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In the midst glamorous models at the New York Fashion Week beginning Sept. 8., one Indian woman is expected to stand apart, not so much for her physical attributes but for her indefatigable spirit that has given a voice to hundreds like her to fight social stigma caused by physical abuse like acid attack.
Meet Reshma Banoo Qureshi who will walk the ramp with her missing left eye and a badly- scarred skin from an attack in a town in North India last year by her estranged brother-in-law and a group of men who poured sulfuric acid on her face.
Despite the attack and the defacing of the then 17-year-old, Qureshi has refused to hide behind closed doors. She began working with ‘Make Love Not Scars’, an NGO focused on providing acid attack victims with the “opportunity to regain their life.”
Next week Qureshi will participate in the show alongside other models, including Bollywood actress Sunny Leone who will walk the ramp for ace designer Archana Kochhar.
“It has been a journey of discovery that led us to ‘Make Love Not Scars, the most recognized entity supporting survivors of acid attacks in India,”
Ilaria Niccolini, producer of New York-based FTL Moda, a multi-purpose firm specializing in the areas of fashion that will help organize the show, said in a statement. “We want to give voice to these amazing women, who have been silently suffering, hiding, and too often depriving themselves of the opportunity to declare how beastly, and cruelly they have been attacked,” the statement said.
Qureshi, who has never left India, was excited about the opportunity when she learned she would be taking part in one of the biggest fashion events in the world.
“Today I realize that beauty is not just about how we look in the mirror,” Quershi shared with the Hindustan Times, Huffington Post Style, U.K. reported. “It’s more important to have a beautiful heart,” she said ahead of one of the most prestigious fashion shows that will see designers from across the world, including from India, take part.
Kochhar, known for her global design sensibilities, will showcase her new collection inspired by the Taj Mahal and the village of Banjaras at the fashion week.
With an idea to encourage Indian tourism, the fashion week collection showcases beautiful prints inspired by the carvings of Taj Mahal, with colorful embroidery representing the royal era. Promoting the concept of “all-inclusive beauty”, Kochhar is supporting the initiative “Bring Beauty Back” at the fashion week.
Actress Leone, who will open the show Sept. 8, was equally excited. “So excited! A dream come true… I’m walking New York Fashion Week for Archana Kochhar Opening Show on the 8th September 2016 @Archana_Kochhar,” Leone, the first Bollywood star to be at the ramp for the coveted fashion event, tweeted.
In another post she wrote, “Woohoo!! Dreams really do come true! Thank you @Archana_Kochhar,” news reports quoted her as tweeting last week.
The post Acid Victim From India To Walk The Ramp In N.Y. Fashion Week appeared first on News India Times.
