Tunisian-Syrian model based in Paris, Sheherazade on her maiden voyage to India is excited about the untamed colour, magnificent sari and mismatched prints
By Asmita Aggarwal
In a country where she was born to immigrant parents, Paris, Sheherazade, an olive-skinned Tunisian-Syrian beauty is passed over for blue-eyed damsels, but that didnt deter the winner of the Elite Model Contest, at 19, from pursuing her passion—-modelling. Sheherazade or princess, just 22, will tell you, with her eyes twinkling, that she finds the most challenging part about being a catwalk model is keeping her self-confidence soaring without seeming too reticent or unsure. I think doubts often cloud your mind about which direction you are heading in life and whether it is the right one. But thats where you need a bit of motivation to see you through the tunnel. I have learnt over the years that you have to be your own best friend. Its my first time at AIFW 2015 and the only thing I knew about India was the sari, and the elegance it exudes, draped around a womans body, making her look sensuous, she adds.
Travelling all over the world, what truly excites Sheherazade is her dancing troupe, comprising seven dancers, an art form she has been perfecting for eight years. The troupe is called Nut Case, and we indulge in hip-hop and contemporary forms; we thought the name was appropriate as we are a bunch of crazy people, lovers of dance, who enjoy what we do. It is not for money or fame, just the love for pirouetting! Dance is the final frontier, it is the expression of your body, she smiles.
Hoping to walk for Victorias Secret, some day, Sheherazade has a clear career goal in mind….it is not to open a modelling agency, rather it is to be like former Brazilian model-turned-counsellor Cristina Cordula, and her theory of methodology makeovers. She is an inspiration and how she turns around lives of people who lack self-worth, transforming them by injecting her brand of conviction. I would like to do something on these lines, help women find themselves through effective counselling, she adds.
While Sheherazade is in India she has already visited Akshardham, and Lotus Temple is on the cards, and then Taj Mahal, the ultimate monument of love. India signifies peace, colour and spirituality and I think what makes it special is the chaos, which makes you think despite everything. For me, it has been an energising experience and any opportunity I get to visit again, I wont let it pass, she concludes.