Leading star and fashion choreographer tie-up for 'Model Shop'

Renowned hairstylist, designer and choreographer, Lou Ching Wong and acclaimed silver screen star, Sangeetha Weeraratne have combined their professional skills to bring forth a concept offering an opportunity for men and women to enhance and improve their sense of fashion and develop their personalities.

The Model Shop, which is a personality building school for men and women, was launched on July 25, 2007 at the Galadari Hotel amidst host of distinguished guests.

Speaking on the partnership, Lou Ching Wong said, "Sangeetha and I have been good friends for a long time.

 We think on the same wavelength. She is a successful woman in her own right, who has a professional attitude, is committed and gives her best to everything she does. She is a prominent individual who has expertise in this field so she definitely is the perfect partner. She understands the importance of looking good and of projecting the right image as an actress and as an individual."

Sangeetha Weeraratne added, "Before I got into acting, I was a trained model by the age of 15.1 realised the importance of grooming and how it gives you the perfect finish. It gives you the edge, the right attitude and the self-confidence to stand apart and be noticed.

Being someone with a vast amount of experience in the field of acting and glamour, I thought that it would be a great idea to impart some of the knowledge that I had on aspiring models. This is a great opportunity for me to work with someone who is renowned for his professionalism and who knows the industry inside out. This school would give young people in this country the opportunity to be better people and to create the right impression."

Model Shop is a school geared for individuals who want to build up their own personality, to gain self-confidence and to build their own image. This applies to everyone - whether they are corporate executives, aspiring models or an average person, giving them the opportunity to educate themselves and learn the finer points of grooming, hair care, body care and modeling techniques.

A school of this nature will give Sri Lanka's fashion industry a boost as well as giving those individuals an opportunity to bring out the best in themselves, and become a new you.

The course consists of two segments with the first syllabus focusing on personality development with subjects such as body care with toning and exercise, diet, skin care, personal hygiene, nail care, fashion sense, accessories, make up, hairstyling techniques, etiquette among others.

The focus is on the importance of taking care of ones' self on a day-to-day basis. The second course will be an extension from course one with additional subjects such as photographic modeling, animation as well as catwalk modelling with poise, projection and attitude. The lectures will be conducted in both Sinhala and English.

The school also has plans of running a model bank offering a choice of well-groomed and trained models that will be absorbed from the school into the local advertising and fashion industry.

"The fashion industry is always on the lookout for new faces and talent so we hope to be able to meet this demand. We have not restricted the age group, as we want to give all our prospective students the opportunity to learn and develop themselves. There isn't a school of this nature in Sri Lanka and having such a school will help promote better standards in the fashion industry. I hope that the students who enroll into this programme will graduate with flying colours as well as show enough talent and acumen to get ahead in this field and be absorbed into the fashion industry," Wong said.

Adding to this, Weeraratne said, "There are a lot of young boys and girls who are fashion conscious, who like to enter the world of glamour, beauty and fashion. This school will create a platform for those who dream of entering the world of fashion, beauty and glamour, whether it be the catwalk or photography.

The world of fashion, beauty and hair care has had a great impact on our country in the recent past, with men and women from all walks of life becoming more fashion conscious. It provides formal training for those who are have already entered the industry without having had the opportunity to do so."