FASHION www.fashioncentral.pk
2012
CENTRAL Vol 5
Female singer of Pakistan Fariha Pervez “Fashion stylist Beenish Pervaiz”
Fashion Designer Monica Paracha
n o i h s a F llection Co
Content
December 2012
Parties & Events
10 16 18 32 34
Launch of Lal’s Patisserie
36 56 58 60 61
London Market Diwali Preview
Fashion Gala 2012 Launch of Fabrizio
EIndia Resort Fashion Week (IRFW) India Resort Fashion Week 2012 Pre Party Bash at F Lounge. Diner.Bar Chanel Jacket Expo Hits Paris MTV Europe Music Awards Winners Party Post Emmys Skyfall Royal World Premiere
12
Fashion Shows Al-karam - FPW3 Lomdon Nomi Ansari Collection
Interview
6 Fashion Designer Monica Paracha 52 Jessica mauboy The team at fashioncentral media group is huge,always acting like a happy force and right now fired by the enthusiasm of this 5th magazine issue.Editors,content writers,photographers form a integral part of our friendly army,bursting with life and an urge to reach out to millions of literate set of viewers.
Features 8
Sophia Mirza Proved Felonious In Girl Kidnapping Case
Veena Malik arrested in Hyderabad
Sara Shahid brings brand new
Resham Declines Hotel Room Scandal Veena Malik beat’s Emraan Hashmi in Serial kissing
Sublime Studio in Lahore Jehangir Badr of PPP Asks Actress Laila To Marry His Son
20
Beenish Pervaiz is the ultimate Pakistani stylist
22 26 38 40
Female singer of Pakistan Fariha Pervez The King romance Shahrukh khan Top 5 Cave Destinations in India Sonakshi Sinha marked her debut in the Hindi film
From the editor The December issue of Fashion Central Magazine looks radiant indeed with Cindy Crawford adorning its cover.And what a good moment for us and our viewers,many of whom had urged us to look her up.Having responded to your need,we also feel delighted,as Cindy has everything from beauty to superb acting ability to excellence on the ramp and sharing her amazing accomplishments is something that will inspire our eager viewers.If there is any aspect of her life that is left out,please do not hesitate to tell us!It will be made a part of the upcoming issues. We have certainly not left out the Pakistani celebrities and allotted enough space for Fariha Pervez ,the lady with the voice of a nightingale and Beenish Pervaiz,a fashion stylist who considers bridal make up an art and not a business.Viewers will find the articles on these two women of substance,great to read and feminine ones who love to seek inspiration will devour every word written about them. As for the events in India there is enough on the stunning glamour and glitz at the India Resort Fashion week and also the Bollywood arena.Images and lots of them will reach out to your heart and soul. As stated before also,the pace in the world of fashion and glamour is mind boggling and all those associated with keeping us updated have a real tough time matching the activity needs,but all the same that is not the worry of our viewers,as come what may we have to be there for you,with everything detail that you wish for. Lets end this editorial note by wishing you a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
Anny
6 Interview
Fashion Designer
Monica Paracha talks Monica Couture is a not just another fashion brand. It has set itself a noble and challenging task of reviving centuries’ old techniques of hand embroidery and embellishment using gold, silver and silk threads and semi-precious stones. These specialized crafts move down in families but are a dying art due to lack of innovation and declining demand and its total absence in the pret wear. Monica Co culture’s strategy is to introduce it in more popular, middle ranging lines with rapid turnover to create demand for the work. Traditional patterns and motifs inspired from Ottoman and Mughal periods on latest trends and cuts catering to the international market is one of the ways to operationalize this strategy
Q: What is your educational and professional background?
Degree in Economics and statistics and a course in fashion merchandising. Q: What drew you to fashion and specifically to starting your own line?
I felt sad that there is no Pakistani designer in the International market and our ‘high- end’ product is not competitive interenationally. Q: What advice would you give a fashion newbie or student, looking to become a designer?
Apprenticeship with a good fashion house before you take the plunge and launch your own brand. Q: What is the most difficult aspect in launching your own label, i.e. design, production, sales, finance, advertising?
