Sonal Mansingh dances her way into Fashion week

New Delhi, Sep 3 (UNI) Odissi exponent Sonal Mansingh danced down the ramp today at the Wills Lifestyle IndiaFashion Week, following in the footsteps of younger fellow artistes Ayaan and Amaan Ali Bangash, dissolving boundaries in creativity.

The dansuese led the models for the Payal Jain spring-summer show in the backdrop of ragas, taking the audience by surprise on the concluding day of the country's biggest fashion event.

Earlier, Amaan and Ayaan had walked the ramp for Manav Gangwani dressed in ''Sarod Rocks'' and ''Sarodmania'' T-shirts for the first time, keenly watched from the sidelines by parents Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan and Subhalakhsmi.

''This is the first time on a ramp for me. Since the stage is already an integral part of my life, I did not find this difficult, only different,'' Mansingh said after the show.

Dressed in a beige saree, the dancer lit up the ramp with her graceful and lithe movements. ''Even though generations keep changing, we as artistes have to keep carrying on with our work,'' she added.

Jain's 'Omana' collection is an ode to the contemporary woman, weaving her ideology in cotton silk and khadi silk.

In a contrasting show, designer Suneet Varma presented a tribal African collection titled 'Africana', inspired by cultural expression and landscapes of the continent. Tribal art Jewellery and textiles were the highlights of the show.

UNI FZ/RA YA HT1940