check waist coat worn over a white shirt. And wanted my parents to import gum boots. Now in those days (I am talking as if this was some centuries back) our only relative who stayed in a "phoren" country (overseas) was my dad's younger brother. I sent him a picture from the magazine I also drew my foot imprint on a paper for its size and he got me those gum boots. Must tell you, I looked so weird wearing those boots in a small town. People stood and looked at me as if I had polio legs. But I could not care less. It was my proudest possession-pure leather high shoes of cherry red color. Below is my picture of the dress that I had first designed. The picture quality is not good. But I had an attitude to model even as a young kid.




Check my High boots (gum boots). I was about 12 year old here.


And when I was asked to wear a kimono for a stage show in my school, this is how I wore it. I used my mom's shawls to drape as kimono. Here I was 7 year old.


At 15 year (I was in class 10), we had school farewell party. I studied in all girls convent school and we were all supposed to wear sarees for it. I made my mom buy me this mauve color, plain saree and was so pleased with what I wore. My best friend Nidhi Chauhan is seen here wearing a red saree.


Another picture with Nidhi Chauhan.


And this is a sweater I knitted myself (very painstakingly to be honest).


Seen here wearing the same sweater with my friends Nidhi and Gina Parmar


And I thought I looked like a movie star in this- sweet lace neck, polka dot, pistachio green color dress.


Again with Nidhi and Cherry

It still amuses me to think that how at the age of 7-8 year, when fashion designers were unheard of, when Bhanu Athaiya existed and not Manish Malhotra, I was so into fashion.