Financing and advertising Q: Your label has a very strong ecological conscience, how did that develop?
I try to use waste fabrics to build new innovative designs; it’s economical and green. Q: You are particularly fond of using sustainable textiles; can you give us some more details on this?
‘I only work with natural fabrics Q: What advice would you give other brands or designers who are interested in making a step towards going green, where should they start?
Be innovative by using waste and recycle cloth
Q: What inspires you most as a designer?
Our cultural heritage. Q: Do you think that music affects your design?
It does, I love music Q: Who are some designers that you think have some great style?
I really see international designers when I need inspiration, they predict designs Q: What do you wish you had known before enterone season ahead so do I, I would say ing the fashion industry? close to our styles and fusion, Zuhair More about opportunities available for Murad and Versace and Chanel support of the SME sector in Pakistan.
8 Feature
Sophia Mirza Proved Felonious In Girl Kidnapping Case
Following the kidnapping of a college going girl, fashion model Sophia Mirza and her sister have been proved felonious by a local court. In the court, on the statement of kidnapped girl named Fatima, Sophia Mirza and her sister were found guilty and after the hearing a district and session judge sent a detailed report to the Lahore High Court. Sophia Mirza is a known Pakistani fashion model who has hosted “Nachley Season 4” and “Khabarnaak” programs. Few days back she was arrested at her residence for the kidnapping although she denied the allegations which have now proved to be true.
Veena Malik arrested in Hyderabad The actress was busy on her upcoming Telugu movie “Nagna Satyam” where she was arrested by Hyderabad Police. Veena looked upset when police brought her to jail.The pleasent part of this unfortunate was that the action was a part of her upcoming Telugu movie “Nagna Satyam”. Jail has become the second home of many Bollywood hunks. It’s very sad to see our Big Bollywood celebrities who always face imprisonment. “I can understand the torture, the trauma which celebrities suffer through their imprisonment it’s very difficult”, she said. Veena Malik is busy on shooting her Telugu Movie “Nagna Satyam” which is directed by Rama Rao. She will also be seen in upcoming Bollywood flick “The City That Never Sleeps” which is Produced Satish Reddy.
Resham Declines Hotel Room Scandal The glamorous Pakistani film star Resham has denied all the allegations of being caught with dacoits in a five star hotel room and watching x-rated films, in her latest interview.Resham is known for her stylish looks and number of superhit films like Jeeva, Sangam and Dupatta Jall Raha Hai. Recently, she was spotted with some dacoits in a hotel room. She was drinking and watching blue films with them. However, when Resham was confronted in this matter she knocked down the news calling it a rumor just to damage her image and popularity. She stated that she never indulged in cheap publicity acts to get fame. Whatever she has earned so far is with hardwork and dedication.Meanwhile.
Veena Malik beat’s Emraan Hashmi in Serial kissing
Veena is ready to set Guinness book of world record through maximum kisses in her upcoming movie “The City That Never Sleeps” which is produced by Satish Reddy and Directed Haroon Rashid. Her liplock scene will spark a fire and gamey within us. Veena said, “I think kisses are very important and ridiculously beautiful expressions. It is such a beautiful expression of how kisses of all kinds can cure the world with love and joy. It’s great to be a part of Guinness Book of World Record. I just want to warn all the heroes to be careful here come the B town Super Serial Kisser.” Looks like Veena Malik would be the next serial kisser in Bollywood. The actress tops the list pushing Priyanka second and Kareena Kapoor to the third position, for the most number of on-screen liplocks. As an actress, it becomes part of their profession to act in intimate scenes and kissing their heroes on screen.
