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Going international

Desi girl Sherin Sam

She was unsure in heart and body, thin and long-legged at 5’9”. But to fashion director, Marc Robinson, it looked as if debut model Sherin Sam had walked the ramp a thousand times. He told her so on her maiden walk. This was all she neede d to hear at the Pantaloon Femina Miss South earlier this year to gain confidence.

This was followed by more comments about her being ‘international’ in gait and demeanour.

Ford, the international model agency, spotted her, and she competed with 65 models in step-wise elimination rounds to be crowned Grazia Ford Supermodel of India World.

She became a prestigious Ford model following the likes of the sensuous Bipasha Basu, and went on to represent Ford at its fashion event at Montenegro. “My parents felt so proud,” she recalls.

What does this 21-year-old think about the modelling industry? “It is a field where young women can excel,” she says.

Many still harbour fears about this line, but Sherin says all you need to do is take every step cautiously. Getting into the right hands is important, she adds. And, to think, her entry into this glamorous world was “just for a lark,” after being persuaded by friends to join the Pantaloon contest.

But, it was the Ford experience that catapulted her onto the international scene. “It has been overwhelming. It has changed my life and I have learnt a lot from it,” she says.

She remembers the European designer at Montenegro asking her if she could carry off a heavy gown with a long trail, on the ramp. “I did so with aplomb and he congratulated me saying he always knew I could do so. I had no family or friends to cheer me there and was nervous, but the crowd loved ‘the Indian girl’. It was the happiest day in my life,” she recalls.

And, with this thrill and happiness came a sense of responsibility. he sudden fame and adulation, and prize money and gifts had to be handled, and she did that with a lot of maturity.

“I received a diamond studded shoe as a prize, which I donated to an orphanage.”

So, what’s next? “Acting. It is the natural step after modelling,” she concludes.

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