New Delhi, Put it down to improving lifestyles or whatever, but Indian girls are certainly growing taller, moving away from the conventional 5' 5" to closer to 6' or taller. This was quite evident at an audition the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) staged here Wednesday.

It was part of its "New Faces Going Places" initiative for the upcoming spring/summer edition of the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW).

Sixty-two models, some of them newcomers, others established faces but who have never walked the ramp at the WIFW, turned up for the audition and after an elimination round, 10 will finally be selected for the Oct 15-19 event.

The final names will be announced later this month after judges Rohit Gandhi and Ranna Gill - both top-notch designers - choreographer Vidyun Singh, and model Milind Soman tally their final scores.

These lucky 10 will then get a chance to walk the ramp with their peers at the fashion week.

This is the third year in succession that FDCI has been staging the auditions, which form an integral part of its initiatives to promote upcoming talent. Among the others are the Hi5 segment in which 10 promising newcomers get an opportunity to showcase their works at the fashion week, and a photography contest featuring the world of design.

"Promoting and encouraging new talent is one of the key objectives of the FDCI. The models are important stakeholders of the Indian fashion industry," council president Sunil Sethi said.

"The model auditions are an essential medium for selecting exceptional talent who would walk the ramp at the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week for the first time. The jury was looking for fresh faces to launch on the runway of WIFW as part of their commitment to provide a platform for new talent," Sethi added.

"Over the years, the entries received from aspiring models has steadily increased. We once again, promise to showcase the very best of the Indian modelling industry," Sethi maintained.

Having said that, it must also be mentioned that there seemed to be a dearth of talent this time around. The height aspect apart, there was very little to write home about in terms of oomph and style.

Gandhi acknowledged this, saying: "There is some talent on view, but not as much as in previous years."

This apart, the FDCI must also be questioned on the manner the auditions were conducted.

They started with Gandhi, Gill and Singh, with Soman making an appearance almost midway through. Even then, despite getting down to business right away, he chose to banter with Gandhi and hardly giving the models a look.

Thereafter, he got involved in giving a sound byte to a TV reporter - something that Sethi immediately put a stop to. It was only after this that he focused on the runway - but throughout wearing dark glasses.

How is it possible to pass judgment at an audition while wearing dark glasses, one wondered?

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