Indian beauty considered special in west: Padma Lakshmi

Supermodel, TV host, cookbook author and socialite Padma Lakshmi, who has walked international fashion runways for the best of designers, says Indian beauty is considered "special" in the west.

"I think Indian beauty is still seen in the west as exotic and special. But I think this is a good thing. I wouldn't want to look like everyone else on the runway anyway," Lakshmi told IANS in an email interview ahead of her debut as a showstopper at the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) ramp.

She will be seen sashaying across the ramp at the gala's ongoing Summer/Resort 2017 on Saturday for ace designer Tarun Tahiliani. Lakshmi, who has catwalked for big international names like Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace and Ralph Lauren, says the variety of clothing in India fashion is exciting for her.

"You have both western dress and traditional dress and then you have creations in between. There's really something for everyone. I also think Indian clothes happen to be more flattering on a greater number of body types and there's no type of clothing that makes you feel more feminine, she added.

Happy to be here, Lakshmi will flaunt a creation out of Tahiliani's new range titled 'Chashme Shahi'. What attracts her to the designer's work?
"His craftsmanship, the timelessness of his pieces, the attention to detail, and how you feel like royalty when you put on one of his garments. You know when you're getting dressed in one of Tarun's pieces, that it's a special occasion," said the "Top Chef" host.

A multi-faceted talent, Lakshmi began her career as a model working in Europe and the US. She runs her "Top Chef" and even has an award-winning cookbook titled "Easy Exotic" to her credit. That apart, she even wrote a memoir titled "Love, Loss, and What We Ate".

She was earlier married to novelist Salman Rushdie, 23 years older to her. They wed in 2004, and divorced three years later. In her memoir, Lakshmi had opened up about her marriage to Rushdie.

Asked how she feels about celebrities opening up about their personal lives in public, she said, "I think to each his own. I think you get to a point in your life when you're comfortable enough to do that. I think each person makes their own decisions and I try not to judge anyone else for theirs."

Looking back at her career graph and her journey, Lakshmi, who has daughter Krishna Thea Lakshmi-Dell, with computer mogul Adam Dell, considers herself lucky for the wonderful opportunities that have come her way.

"I've been lucky enough to have some wonderful opportunities to work in different genres. Every professional experience I've had has taught me something and made me the woman I am today," she said.