Indian fashion models are embracing a viral Instagram trend to highlight the contrast between their everyday lives back home and the glamour of the runway. Over the past couple of weeks, hundreds of models have shared transformation videos showing them going from their hometowns to national and international fashion runways. The videos capture the striking difference between their ordinary lives in villages and small towns and their glamorous appearances at fashion shows.
They typically open with the model in casual clothes, without makeup or any of the usual runway glamour. What follows are glimpses of everyday life, with models seen doing household chores or helping out with farm work — one is seen rolling out chapatis, for example, while another cracks open a coconut. As the song’s beat changes, so does the scene. The familiar surroundings of their hometowns give way to the glitz of the runway, with the models appearing in elaborate couture and high-fashion ensembles, walking the ramp at some of the biggest fashion shows. Fashion model Deeksha shared a video that shows her rolling chapatis while sitting on the ground. The scene then changes to Deeksha walking the ramp at Lakme Fashion Week. Sakshi Kumbhar, a model from Maharashtra, shared an Instagram video that opens with her dressed in a kurta, harvesting farm produce. The video then dissolves and changes to Sakshi walking the ramp at Lakme Fashion Week, dressed in a high-fashion black outfit. Nakul Bhardwaj went from helping with kitchen chores in his hometown to walking for Versace. Raj Dobal was another model who went from chopping wood to the Lakme Fashion Week. The videos have struck a chord on Instagram, offering a glimpse into the lives of models beyond the glamour of fashion weeks and designer labels. By juxtaposing everyday scenes from their hometowns with their runway appearances, the trend celebrates how far these models have come.
Set to the Garhwali song “Swami Pardesh”, the videos follow a common template. An on-screen caption reads, “Me in my hometown versus…”. “Long journey from home but all worth it,” he captioned his video. “Me in my Hometown v/s Me on Runway,” he captioned his video.
