Miss Fits

By Sumina Subba & Mannat Shrestha
On the serene night of May 6, the poolside garden of Hotel de l’Annapurna was swarming with glitz and glamour. Organized by The Hidden Treasure since 1994, Miss Nepal has been labeled as one of the most prestigious beauty pageants in the country. The 17th edition of this recognized event introduced 16 young contestants.

The night that was
Miss Nepal 2012, the event—was actually scheduled to open at 8:30pm—but even with a glitch in the event scheduling, as the curtain unfold, throng of beauties made their way to the first ever outdoor Miss Nepal event—and they all shone with the designs created by Vishal Kapoor. They all came in shining as bright as the moon outside: Shristi Shrestha, Nagma Shrestha, Neelam Chand, Subekshya Khadka, Bandana Tandukar, Akesha Bista, Anjali Pradhanang, Alisha Kunwar, Prasansha Rana and Sabita Manandhar. They were the top ten ladies whose dream to sit atop the coveted throne of ‘Miss Nepal’ just went that much close.

When the questions were brought forth, the top ten immediately got cut short, and a string of five was lined up. Few of the questions were immensely criticized. “I think the judges did not ask the contestants questions that were of similar nature. It just seemed unprofessional and unfair”, expressed Ayesha Sigdel, an invitee. A citation can be taken from the question that Alish Kunwar received, which was about federalism! Prabhat Shrestha, who was a silent invitee in the crowd, exclaimed his awe to me, “It is such a sensitive topic, even the government cannot put forward its straight-faced view on the matter. What is a Miss Nepal contestant supposed to say about it?” Maybe (or maybe not) the questions proved to be hot during the evening, and the string was declared as such: Shristi Shrestha, Nagma Shrestha, Neelam Chand, Subekshya Khadka and Bandana Tandukar made it to the final five.

As the evening continued, the tension grew. Various performances from Shreya Sotang, Binay Shrestha, the cast of Highway and the dance program co-ordinated by Renasha Rai helped maintain the hubbub.

In every beauty pageant, the clothing—the glare of glamour gets the most attention. And with a designer like Vishal Kapoor gracing this year’s event with his visionary designs, each of the beautiful ladies looked like fluttering pretty butterflies. And yes, by the end of it all, the title holders were as such:

Sulux Miss Beautiful Smile:
Nagma Shrestha
Clean and Clear Miss Confidence:
Shristi Shrestha
Shree Ganapati Jewellers Miss Photogenic: Akesha Bista
Annapurna Post Miss Popular Choice: Neelam Chand
Samsung Mobile Miss Talent:
Akesha Bista
2nd runner up, Miss Nepal 2012:
Subeksha Khadka
1st runner up, Miss Nepal 2012:
Nagma Shrestha
Winner, Miss Nepal 2012: Shristi Shrestha

A rendezvous with Vishal Kapoor
Even as he is dressed in a pair of blue jeans with a simple tee, fashioning a short hairstyle—Vishal Kapoor gives you a certain vibe when he is around—his personality is magnetic, and his sense of creativity appeals any regular Joe; after all it has appealed the likes of Rani Mukharjee, John Abraham, Bipasha Basu and many more. When asked about how he stumbled upon the world of fashion designing, his eyes lit up and he answered, “I always knew this is what I wanted to do. It’s in my blood!”

The gifted designer who has gathered fourteen years of experience and caters to the wardrobe needs of select clientele recently ventured into the Nepali market with the opening of his studio Vishal Kapoor for Panache Runway. The store is already making its niche as a couture house. Even after riding the waves of success in a short span of time, Kapoor humbly admires the way Nepali consumers have welcomed his presence. Being away from his hometown, Mumbai and living in a relatively unknown city does not deter Kapoor from his dedication as he gently smiled and shared, “I’ve had a great experience in Nepal. From the day I launched my line, my creations have been immensely appreciated”.

The talented creator felt even happier when he was invited to be the official designer for Miss Nepal 2012. He describes the experience as memorable mainly because all of the pageant contestants were pleasant to work with. The fabrics of his choice to create those shimmering fairytale gowns were pure silk, georgette and chiffon—all imported from India and Germany. Each and every outfit was exclusively made for the participants according to their individual style mantra. One might even call him the fairy godmother who magically transformed all the girls into beautiful princesses for that one special night. His eye for detailing and colors that ranged from soft pastel hues to loud block ones, selection of fabrics and the ingenious blend of Indo-western wear come from the years of hard work he put into mastering his craft and it showed during the finale. He cites the pre-pleated pink saree worn by the winner, Shristi Shrestha as his favourite from the ensemble. However, he thought Nagma Shrestha, Neelam Chand and again, Shristi Shrestha looked absolutely breathtaking on the stage.

The girls not only rocked the stage but gave fair justice to his creations that led him to believe that Nepalese consumer pattern is evolving. He candidly confesses, consumers are still being offered only the basics that are brought from Bangkok or Hong Kong. On a lighter note, he feels delighted because they are now, more than ever willing to experiment and appreciate new styles and fashion. He is positive that their developing tastes and preferences is nurturing originality, the only factor he truly believes in, while creating his magic. When inquired about any particular Nepali designer he likes and he is quick to respond, “Tenzin Tseten Bhutia! I like his designs a lot because he embraces his Nepaliness. His designs are creative, different and that makes him stand out amongst all”.

Albeit Bhutia is his current favourite designer but he still feels that the rest still need to polish their talent. However, looking on the bright side, Vishal Kapoor is currently planning to open two more stores in Pokhara and Dharan soon. The phrase, “the more the merrier” had never felt so real.