Robert Naorem Fashion Extravaganza

11 January 2014

It was an enchanting evening on Saturday as Robert Naorem a self-styled beautician and makeup artist turned fashion designer brought to Imphal the biggest fashion extravaganza of the year with the reigning Miss India Universe 2013 walking the ramp as the showstopper along with Miss India Earth and Miss India Asia Pacific 2011.

Robert Naorem with the dignitaries at the inaugural function.

 Miss India (Universe) 2013 Mansi Moghe 

Showstopper

The mega fashion event which was held at the 1^stManipur Rifles ground displayed the work of other renowned 10 designers including Project Bhutan from Bhutan and from the states of Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. 

Robert Naorem

Robert Naorem

Speaking on the event, Robert Naorem the man of the show expressed, in an exclusive interview, the joy and satisfaction he feels in bringing the biggest fashion event to his state. Robert though based in Bangalore, had always had the keen urge to bring his show to home state Manipur and inspire the people. 

Last year, Robert mostly funded the show, which was held at the Hotel Imphal with an overall budget of 10-11 lakhs from his pocket. This year, though the show was on a much larger scale with a number of sponsors, Robert admitted that he had personally put in a lot of funding on the show. However, he feels money does not matter as he had succeeded in achieving his dream.

He added that hard work alone had brought him here, and hopes to share this message to other aspiring fashionistas of the state.

Amidst the show, we were able to catch up with Miss India (earth) 2013 Sobhita Dhulipali and Miss India (Asia Pacific) 2011 Tanvi Sigla. Shobhita, who is visiting the Northeast India for the first time, says she is excited to be here and is “enjoying every moment including the cold”. Tanvi joyfully stated she would like to visit all of North East including Darjeeling and Assam and geefully said she tasted some of the best momos in Manipur.

Miss India (Earth) 2013 Sobhita Dhulipala

Miss Sobhita Dhulipala Miss India (Earth) 2013

Miss India (Asia Pacific) 2011 Tanvi Sigla

Tanvi Sigla Miss India (Asia Pacific) 2011

 Imphal born 2^nd runner’s up Kingfisher Calendar Girl 2013 Miss Lin Laishram enthralled the local audience and stole the show appearing in eye catching traditional Manipuri attires.

Other local favorites including Hailey Laithangbam and Nirmal Kangjam also walked the ramp as they had done last year at the Imphal Hotel. 

Lin Laishram

It was interesting to note that many of the models from outside the state who had walked the ramp for Robert Naorem last year on January made it back this year along with other excited fresh faces.

Miss Diana, a model based in Bangalore who had also walked the Robert Naorem show last year expressed her excitement to be here again this year. In an exclusive interview behind the stage adding that the state and the locals have given her a warm welcome and she hopes to elongate her stay here and also to come back again next year.

Diana

Diana

Robert Naorem who is very popular among the celebrity circle of Bollywood stated that the fashion industry is becoming one of the fastest growing sectors and the time has come for the fashion enthusiast to explore the vast opportunity in the sector. He also revealed his desire to make Imphal the fashion capital of North East India. He also added that it is high time to give up the old mindset and embrace the changing times to promote traditional costumes of the state and highlight in the world market.

Scenes from the show (Images)

Comparing to last year and the first fashion Extravaganza 2013, this year’s event is performed in a more massive and grander scale with more designers and super models from metropolitan city walked the local ramp.

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International theater festival

9^th January 2014

The Imphal chapter of 16th Bharat Maha Rang Utsav, that kicked off in Delhi on 4th January, began with a solo performance by GabrielleNeuhaus, a Tel Aviv-based playwright and director from Israel, at the Shrine playhouse of the Chorus Repertory Theatre Company on Thursday.

Chorus Repertory Theatre, Imphal

The play titled  “The woman who didn’t want to come down to earth” is written, directed and acted by Gabrielle Neuhaus and talks in three sections about the surreal life of a woman who refused to touch the earth.

Gabrielle Neuhaus during scenes from her one woman show

Speaking to NETV, National School of Drama Chairman, Ratan Thiyam says the theatre festival happening simultaneously all across the country, mounting 71 national and international plays, exhibitions, installations, interactive open forum session focusses on searching for an identity of Indian theatre to analysis how creatively the Indian theatre concept is being utilized in expression.

It is to be noted that Manipur and Assam are the only North Eastern states chosen to exhibit a selected number of plays.

Mr. Ratan Thiyam, Chairman of National School of Drama

Mr. Ratan Thiyam, an international figure in Theatre and Performing Arts, who has been described by literary critics as  ‘genius’ for his works on folk theatre hopes and believes that the much talented and skilled folk theatre of Manipur will develop further, when international festivals such as this are brought to Manipur.

In Manipur, there will be a total of 6 plays including plays from Japan, Sir Lanka, West Bengal and Maharashtra, thrilling theatre lovers of Manipur until to 14^th January

Tickets to the theatre shows were pre sold out. With the first day of the festival kicking off on a full house with theatre and art lovers, film celebrities, playwrights, theatre critics of Manipur attending the first stunning performance, the remaining days of the festival will definitely be a exhilarating experience.

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