Glamour is no child’s play

In a fashion show organised by Fascino Faces, kids from all age groups walked down the ramp donning theme-based apparels by top designers of the industry| PC: Deepankar Shukla

The glamorous world of fashion has always fascinated millions. With the advent of technology and exposure to the internet, this fascination is growing, particularly amongst kids. 

Amidst a cheering crowd, pompous decor, dazzling lights and a dozen cameras capturing the grandeur of the evening, kids from all age groups walk down the ramp donning fashionable wardrobes. With a dash of confidence, each of the little fashionistas sign off from the stage in their own unique manner; while some resort to the classic poker face, some adopt pop-cultural manners for greeting and others decide to groove to the music infusing zeal to the evening. Such was the ambience at Fascino Fasces kids fashion show.

Celebrity designers from the industry including Pooja Wang, Shraddha Sachdeva, Amrit Kaur, Pratyush Kumar Maurya, Sahil Jai Singh, Snigdha and Jelly Jones took to themes like fairytale, galaxy, sea life etc., that created a dialogue between childhood and the dazzling world of fashion. This gala evening observed the participation of around 300 kids belonging to the age groups two to 14.

Young boys walking down the ramp with a dash of confidence

“It was a new experience for me. Though working with the kids can be a little challenging, I thoroughly enjoyed it. My theme revolved around nature, florals and feathers to maintain the touch of elegance, after all, at the end of the day these are young kids. All my designs were soft and skin-friendly, they enjoyed wearing it”, said Amrit, one of the designers.

“I was surprised to see how confident these kids are. Ten years earlier, kids used to be accompanied by their parents in the green room, or else they would throw a ruckus, but now, all of them were comfortable and acted in a very professional and mature way,” said Nitin Gaur, the founder and director of the Fascino Fasces. Gaur is planning to cast these kids in various reality shows with which Fascino Fasces has collaborated. Gaur is also planning to go international by collaborating with fashion weeks like Vancouver fashion week.

“No chemical products were used in making these little stars ready for the show. The makeup was very light and skin-friendly,” said Neelam and Megha, the makeup artists from Lakme.

The kids walking down the ramp wore elegance and innocence on their sleeves

Little dreamers 

“I liked our practice sessions and walking down the ramp. Everyone was cheering for me,” said Advik, a five year old participant.

” I want to be a scientist when I grow up. I love maths. For me, science means finding out what we don’t already know,” he added.

“I’ll grow up to be a fashionable doctor,” said Naitik another five year old kid.

” I want to be a model once I grow up.  This fashion show helped me live my dream today. It was a wonderful experience,” said Ananya, 14.

A growing fascination 

According to experts from the industry, kids are getting more fascinated by glamour after exposure to the internet 

With constant access to the internet and exposure to social media, the fashion consciousness amongst kids has grown many a fold nowadays. They are getting more and more fascinated by glamour and are often driven by an unhealthy expectation of standing up to the conventional norms of physical beauty.

Speaking to Media India Group, Ratandeep Lal, a fashion celebrity and chairman of the Indian Institute of Fashion technology said, “The contemporary Indian society has changed a lot. Gone are the days when people used to go to retailers and tailors for getting their children’s clothes stitched. Many national, as well as international brands, have come up with kids section; kids want to wear these branded apparels. This change has emerged in recent five to eight years.”

“Kids learn from their parents. When they see their parents following fashion trends, they want to tread the same path. Even the schools they are going to, want them to be groomed in every possible manner. Kids are merely imitating what they observe in their families and, of course, what they see on social media,” said Seema Gumber a businesswoman in the fashion sector, who was one of the showstoppers for the evening.

“The kids nowadays want to be the new thing. They want to follow their mothers. Many mother-daughter collections of similar wardrobes are coming up in the market,” added Amrit.

“I want to be the most beautiful girl and makeup and fashion will help me become one. I will grow up to be a princess one day. I love off-shoulder and full sleeve dresses in particular,” said Amaya Chaudhary, five, from Amity International School. While Amaya donned a white dressed in a pretty floral white gown, her quest for being the most beautiful lady of the evening, left her a little disappointed.

“For me, fashion is wearing fancy clothes and applying makeup. I like to be fashionably up to date and resort to it for functions, ceremonies and competitions. I would love to be a part of more such fashion shows. I want to be fairer once I grow up, the fairer you are the more beautiful you look,” added Ambar, another participant from LPS Global School.

While the growing fashion consciousness amongst kids is grooming them like never before, the question of a healthy childhood still prevails. To seed the idea of the difference between fashion and standard norms of beauty, there is still a long way to go.