India, Oct. 8 -- Clad in a beautiful navy blue-orange lehanga, teamed with a deep-cut choli and a heavy dupatta, chirpy and spontaneous actress Parineeti Chopra left the audience applauding and cheering when she walked the ramp for veteran designer Manish Malhotra at the ongoing Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW).
Known for her bubbly image on the silver screen, Parineeti walked the ramp with a lot of elegance and poise.
Her entry made people cheer her. She could not help smiling and waving at her fans, even as she looked stunning without any accessories and minimal make-up.
The 24-year-old, who made her acting debut with "Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl", left it on the audience on how she looked.
"About the outfit, I think it's for you people to judge. I think I looked okay," Parineeti told reporters.
Malhotra showcased his latest Mijwan collection in the capital Sunday night. It comprised the traditional yet popular embroidery work, Chikankari, by girls from Mijwan, who are supported by veteran actress and social activist Shabana Azmi's Mijwan Welfare Society (MWS).
Mijwan is a small village near Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh.
Shabana started the show by sharing some lines by her father, late Urdu poet Kaifi Azmi, who founded the MWS to empower the girl child.
The collection saw the return of earthy, subdued tones like ivory, brunt orange, dull shades of red and pink. There was a mix of garments both for men and women. Coats, kurtas, sherwanis, lehangas teamed with long jackets and cholis, farsi pants and anarkalis. The outfits were liked by all and it was a jam-packed show.
The 62-year-old actress dressed elegantly for the occasion in a black shirt and white chikankari dupatta, and was all praises for Malhotra's collection.
"Manish with his collection is bringing into fashion world the craft, which is our USP and which is what we can offer to the world. They can copy everything but cannot compete with our craft," Shabana said.
Malhotra, who has designed for over 1,000 films and is a recipient of 38 awards, said about his collection: "This show was basically about showing the craft of Mijwan. My purpose was to bring it up here at an event like WIFW. It's Shabanaji's NGO and Parineeti was very kind and said she wanted to be associated with it and that is how we are all here."
"Fashion week is all about style and trends but is is important sometimes to see the Indian craft which is happening in our villages and is so beautiful," he added.
Cousin of Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra, Parineeti said: "I don't want it to be just about ramp walk, but I seriously and genuinely feel for what Mijwan and what Manish and Shabanaji are doing. For such an initiative, I just could not say no. I had to be a part of it."
The designer, who has styled some of the most popular faces in Bollywood including Kajol, Kareena Kapoor, Rani Mukherji, Aishwarya Rai, Sonam Kapoor, Preity Zinta and Karisma Kapoor, is known for his collection that boasts of a fusion of traditional and contemporary designs.
Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.