Sara Shahid brings brand new Sublime Studio in Lahore
The famous fashion maestro Sara Shahid of Sublime brings a brand new studio and lifestyle store for her customers on MM Alam Road, Lahore. Sublime is recognized for its trendy wears and ensembles and forseeing its dire need Sara Shahid has launched a new Sublime Studio where she retails latest Western casuals and Eastern bridals other than her popular prêt a porter line Simply Sublime and the classic semi-formal wear. Fashion designer Sara Shahid has also introduced her new Autumn/Winter Collection 2012 at her newly opened Sublime Studio. The collection includes bold and dynamic colors and a range of eye catching cuts
Jehangir Badr of PPP Asks Actress Laila To Marry His Son
Famous stage and film actress Laila has stated that the Secretary General of Pakistan People’s Party Jehangir Badr has asked her to marry his son. Laila disclosed this skeptical proposal during a press conference held after the inauguration ceremony of a hotel where Jehangir Badr was also present. She explained that Badr had approached actress Meera’s mother with the marriage proposal but she had not taken any decision so far. “I want to get married only once that’s why I’m being careful in deciding on this proposal,” said Laila. During the same inauguration ceremony Laila also tried to shake hands with Badr but there was no response to her gesture.
10 P & E
Launch of Lal’s Patisserie
Al-karam - FPW3 Lomdon
Nomi Ansari Collection
16 P & E
Fashion Gala 2012
18 P & E
Launch of Fabrizio
20 Feature
Pakistan’s Fashion Stylists’ & Beauty Salons
Beenish Pervaiz Pakistani fashion Industry is full of beauticians who claim their specialty is bridal makeup yet there are only a few who actually know their work, fashion stylist Beenish Pervaiz is one such talented stylist, who considers bridal makeup an art and not a business. ‘’I have my own selected clientele. Brides who like subtle and light makeup come to me as I refrain from using thick layers of makeup. I believe in giving a simple and pretty look to my brides instead of a ‘dolled-up’ one,’’ says Beenish. Fashion stylist Beenish Pervaiz is no doubt expensive but she is worth the expense because of her quality and personalized attention. Beenish doesn’t take
too many brides; she only takes brides with 3-4 months prior bookings. Fashion stylist Beenish gives intensive personalized services to her brides, which includes complete analysis of bride’s skin, jewelry and hair. She also guides the bride in selecting what will look good on her keeping in mind her jewelry, hairstyle and clothes.
Fashion stylist Beenish Pervaiz is the ultimate Pakistani stylist to go to if you don’t want to get laden in the layers and layers of makeup on your big day and want to look pretty yet mesmerizingly simple and fresh!
22 Feature
Fariha Pervez Fariha Pervez is one of the leading female singers of Pakistan. Fariha Pervez started her career with anchoring & acting from a very young age on PTV (Pakistan State Tevlevision channel). She also co-hosted a popular children’s music program “Aangan Aangan Taray”. After the release of her debut Album. “Nice n Naughty”, her song “Patang Baaz” (a.k.a Bo kata) became a hit. Her musical career took off and from there onwards she focused solely on singing.
Fariha Pervez belongs to a family of talented females of Pakistani showbiz. She is the niece of “Rehana Siddique” & “Talat Siddique”, the two renowned actresses of Pakistan and cousin of “Naheed Siddique”(an internationally famous Kathak dancer) and “Arifa Siddique”(an acting/singing star in her own right). Fariha is the only sister of two brothers and likes to spend her spare time with her family. Fariha Pervez inherited her singing talent from her father. Her father used to sing very well but couldn’t become a singer as his family opposed this profession. So he encouraged his one & only daughter to pursue her career as a musician. In 1995, Fariha Pervez joined “Master Feroze Gill” (Cousin of “Ustad Ghulam Hussain Shaggan” of “Gwaliar Gharana”) for classical training in music.
