Passion Fashion

Radhika Jain, an Indian designer who loves Nepal, shares her views with Somesh Verma

Nepal, for long, has been considered a haven for the trekkers. Most of those who come to visit the coun try situated on the lap of Himalayas say that the place so beautiful is fit to be inspiration for the writers and poets. True. But hardly many have come here, from outside, to seek that inspiration.

But not Radhika Jain. The fashion designer. A person from the bunch which has lately joined the category named: creative people. Surprisingly, when all of the Indian designers seem to be going across the ocean to seek inspiration and market, the lady from the Indian capital comes north of the border every year. To see the place. To get inspired. To show what she has for the people here.

Jain, a history graduate from Indraprastha College in Delhi, says that she is fascinated with the mountains and that is why she visits this part of the world. She has been visiting Kathmandu to exhibit her creations for the last five years. This year her exhibition is being held at Yak & Yeti, where she will present some of her collections inspired by the clothing style of the mountains, especially the men’s wear.

With a clientele that includes the like of Chitra Singh, the gazhal singer from India, Radhika says that she likes working with non-professional models. "It’s more fun working with the amateur models," she says. One reason why her show in Kathmandu has local models.

"Designing is like playing with clothes," she tells you candidly. The next moment, with a bit of seriousness on the face, she edits, "It’s dressing up people the way you imagine them to be." Probably the reason why she cut her dad’s trouser and converted into a skirt when she was in class seven. Talk of passion being in the blood.

On the ongoing exhibition, she says that the dresses have been designed in the styles that would look good on Nepali people rather than on Indians. Watch her collection on Nepal and you notice a wide range in green colour. "Oh, that’s because I love nature and it’s nature’s colour," honest enough an answer.

Talking to her one cannot help but ask: whom would she like to design dress for in Nepal? "The Queen," pat comes the reply. "I’d love to design something that would complement her looks."

And the love for Nepal seems to be growing there.

Biking on top

The headline ‘Kiwis at top’ is seen when New Zealand sports team does well, but this time three energetic Kiwis successfully completed a marathon cycling of almost 170km reaching the height of 5545m.

Dean James, Chris Downs and Stuart Lydon started their biking from Laukla airport in 9th September, and via Namche Bazar rode three highest passes Kala Pattar (5545m), Cho La Pass (5400) and Gokyo Ri (5357) to complete their journey in October 3.

And the purpose behind their adventure: to mark the 50th year of Sir Edmund Hillary’s Everest conquest. The riders are from Papakura where Hillary stayed for 10 years.

The trio insist that the landscapes of Nepal are identical with that of New Zealand. The exotic vista, according to them is what a Nepali should feel proud of. "There was pleasure in that exhaustion not because of record but passion motivated us to opt biking at the mountain," said the younger member of the team Stuart Lydon, 28.

"I was just two feet away from the death but thanks to my friends and the guide and porter without whom our journey would have been incomplete," says Lydon.

According to the seniormost member Dean James, 40, some local people claimed that they have not seen the bus. "But amazingly all of them could speak English fluently. We felt proud to say we are from New Zealand because every time we told them our nationality they nodded raising their eyebrows and saying, ‘Oh! So you are from the country of Edmund Hillary!’ as if they knew us from long," narrates James.

The bikers, with full suspension 15-kg bikes, are set to send hundreds of their friends from England and New Zealand as they are misinformed about the security concerns in Nepal. "My movie camera is enough to lure them in Nepal for ideal biking," states Lydon, who is also a professional photographer.

The tour has finished but for them the experience will remain forever. "We forgot time and even our lovers and family members back home. The shaven heads are the sign of triumph for the Kiwis," the trio showed their head pulling out their caps.

Clash of DJs

Been at a club? Dancing and hopping with music playing in the background? If you have, you must have seen a person busily working with some instruments, shaking his head and apparently enjoying it to the fullest. Yes, we are talking of the DJ (disc jockey), the person to whose tune people gyrate.

And when the top DJs of the town meet, it is but natural that the air will lose its tranquility, with energy filling in the space. So was it. At Hyatt, when altogether of nine DJs of the valley came together for the party, with some famous names from Indian scene like DJ Who Sane, DJ Manjo, DJ Kriss and DJ Layashree, gracing the show.

DJ Pritam, who plays at The Fire Club said that it was fun playing the music. "I love music and that’s why I’m in the profession. It’s fun playing with these guys," the 22-year-old said.

For Neel, the DJ from Hyatt, DJ-ing is all about ‘creating music out of music’. While the trend of DJs started way back in the 1960s with the arrival of hippies and their lengthy parties, the trend here, the local DJs say is fast catching up.

The winner of the contest, organised by About Faces, an event management company from India, was Suman Shakya.

Harinder Singh, the Manager of Hyatt Regency, the hosts for the programme, hoped that the opportunity ‘would help in highlighting Nepal as a tourist destination’.