When you look at Kanika Bali, what you see is a young lady with poise, beauty and charm, all the things that have crowned her Miss India Deaf 2011. Yes, hers is a world of silence and image consultant Anshu Gupta played a part in Kanika winning the crown.
Kanika is now preparing for the Miss International Deaf 2012 contest to be held on 27 July 2012 in Turkey.
“We tend to assume that since participants of beauty pageants are already associated with the best of fashion designers, make-up artistes and fitness trainers, they would be taught everything,” says Anshu. “But contestants are unaware of important concepts of managing one’s image. I couldn’t help remembering what ICBI had taught us; that image management is not about personality development, not about buying expensive clothes from designers and not about attending grooming or make-up sessions. Image management is “Inside Out”.
Anshu took Kanika through the 4 As of Image Management – Appropriate, Authentic, Attractive and Affordable. “She enjoyed every bit of it,” says Anshu.
There were also sessions on attire, body language and etiquette, covering topics like focal points and their importance, dressing as per Kanika’s body shape, the importance of layering clothes and the excitement and creativity that is involved in layering, use of accessories and the variety of ways in which one can tie scarves.
Anshu also took Kanika through the importance of maintaining the right posture – walking, standing and sitting – the importance of expressions, tone and pitch, the different types of handshake in addition to dining etiquette.
“It was great fun to be part of the team preparing Kanika for the beauty pageant,” says Anshu. “I worked with renowned fashion designers Niket and Jainee and makeup artist Naina Arora. It was an exciting and challenging assignment and Kanika was a very involved participant in our sessions.”