Shristi Shrestha, 20, a Nepali maiden who has some handful of modeling experience in Cornell and London in the UK, is disappointed in Kathmandu. Originally from Narayangarh, Shrestha has been living with her mom and dad in Cornell for the last decade. She never thought that one day she would walk the ramp, do the catwalk alongside many other international models in foreign lands. She never had a desire of becoming a model.But after she migrated to Cornell, everything changed. As she reached 18, she already had a height that qualified her for international modeling criteria for girls. When she was first approached by a fashion photographer to do modeling for a training course, she didn’t take that seriously. But after her parents permitted her to try her hands at it, she stepped into the glam and glitz of the UK.
When she first got an offer to feature a designer dress, the designer asked her to lose some weight and come back. She bluntly told him that she didn’t want to look like a stick to promote his product.
Having already posed for different UK products, she however doesn’t like to be tagged as an international model.
“Yes, I’ve done many projects. Still, I don’t think I can be labeled an internationally recognized model because I’m still not a showstopper,” she said.
Though she came to Nepal to attend her cousin’s wedding, she’s looking forward to do some modeling in music videos and on ramps in Nepal.
“I don’t have that concrete idea, but I think I can help people here through my modeling. I want to do shows, raise money and donate to those who are really needy,” she added.
Shrestha, 5’ 9” tall, mainly features Asian and bridal wears in the fashion shows that take place in London and Cornell.
In the UK, models are quite outgoing, and exposing is nothing new. In fact, it’s often heard that many beginners are offered to promote lingerie and bikinis. Luckily, says Shrestha, she didn’t have to go through such circumstances. It’s not that she wasn’t offered to pose for such costumes, she rejected all of them.“It’s totally up to you in the UK. Nobody forces you to do anything you don’t like. You can always have your weight on to say NO,” Shrestha added. “Besides, my time as a model is almost gone now. In the UK, they look for fresh models all the time. One can start serious modeling from the age of 14.”
Though having been offered by such coveted fashion shows as Dubai Fashion Week, Britain’s Next Top Model, and Miss England Heat, Shrestha however likes to stay grounded.
Though a promising model in the UK, Shrestha is finding it hard to get offers in Kathmandu. The reasons aren’t because she isn’t pretty or she can’t act. In fact, the main reason is funny. At times, she’s made to meet wrong producers, and when she meets the right person, her 5’ 9” height comes before her as a barrier.
“Sad but true, boys aren’t quite tall here. And most of the male models said no to be cast next to me because they felt inferior. Though there are camera tricks that can make both the models look similar in height, many models still don’t want to work with me,” Shrestha laughed. “I don’t know if I’ll get to do anything while I’m here. But I promise to come back because I know my country needs me.”
An undergrad in nursing, Shrestha wants to pursue her education further, and she doesn’t want to be a fulltime model. Upon completing her Masters, she wants to come to Nepal and host various medical camps in remote districts of the country.
“I feel proud to be Nepal’s chhori (daughter) and represent Asian designs abroad. I would also love to come back to participate in the Miss Nepal beauty pageant, if it happens next year. And I dream to be featured as a showstopper by internationally acclaimed Nepali fashion designer Prabal Gurung,” she concluded.
In the meantime, will the willing producers and brave male models stand up to team up with Long Tall Shristi while she’s in Kathmandu? Any gutsy takers?
avash@myrepublica.com
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