Events & Personalities
The models’ role model
Grande dame of fashion Jeannie Naoroji (pictured), 91, was presented the National Laadli lifetime achievement award for gender sensitivity by the NGO (nongovernmental organization) Population First at a function held at Tata Theatre, the National Centre for .JPG)
the Performing Arts in Bombay on April 13, 2016. It was a fashion rewind night as the evening concluded with a dozen top models of yesteryears taking to the ramp to pay tribute to their mentor and choreographer, notes Malavika Sangghvi in her column in Mid Day on April 15. Resplendent in trademark caftan and pearls the nonagenarian received her award at the hands of chief guest Arundhati Bhattacharya, chairperson of the State Bank of India.
Author Shobhaa De, who modeled with Naoroji in the 1960s, spoke about "the Jeannie Naoroji school of life” and recalled that the latter had "not only taught a generation of girls how to walk the ramp or drape a sari in under a minute, but how to conduct themselves in life too,” writes Sanghhvi. Former super model Nandinni Sen said of the fashion show that followed the felicitation, "We had an absolute blast. Even though we were all jittery and had been backstage from 4 p.m. to almost 9.30 p.m. with little to eat or drink no one minded or complained in respect for Jeannie. And there’s just so much love that binds us models together.”
Manashni, the newsletter of the Australian Zoroastrian Association of New South Wales of May 2016 carried a tribute to the woman who is "synonymous in India with fashion design and choreography; for putting the costumes and jewelry of this great and diverse land onto the world stage; for marrying theater and style” through her India-on-Show Production Unit way back in 1965. Along with partner Hilla Divecha, an officer manager/assistant, a number of fashion coordinators and a large number of loyal master tailors, embroiderers and fitters, the Unit created over 700 shows with more than 4,500 presentations all over the world, notes Manashni. These shows were held in auditoriums, hotels, outdoors, on ships, yachts, aircraft, in specially constructed travelling rigs. Trade shows were taken to Russia, Germany and New Delhi.
In Naoroji’s own words: "There are so many people I wish I could thank personally in my four decades long career, (but) memory falters at age 90 plus.” She refered to her late husband Kerse and children Nadina and Nadish who have "always been involved in my career and they have encouraged and steered me unstintingly in every endeavor of mine.”
the Performing Arts in Bombay on April 13, 2016. It was a fashion rewind night as the evening concluded with a dozen top models of yesteryears taking to the ramp to pay tribute to their mentor and choreographer, notes Malavika Sangghvi in her column in Mid Day on April 15. Resplendent in trademark caftan and pearls the nonagenarian received her award at the hands of chief guest Arundhati Bhattacharya, chairperson of the State Bank of India.Author Shobhaa De, who modeled with Naoroji in the 1960s, spoke about "the Jeannie Naoroji school of life” and recalled that the latter had "not only taught a generation of girls how to walk the ramp or drape a sari in under a minute, but how to conduct themselves in life too,” writes Sanghhvi. Former super model Nandinni Sen said of the fashion show that followed the felicitation, "We had an absolute blast. Even though we were all jittery and had been backstage from 4 p.m. to almost 9.30 p.m. with little to eat or drink no one minded or complained in respect for Jeannie. And there’s just so much love that binds us models together.”
Manashni, the newsletter of the Australian Zoroastrian Association of New South Wales of May 2016 carried a tribute to the woman who is "synonymous in India with fashion design and choreography; for putting the costumes and jewelry of this great and diverse land onto the world stage; for marrying theater and style” through her India-on-Show Production Unit way back in 1965. Along with partner Hilla Divecha, an officer manager/assistant, a number of fashion coordinators and a large number of loyal master tailors, embroiderers and fitters, the Unit created over 700 shows with more than 4,500 presentations all over the world, notes Manashni. These shows were held in auditoriums, hotels, outdoors, on ships, yachts, aircraft, in specially constructed travelling rigs. Trade shows were taken to Russia, Germany and New Delhi.
In Naoroji’s own words: "There are so many people I wish I could thank personally in my four decades long career, (but) memory falters at age 90 plus.” She refered to her late husband Kerse and children Nadina and Nadish who have "always been involved in my career and they have encouraged and steered me unstintingly in every endeavor of mine.”
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