Fariha Pervez started her career with anchoring and acting in the early 90s but then she switched over to music in mid 90s. In her early career, Fariha Pervez hosted a kids musical show from PTV by the name of “Aangan Aangan Taarey” which was later on hosted by Hadiqa Kiani. While in 2005, Fariha Pervez yet again appeared as a host in a music show by name of “Many Moods of Fariha” which was aired from Indus Television Network’s channel, Channel G. As Fariha belongs to family of actresses, she began her career as an actress & worked in quite a few drama serials including the famous kids drama “Ainak Wala Jin”.Though later realized that acting is not her forte. Fariha’s 1st music album was released in 1996 by the name of “Nice & Naughty”. Uptil now, she has released 7 albums so far & has to her credit many hit songs from each album. In her musical career, Fariha Pervez has sung for quite a few Pakistani films such as “Chief Sahab”, “Salaib, Ghoongat”, “Sangam”, “Inteha” & “Moosa Khan”. In her early days as a singer, Fariha also appeared in the famous Ptv programs which consisted of Ameer Khasro’s songs by the name of “Woh Bahar Ayi” & “Chilmann”. Fariha Pervez sang along side her cousin “Arifa Siddique”,
“Irum Hassan”, “Seemi Zaidi”, “Shabnam Majeed”, & “Saira Naseem”. Other than that, Fariha has sung numerous drama titles & singles as well as several songs in the popular “Virsa” Series of traditional music, produced by “Mian Yusuf Salahuddin” for PTV. From 1996 till present, Fariha Pervez has released 7 albums so far.
1. Nice & Naughty (1996) 2. Music viewzik (1997) 3. Jhumka (2000) 4. O Vela Yaad Kar (2001) 5. Piya (2003) 6. Passion (2005) 7. Abhi Abhi (2010)
26 Feature
Jab Tak Hai Jaan
Mohabbat Karunga Main, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Jab Tak Hai Jaan‌.The king of Romance Shahrukh Khan is back with the most-awaited Bollywood flick Jab Tak Hai Jaan.
Jab Tak Hai Jaan has also brought together the award winning pair of legendary singer and composer A R Rahman along with the lyricist Gulzar, who has created melodious music for this romantic film and many more with the unforgettable Yash Chopra. Yash Chopra directed this film which is written and produced by Aditya Chopra under their production banner Yash Raj Films; the film features King Khan with Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma performing lead roles while other supporting cast includes Rishi Kapoor, Neetu Singh and Anupum Kher etc. It is worth mentioning that Jab Tak Hai Jaan is Yash Chopra’s last directorial venture before his demise on October 21, 2012, just three weeks before the release of the Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The story revolves around an Indian Officer Captain Samar (Shahrukh Khan) who is on a mission in Kashmir where he meets an oh-so-pretty belly dancer Meera (Katrina Kaif) and fell in love with her at first sight. But unfortunately Meera gives her tough time for the fact that she wanted her dream prince to be a sleek and handsome looking gentle man instead of a rough looking stud. The tough guy could not bear this ignorance and shed his camouflage uniform and moves to London after Meera.
Following his ladylove, Shahrukh wandered into the streets doing odd jobs and playing guitar. Luckily Kate comes across him and did not realize that she has met him before anywhere in the world… Let’s not forget the very beautiful Anushka Sharma’s role in the film where she plays Akira, not Muskaan as previously promoted. The story of the central character Samar will be narrated through the eyes of Akira and the documentary projected in the film is called “The Man Who Cannot Die”. “Hi. I am Akira in Jab Tak Hai Jaan. In the film, I work for the Discovery Channel. And I am on an expedition to discover the truth behind the compelling story of the documentary,” said the stunning Anushka Sharma on the release of her character in the movie. The soundtrack of Jab Tak Hai Jaan begins with Challa, a song that has received mixed response ever since its first glimpse has been released. Where Rabbi Shergill’s voice looks a bit uncomfortable wile Shahrukh Khan lip-synching
on him. No doubt, the music is indeed very catchy and peppy but the peculiar singing style of Rabbi does take ample time to digest. The way another song ‘Saans‘ begins, listener is taken into extremely slow pace.
