Tykes turn trendy

Model behaviour was never easy, but this charming lady makes it look like a cakewalk for all those who want to put their best foot forward in personal as well as professional arena. Kunwarani Ritu Sinhji, who is a model, designer and a mother, loves to strike a perfect balance in her life and her inspiration is her mother-in-law Raka Sinhji, who hails from the royal family of Kalakankar in Uttar Pradesh. Married to Vishrut Singhji Jhala of Wankaner, Gujarat, Ritu spends most of her time in Delhi working at her fashion studio. She says, “I was married in 2004, and now I have a four-year-old daughter Tishya, who has started going to school. I used to be a full-time model a decade ago, and till today I do print and TV ads whenever I get good offers and work. For me fashion is an inseparable part of my life and since I had interest in designing I thought of starting my own label for kids. Apart from traditional anarkalis and lehengas for children, I also make beach wear for kids.” Ritu’s label was recently launched at the Royal Fables, Thailand edition and now she is gearing up to showcase in India for the next exhibition. Speaking about her fashion line for kids, she says, “When my daughter was born I couldn’t get decent cotton ethnic clothes for her. That’s when I decided to start a clothing line for kids and my choice was Lucknawi chikankari cotton clothes because that’s the region my mother-in-law hails from and it was a familiar ground for me. She has been a huge support in my life and even after marriage when I wanted to model and travel for my work, she encouraged me and understood that I wanted to be a working lady.” Even though fashion and family are two main interests of Ritu, she mentions that in her free time she likes to work out and meditate. She says, “I wake up in the morning and drop my daughter to school, then I design and work in my studio and in the afternoon I go to pick her up. In the morning and evening I work out and do yoga to stay fit. I love to work out in the free time as it is the best way to be stress-free and healthy.”