When fashion entrepreneur Sharada Narayanan stood on stage with her counterparts from across the world, waiting with sheer anticipation and racing hearts for the announcement of Mrs Classique Globe Choice of the People, she took a moment to process that her name had been called out.
“I was in a complete shock. I don’t think I reacted the way everybody usually does – the awe, the crying or hands thrown up in the air,” she recalls. While winning the title with 50 other contestants competing for it might have been a surprise for Narayanan, her mentor, Veena Jain, the winner of Mrs India Globe Classique 2017, had complete confidence. “When we started from Bengaluru, I had a feeling that we were going to make it this year. It may have been a surprise for Sharada, but for me, I was very confident that she was going to come out with the title – her confidence and elegance made me believe so. I’m especially proud because this is the first time an Indian delegate has won such an honour,” says Jain.
Achieving the highly coveted Swarovski crystal-studded crown was no easy feat with Narayanan’s schedule being jam-packed with rehearsals and galas from the moment she arrived at Palm Springs on June 16 to the moment she was crowned on June 21.
“Once we went there, it was a complete grind – it’s like a boot camp. We get up early in the morning and go on late into the night on some days. You go through one regiment after the other, but there were a lot of fun times in between practice and exercise too, when we got to bond with women from different countries and cultures,” says Narayanan, explaining the preparations that went into the three final rounds – national costume, swimsuit, and evening gown – as well as the Bollywood-themed welcome party, charity galas, and preliminary rounds that preceded them.
She credits Jain with helping her through the whole process, saying, “She was the first person who told me ‘Yes, you should do this. I see a lot of potential in you.’ She has hand-held me in multiple places – with picking the best colours to wear, the right outfits, even with picking fabrics and shopping. Her belief in me was with me from the start till the time that we wrapped up the event and we came back.”
Apart from being a mom and fashion entrepreneur with her boutique ‘Metamorphosis’, Narayanan has years of experience working in top corporates and also runs an NGO, Virya Trust, which empowers women by teaching them tailoring skills, marketing housing products, and hosting bazaars. The main reason she decided to try her hand at pageantry was Mrs Globe’s association with the WIN Foundation, which helps women who have faced abuse.
Apart from supporting a cause, the highlight for Narayanan was the national costume round, where she sported a blue gown with intricate traditional hand-embroidery and eye-catching peacock feathers for a sleeve.
“You come out carrying your country’s flag, which brings with it a lot of pride, but you also have a responsibility to ensure that you don’t let your country down, and make sure you are doing your best,” she says.
Jain notes the importance of an Indian contestant winning the Mrs Classique Globe Choice of the People title for the first time, stating that beauty is more than Euro-centric standards. “Every time I saw girls from Europe, Belarus, and Russia winning, I used to think: why not us? European skin is not the beauty standard in every region – we are all different and beautiful in our way.” She adds that Indian candidates bring something special to every pageant, “Indian candidates are good at communication. They bring a special warmth and friendliness with them.”