Shreya Ghoshal required taking her own time stressing on ‘saans’ before coming to the point. By the time ‘Ishq Shava‘ arrives, this Raghav Mathur and Shilpa Rao number is hardly that and could have been a part of just any film. Just when one thought that Jab Tak Ha0i Jaan wasn’t quite an album that one expected it to be arrives ‘Heer’ which is a beautiful composition by legendary AR Rahman. The title song Jab Tak Hai Jaan begins in the vocals of Javed Ali and while the start is slow, there is a rhythmic flow that it acquires as it proceeds. Another Punjabi number, it has Harshdeep Kaur doing quite well in this happy-sad creation which has a sweet folk flavor to it. This is the song which has the capacity rule the music charts and get successful at
Re’ which is for Anushka Sharma and Ishq Dance still can’t be said with utmost certainty that it would turn out to be a chartbuster in the offering. Jab Tak hai jaan is expected to release on 13 November 2012 worldwide. the box office. The dance number
‘Jiya
32 P & E
India Resort Fashion Week (IRFW) Preview Soiree
Stunning glamour and glitz gripped all at IRFW preview soiree by designers Pria Kataaria Puri, Shouger Merchant Doshi and Spaces, Home & Beyond by Welspun.
Select crème de la crème of this vibrant city stepped out in their best shoes at the preview soiree of India Resort Fashion Week (IRFW) 2012 collections by international designer Pria Kataaria Puri, young and dynamic designer Shouger Merchant Doshi and luxury bed and bath brand Spaces, Home & Beyond by Welspun @ LIV, Kalaghoda, Fort. This peppy evening-affair witnessed model walk-through of the designers’ finest range of resort collections to be showcased at IRFW in Goa. The fashion show commenced with Pria Kataaria giving a glimpse of her latest Picasso collection followed by Shouger Merchant Doshi’s bridal resort wear collection and then the very chic and sexy Spaces’ premium bed & bath collection. This glamour packed preview gave a sneak peek insight on the resort wear collections & only raised expectations of the crowd on what to expect from these talented designers and international brand. An eclectic mix of glitterati were seen at this rocking and packed do. The event was dazzled by celeb couple Apurva & Shilpa Agnihotri, Madhoo Shah, Tanaaz Doshi, Sammeer & Palak Sheth and many more. Key officials of IRFW 2012 – a nineonenine property including Nidhi Choudhary, MD-IRFW, Pallav Ojha, Director – IRFW and Nidhi Jani, Chief Relationship Officer were seen hobnobbing with the crowd.
34 P & E
India Resort Fashion Week 2012 Pre Party Bash at F Lounge. Diner.Bar
Dheeraj Realty presents India Resort Fashion Week 2012 powered by Gitanjali Group – Asia’s largest fashion festival. This Nineonenine (919) Global Entertainment owned property kick started its 2nd edition with a glamorous bash at South Mumbai’s ultimate fashion destination; F Lounge. Diner.Bar.
The party saw a mix of leading designers, models and celebrity faces like”Rocky S, Nidhi Munim, Marvie Ann Beck, Hard Kaur,Riyaz Gangji, Shouger Doshi,Aarti Vijay Gupta,Babita Malkani,Deepali Sontakkey,Malini Agarwal and Jacky Bhagnani” grooving to the tunes of the DJ’s beats. A specially created international artist schedule set to play at the Sand Kastle festival this November at the India Resort Fashion Week kept feet tapping till the wee hours. The guests were seen indulging in a specially created menu comprising of fashion bites like tawa fish with tequilla lime glaze, chicken teriyaki pizza, pav bhaji vol au vents among other creations paired with heady cocktails and premium spirits. The party gave patrons a glimpse of what they will experience at this unique fashion extravaganza, where music and fashion culminate for a one of a kind beach experience!
36 P & E
London Market
Diwali Preview
38 Feature
Top 5 Cave Destinations in India
Caves are symbol of early human living, they reflect how they lived, what they wore, ate and another special thing about caves is that they highlight the culture of those people by paintings, which appear on walls of caves. India is also one of the countries that are rich in cultural heritage. There are lots of caves in India where you can experience the truth of early human. They’re to be found right from corner to corner the country and from side to side. There are many tourists and searcher who love caves and want to know about them. There are very famous caves across different parts in India. People also visit these caves destinations to experience the live through adventure and mystery.
