Mumbai, June 18 (IANS) She created a stir with her Playboy magazine covers during initial days of her fashion career, and went on to be a supermodel. On her second visit to India, American celebrity Cindy Crawford, talked about the global visibility of Indian fashion and Bollywood; as well as changes in modelling world, where women no longer shy away from expressing their thoughts.
“I didn’t study Indian fashion industry, but I think since the world is so small, you can’t help it but see the influence of the Indian fashion industry and Bollywood globally. The world is becoming closer online. Now everything is on Instagram (photo-sharing website), so it’s all coming in notice,” Crawford, who was once named by Forbes magazine as the highest paid model on the planet, said in response to a question by this IANS scribe.
In Mumbai to launch luxury watch brand Omega’s new Constellation Pluma Collection, the 49-year-old, whose trademark beauty spot — the mole above her left lip — cannot be missed, remembered her experience of riding elephants on her last visit in 1998. On her wishlist is a visit to Dharavi, Mumbai’s large slum area, made famous by Danny Boyle’s Oscar winning “Slumdog Millionaire”.
“I had a lot of plans but I don’t know how the weather will help,” she said as she pointing out at the heavy rainfall outside the window.
“I plan to go Dharavi slum as I don’t want to sit in the hotel,” added the mother of two, who looked bright, beautiful and ravishing in a knee-length dress.
Did she choose any special brand for her appearance in India?
“I am not really label queen. I just wear what I like – whether it is Topshop or a designer brand.”
Now that came as a surprise!
Stressing on the “incredible” effect of “social media” for models, Crawford said: “It has allowed young girls to have their personality and voice. You might like or you might not like it, but they have voice.”
“That’s one of the remarkable changes in the fashion industry… how models are becoming celebrity in their own fashion world and I believe fashion is getting more and more huge.”
Citing the example of model and reality TV star Kim Kardashian, who has found worldwide fame, the 49-year-old, whose trademark beauty spot — the mole above her left lip — cannot be missed, added: “I think models are getting opportunities to connect with audience.”
With her body of experience, class and elegance, Crawford does not subscribe to the oft-accepted thought that ‘models should look blank’. And that’s exactly what she teaches her teenage daughter Kaia Jordan Gerber, who is following in her mother’s footsteps into the modelling world.
“I’m guiding her in few little things to start with. Fortunately, she respects the career that I have and hence, she also believes what I told her once that ‘When you look at camera, just don’t have blank face. You have a part in your head and you have to share it’. Some models are beautiful, but they are so blank,” Crawford said.
(The writer’s trip is at the invitation of luxury watch brand Omega. Nivedita can be contacted at nivedita.s@ians.in)