India’s Harnaaz Sandhu was crowned Miss Universe 2021 and brought home the prestigious crown two decades after Lara Dutta won in 2000. Her remarkable success on the international stage was made possible not just by her charm and merit but also because of her incredible team.
Meet the people behind the scenes:
Fashion Director: Bharat Gupta
Bharat Gupta, who was the fashion director for Harnaaz Sandhu, was born in Delhi and was also part of a theatre group in the city founded by Feisal Alkazi. He also trained in dance at Shiamak Davar’s Dance Company.
He was introduced to fashion and the art of styling when he was handling PR for Shiamak Davar. His Suede Gully campaign for Puma was nominated for the Cannes Lion award in 2018. When asked about his ‘no-fail styling trick’ Gupta told Himalayan Buzz, “Minimalism. There is nothing more stylish than a clean, classic look.”
Saisha Shinde, Sawan Gandhi, Mandira Wirk, Nidhi Yasha, Shahin Mannan, Vidhi Wadhwani, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Nidhika, and Rudraksh Dwivedi are some of the designers.
Ramp Walk Trainer: Deepti Gujral
Model Deepti Gujral shared a video montage including a boomerang with Miss Universe 2021 Sandhu with the caption, “Presenting Miss Universe 2021 @harnaazsandhu_03 I Am so proud of you !!!!!!!! Cant wait to give you a tight hug. smother you with kisses.”
She’d told iDiva that her favourite street brands are GUESS, Bebe, Zara, Top Shop, H&M, Bebe, Mango, Nine West and Aldo.
Voice Crafting Trainer: Monaz Ranina
Monaz has been a voice artist for over 20 years and has also trained others in the craft. She has worked with companies like Google, Netflix, Reliance, and Zoom. Monaz worked as a diction coach for the Netflix film Maska.
Makeup Expert: Ayesha Seth
Harneet had shared a video with Ayesha Seth and written in the caption that the ‘tips and tricks’ taught by Ayesha would help her at Miss Universe to always be her “best glam self.” Ayesha has been a makeup artist since 2005.
Communication Expert: Supreet Bedi
Supreet Bedi has over a decade of experience as an anchor and joined Sandhu’s team as the ‘Communication Expert’. Bedi studied at the Paris Fashion Institute in France and at the Oxford Brookes University.
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