Ajanta and Ellora Caves:
No doubt there are alots of other caves which are full of mystery in India, but Ajanta and Ellora caves are extra popular and broadly recognized caves. The Ajanta Ellora caves are engraved into hillside rock to a certain extent in the middle of nowhere, in northern Maharastra. The caves at Ajanta are all Buddhist, while the caves at Ellora are a mixture of Buddhist, Hindu and Jain. These caves are purely dreaded inspirational. The beauty of these caves can’t be described in words, they are so wonderful. There are 34 caves at Ellora and 29 caves at Ajanta dating from between the 6th and 11th centuries AD and the 2nd century BC and 6th century AD.
Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves:
Tabo Caves:
Elephanta Island Caves:
Badami Caves:
The outer edge of Bhubaneshwar, is best place in Orissa and admirable place to explore caves. Udayagiri (Sunrise Hill) has the most appealing caves, and if you want to see real beauty than do get up early and visit them for. You’ll find out many lavishly engraved caves, occupied by Jain asthetics. They include the Tiger Cave and enlightening Queen’s Palace Cave. 530
The Elephanta Island caves are just near the Mumbai coast and best place to visit in. They’re 2nd most famous place among tourist to visit and also a piece of attraction too. There are 7 prehistoric caves hand engraved out of rock. They are at smaller scale from Ajanta and Ellora caves, but on a smaller scale. Dating of these caves is between 450 and 750 AD. The main cave has a number of eye-catching portrays of Hindu god of creation and destruction, Lord Shiva.
Tabo caves are best placing in India to visit pinnacle Buddhist monasteries in India. Situated in the Spiti Valley, in high altitude Himachal Pradesh, the rocky edge above the town is covered with caves. These caves are enamors in number, large, medium and small, all excavated into the mountain by hand.
The temples open daily from crack of dawn till twilight. 1 cave is devoted to Lord Shiva, 2 to Lord Vishnu, and smaller one is a Jain cave temple.
40 Feature
Sonakshi
Sinha
Sonakshi Sinha marked her debut in the Hindi film industry with 2010’s Dabangg opposite Salman Khan, which went onto become the highest grossing Bollywood film of the year. This was followed in 2012 by her appearance in Rowdy Rathore and Joker, alongside Akshay Kumar.
Sonakshi Sinha is the daughter of a renowned actor and politician Shatrughan Sinha. With a good family background she also got a chance to study Fashion Designing at a leading women’s university in Mumbai.
Her early career started off when as a model, she walked the ramp at the Lakme Fashion Week 2008 and then again in Lakme Fashion Week 2009. The acting start was made in 2010 film Dabangg co-starring Salman Khan, and for this role she won a lot of accolades. The immense success was heart-warming and also a commercial breakthrough. Further the effort brought forth honor and rewards in the shape of Filmfare Award as well as the IIFA Awards among many others. Sonakshi Sinha is loaded with talent and seems to be all set to win fame and acclaim. Prabhu Deva’s Rowdy Rathore brought loads of money and success at the box office. A slight set back did appear, as her film Joker did not meet the success of her other films. Yet there is nothing to stop her and it is expected that Dabangg 2 due to be released in December 2012 will be a record breaker.
The releases lined up for 2013 are Vikramaditya Motwane’s Lootera, Bullet Raja, Once Upon a Time Again and Namak.
Cindy
Crawford
Cynthia Ann “Cindy� Crawford is an international celebrity with a very large fan following. Why not, she has everything from beauty to superb acting ability to excellence on the ramp. A special feature of her mole, just above the lip has made her list of admirers grow into millions. Over the years her success at modeling has been huge and this in turn managed to fetch her roles in television and films.
Cindy Crawford is the daughter of Jennifer Sue Crawford and John Crawford, and though her ancestry is mostly German, English and French, her family has been in the US for generations. At the age of 16 she was noticed by a newspaper photographer, who took a picture of her which was amazing, highlighting her radiant looks and brought acceptance from many people in the business of fashion and film. It was this positive feedback which compelled her to take up modeling.
