Emphasising on the need to promote young talent in the field of fashion, socialite and entrepreneur Ramola Bachchan presented an exclusive curation of renowned and young labels from all across India on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of her venture, Runway Rising, at Hyatt Regency, in the Capital last week.

The exhibition presented a variety of women’s apparel, men’s shoes, handbags, accessories, jewellery, home décor, foodstuff and chocolates. Geetanjali Salon and La Chocoallure joined hands to grace the exhibition. A range of mouth-watering handmade fresh chocolates was exhibited at the event. The appearance and aroma of chocolates made them irresistible. The chocolates came in the flavours of vanilla, strawberry, dark chocolate and many more.

To match the perfect outfit for a party or a wedding ceremony, Runway Rising displayed suits, lehengas, drape sarees, embroidered jhootis, potli bags, heels and jewellery. Catering to all age and gender groups, the designers offered various merchandises like footwear, accessories and clothes.

Runway Rising, an idea conceived by Ramola five years ago, gives the 65-year-old a feeling of contentment every time she gets to express herself on this initiative. “The intention of Runway Rising was to provide young designers and entrepreneurs with a platform to showcase their talent in front of a larger audience,” Ramola told The Statesman on the sidelines of the event. “We have come a long way since then. We have mixed designers today and if you walk around the exhibition, you will see we have everything, from women’s apparel to men’s shoes, handbags, accessories, jewellery, home décor and foodstuffs. You name it and we have a lot.”

“I did not know how entrepreneurs or young people work until I started this journey. Young people in India are entrepreneurial at a young age. Just after stepping out of school or college, they have this dream and ambition to start their own thing rather than go and work in a conventional job. In addition, they bring a lot of freshness and creativity to the table, which you may not see otherwise,” she added.

Talking about a lot of innovative products, made by very young people, Ramola said, “I think, it’s a good relationship between us and our designers because we get to really scat out the interesting things that are made out and they get a platform where we invite people to shop and get to know the brands. So that’s how it works.”

While most people party for fun, the 65-year-old fashion curator parties for work. “I think if you take up anything you must put your best effort, you’re everything into it. In addition, I guess you don’t see success without hard work ~ as they say geniuses possess 1 per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration. So it’s all about the perspiration. Having said that I do enjoy so I do not really feel that I work. Work is fun,” Ramola added.  She believes that many changes come up in decor with time and again and thus we need artistes with creative mind. “I think that in the outer world there is more creativity, designers and young people coming out with their concepts and their own vision. Therefore, I think it gets much bigger and better.”

When asked what keeps her motivated to work as she has tried her hands in various fields before entering the fashion industry, she said, “When I came to live in India, I noted that there is so much talent among the younger generation and I felt, firstly, that I like to give them a platform, like to work with them. And then there is so much creativity among these established designers. So, not just fashion, we also do home décor, so anything that involves creativity is exciting to be a part of that.”

“We get a lot of repeat visitors here because I think people know that the stuff is of good quality, offered at best prices and something different for every age group. So that’s why people keep coming back,” Ramola asserted, revealing the most eye-catchy element at the exhibition.