Old is still gold on the ramp

We seem to be going back to thefuture. When ’70s ramp queen Anna Bredmeyer sashayed down the catwalkrecently, spontaneous applause greeted her. And this despite the combined oomphof the current crop of models alongside.So how did the spotlightfeel? “I’m happiest when I’m on the ramp,� says Anna.“This is what I do best. I don’t get as much of a high with anythingelse. I still do the occasional show, but I feel everyone might be saying thiswoman’s been around for God-knows-how-long, why doesn’t she give ita rest? But the applause took me by surprise. I thought to myself, ‘OK,girl, you’ve still got it. Now go for it.’�Sharingthe spotlight was Sangeeta Bijlani, who got the same reception. “It was anadrenaline rush,� she laughs. “I was kind of nervous, because I wasgetting back after so long. I know styles are different now, girls do a straightwalk whilst we used to have a lot of dance and drama in our days. But Iwasn’t worried. Once you’re on ramp, you becomeyourself.�So why are audiences so taken by the return of theyesteryears brigade? “The older lot had more individuality,� saysAnna. “Today, there’s a perception that the younger lot looks thesame, walks the same. We had no such standard, so each developed her ownstyle.�This was also true in Milan recently when supermodelMehr Jessia took to the ramp after a 10-year absence. She wowed all with herflair, though she admitted later that she had been nervous before she wenton.Suzanne Sabloak, Femina Miss India 1989, returning to the rampafter nearly a decade, believes that the ‘look’ has changed.“None of us were flat-chested,� she giggles. “Now the‘look’ follows an international standard.� Nevertheless, shefound coming back “a wonderful feeling.� Celebrating areturn to the ramp as a one-off is fine, but in today’s youth-obsessedindustry, would there be a market for yesteryears’ models? “If themodel was a supermodel like Anna, or a star like Sangeeta, then yes,� saysevent director Sharmilla Khanna. Event Director Marc Robinsonagrees: “If a Milind or myself were to return, we would be accepted. Thesame is true for a Mehr. But not any yesteryear model can comeback.�kanpur.times@timesgroup.com