She entered the Elite Model Management’s Look of the Year contest at 17 and was the runner-up. From there on the Elite modeling agency in Chicago started representing her. Crawford graduated from DeKalb High School in 1984, and won an academic scholarship to study chemical engineering at Northwestern University, which she attended for only one quarter. She discontinued her education to pursue a full-time modeling career. After working for photographer Victor Skrebneski in Chicago, Cindy moved to Manhattan in 1986. Career The decades of 1980s and 1990s belonged to Cindy Crawford, achieving the status of an extremely popular supermodel and adorning the covers of world class magazines like Vogue, W, People, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Cosmopolitan, and Allure. In addition Cindy Crawford also appeared in many fashion campaigns for brands like
Gianni Versace, Escada, Revlon, and Ink. In 1987, Crawford appeared during the opening credits of the Michael J. Fox film The Secret of My Success. Three years later she appeared in the video for George Michael’s “Freedom ‘90” alongside other models Christy Turlington, Linda Evangelista, Tatjana Patitz and Naomi Campbell. Subsequently, Crawford played the lost love of Jon Bon Jovi in the video for his 1994 version of “Please Come Home For Christmas”. Cindy Crawford has been a part of many TV shows and films. From 1989 to 1995, Cindy Crawford was host of MTV’s House of Style. She entered into movies as the female lead in the movie Fair Game. The film did not win too much acclaim but to her consolation her acting was not criticized.
Amongst her controversial shoots was the one in which she posed nude for Playboy magazine. Otherwise she has consistently been ranked as the world’s sexiest person.
Activism and Charity Work One of the tragedy she has encountered in life was the death of younger brother who suffered leukemia. Since becoming a model, Crawford has made childhood leukemia a focal point of her charity work, donating proceeds of her calendars to medical research. Crawford has been a long-time supporter of the pediatric oncology program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is also an honorary board member of the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. In 2007, she became an official supporter of the Ronald McDonald House Charities and is a member of their celebrity board, called the Friends of RMHC. Crawford is on the Honorary Committee of the California Wildlife Center. Recently in 2011 Cindy Crawford came back to modeling and lit up the cover of the May 2011 issue of Vogue Mexico.
52 Interview
Exclusive Interview
w
Jessica Mauboy has one successful career under her belt in terms of music but now she is starting to make a splash on the big screen.
I must say it is one of the best at celebrating Australian history as it is about a family and a triumph and it allows that music to just pump.
The actress is back on the big screen this week in The Sapphires - a real life story that is lighting up cinemas wherever it plays.
That was great music that classic soul and rhythm and that is where it was created and these particular women were inspired by that.
We caught up with Jessica to chat about the film, the importance of the story and what lies ahead for her.
They had a big heart and wanted to have a better life really and then take it back to their community and build that and make a change and a difference
- The Sapphires is your new movie so can you tell me a little bit about it? It is about these four indigenous women who came from a community called the Cummeragunja and they called themselves the Cummeragunja Song Birds. They were sisters and a cousin that formed a group and they go from singing country and soul music to going to Vietnam to sing for the troops in 1968.
- You take on the role of Julie in the movie so what was it about this character and the script that initially drew you to the project? What excited me about Julie was her dreaming as she had this hope even though she and the sisters were going through segregation and the stolen generation in 1968. Julie was quite naive but it was beautiful that she was strong and kept with the fight. I loved that.
- You say that all of them are very strong women and they faced major problems during that time so in that sense it is an incredibly important movie - and we are seeing more of these stories being told in TV and film. So how has this film been received in Australia?
- Bearing all of that in mind how important was it to be a part of this film? For me being part Aboriginal Australian, my other half is Indonesian Timorese; my mother is Aboriginal and my father is Indonesian Timorese.
