It’s beauty pageant everyday in Shillong

It’s beauty pageant everyday in Shillong or so it would seem. The streets of this fashion-conscious and largely westernized city could be likened to ramps with enchanting young boys and girls modeling about carefree attired in the trendiest of outfits and making their own style statement.
“One needn’t go through fashion magazines here to find out what’s the latest. Simply take a casual walk through the streets of the city and you would’ve got the cue,” says Ajanta, an upcoming fashion designer currently undergoing a special course in designing at Bangalore. She plans to set up her own designer store to especially cater to the rising number of fashion pageants held in the city round the year.
“Not only designer wears. Casuals, including the latest in jeans, tops and skirts reach the stores of Shillong at the earliest, making it easy for the youngsters to choose from,” Suraj Tamang owner of a garments store informs.
“It’s a well-dressed city with even cabbies smartly attired,” points out Jeremy, who has been running his own tailoring shop. “My clients comprise not only youngsters but middle-aged and even pretty old people,” he says.
Beauty and fashion pageants are a rage here. It’s almost impossible to keep count of the number of such events taking place throughout the year not only in the capital city but other parts of the state as well. “Even individual localities hold their own contests,” points out Shongdor Diengdoh, member of a local club.
Tura, the headquarters of the West Garo Hills district too is not lagging behind. “We love to dress in style. The youngsters are not only fashion crazy but innovative in their style as well,” says Alva Sangma, a fashionable young entrepreneur, who maintains an enviable wardrobe.
But fashion comes at a cost. How do the young people manage to acquire such vast ranges of trendy apparel?
“These days scopes for earning have increased and the trick is not only in costly clothes. It’s all about making the right choice at the right kind of money. After all you got to have style in mind,” answers Raja, a meticulously dressed medical representative, who has a penchant for the latest in leatherwear including fancy shoes.

Hidden behind the lens

“Work comes first, money next” is a word of a ‘person behind the lenses----Omnath Khushwaha, a 24-year old Photographer of Shillong sought after by almost all private organizations in the city….Yet unspotted by a large section.
Khushwaha, a Media Technology graduate from St. Anthony’s College, Shillong and a proud owner of ‘Magic Moments’ studio in Fire Brigade stands out to be one of the city’s best photographer with a feat. His exhibition in 2004 titled ‘OM-Photo Spectrum’ is what inspired and infused Khushwaha. Talking to The Meghalaya Guardian, Khushwaha said, “The exhibition had done its work in me that I began to concentrate on commercial photography and a freelance photographer for newspapers.” The young dynamic photographer with great accomplishment in interior photography for few hotels, restaurants and institutes, shots of souvenirs of Shillong, an official photographer for the International Rock show ‘Petra,’ and ‘Michael Learns to Rock’, first North East documentary film festival, 2005, ‘The Shillong Opera Show’, food photography for Regetta and Centre Point and shots of photo-portfolio for the city based boy band “Voices”, will use his lens to capture the moments of ‘The Beast’—The Iron Maiden here on November 4.
With his endless lists of shots, Khushwaha is contemplating for another grand exhibition to showcase his evocative and engaging photos evoking a certain mood and a specific message. Whether they focus on portraits, landscapes, animals his refine art is just artful as a painting or a sculpture.
As for now, Khushwaha is concentrating on fashion, family, wedding, action photography and others while he is still on ‘photography documentation’ with the IFAD. Though, financial crisis and an urgent need to improve his studio are just mere problems for Khushwaha, his hardwork, dedication coupled with an inborn talent is what makes him a lens-man of Shillong. So Shillongites spot this lens-man capturing breath-taking moments in your town….