- This movie depicts real characters and real stories so what are the pressures that come with the responsibility of telling a real tale? And what was it like meeting these women for the first time? Meeting the aunties was an incredible moment. I remember sitting in my room in my hometown and I had to read the script twice and both times I balled my eyes out to know what they went through and to visually put myself in their position to figure out how I would feel. Then to actually go on set and being able to feel that environmentally - everything was just so well planned out; the era, the clothing, the set up just made you feel like you were right back at that time. We didn’t really get to talk about who we were playing personally with the aunties but just seeing them and how they operated with each - having read the script you could see the personalities coming out with each other. What writers Tony Briggs and Keith Thompson did was they weren’t particular on an auntie it was just overall and inspired by the women that Tony Briggs grew up with; his mother and his aunties. So I just really resonated with that and loved every moment of that.
funny because there was one point when we were all together and no one knew if they had got the role or not - it was just really under the table.
- So when were you first aware of this story as it was a show before it was made into a film? I never got to see the play which Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair played in and just hearing their stories about it was just uplifting. But I came across this film with a meeting with Wayne Blair and I was given the script but I hadn’t been given the role it was just a ’we would like you to read this and if you like it we would love you to audition’. I was really nervous because it was my first feature role was Brand New Day but this seemed much harder in terms of the issues and the events that were happening around that time. I really connected and I wanted to do it. I went through so many auditions with the girls - it was
Having fun with it was really the first beginning of the journey of the Sapphires.
- You have mentioned Wayne Blair already and he is in the director’s chair for the movie so how did you find working him? And what kind of director is he? At first I thought he was really weird in terms of how he spoke and the film language that he used but he really is a lovely guy and visually just creative and smart. I felt really safe with him and I felt that he was guiding me. There were moments when he would come in and mentor me and I have never had that before in terms of a director like himself. I really trusted him and I really liked that our relationship was like that.
And the whole cast really didn’t treat me as a singer, that is my profession, but treated me like an actress. It was really cool.
We could just see all of the Vietnamese faces trying to work out what was happening; none of them spoke a word of English. We worked with a Vietnamese crew while we were over there and they were just so lovely and so helpful in wanting to make this movie happen.
- There is a real bond between you, Deborah Mailman, Shari Sebbens - This is only your second feature film and Miranda Tapsell on screen so how and so how have you found the transimuch fun was it working with them? tion into movies? We all created this… it was like a bomb that ticked and then would explode. And I say that because every day we came committed and we came wholeheartedly to the film and we just wanted to create magical moments in the film. There is no one moment that we really really loved it was just all mushed into one. But they were such lovely, strong, indigenous Australian women and I learnt a lot off them without them having to tell me anything. And knowing that it was Miranda and Shari’s first big film it excited me because as a young indigenous Australian women fighting my way through my music just seeing them fight their way through film and theatre it was an emotional moment. I knew that being given an opportunity you can then do so much and we were given a role and we were given an opportunity and we went with it. We have created something back at home right now as it is just one of the biggest films and it is so cool to have these Aboriginal kids in my community who think they can go on and do something greater.
- And this is the first film to shoot in Vietnam for the first time in over a decade so how was your time out there? I’m sure that it would have been much bigger project for the directors and the producers trying to schedule everything in terms of working with the government and being really careful of their ways. And that was what it felt like for us as we were having fun and doing the work but at the same time we were enjoying the elements of Vietnam.
The transition has been well received I think and I have never dreamed of anything like this before. Being given the opportunity to tell and Aboriginal story I have never been able to do that and it is an honour. I felt that this was a whole other level of even music. I have written with some amazing singers and songwriters - the moment with Snoop Dogg was amazing - but being able to tell an Aboriginal story is bigger than anything that I have ever known. It is a moment of my life that I will always breathe and continue to take on board.
- Harvey Weinstein is going to be distributing the movie in the States so how excited are you to get the movie out there? Toronto was another great moment as the public came out and bought their tickets and we had two nights of a standing ovation with the public - that alone was just nail biting. To have out film out there and to be with the best films in the world is really quite satisfying as well as being a warm and fuzzy feeling. To know that they have been board from the beginning and meeting Harvey himself and know his feelings about the film has been incredible.
- Finally what is next for you with both movies and music? Musically I am heading back into the studio and I am so excited because I have being with this film for about two years now. I am just reading and pumped to write some more music and write my third studio album.
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