Following the celebration of International Women’s Day (March 8), Hyatt Regency Kolkata organised a special grooming workshop for its women workforce on March 13. Conducted by model Runa Laha, the workshop had a brief session with model-and-actor-turned-hairdresser Rachel White. A powerhouse of talent and courage in their respective fields, the two moms with teenage sons inspired the Hyatt ladies with their talk. While Runa’s guidance and tips included eating habits, skincare and haircare, breathing techniques and meditation, make-up and dressing, Rachel spoke about her own journey of choosing to follow her passion in hairdressing after a long career in modelling and acting. The talk was followed by a question and answer session with the ladies, who took notes and cleared doubts on various concerns related to self-grooming. Glimpses:
Runa Laha conducts the workshop
“On this International Women’s Day, Hyatt Regency Kolkata celebrated the global theme of ‘EMBRACE EQUITY’, which denotes equal opportunities are no longer enough as every individual is unique in their own way. We organised a fun and informative afternoon with speakers Runa Laha and Rachel White, who spoke about embracing oneself. In 2012, the ‘Women @Hyatt’ initiative was launched with the goal of making Hyatt the top choice for women in the hospitality industry. The initiative aims to foster a culture that promotes professional and personal growth opportunities for women. In addition, the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) program encompasses all aspects of diversity, not just focusing on women. Hyatt’s philosophy is centred on taking care of people so they can perform their best. At Hyatt Regency Kolkata, we have increased our women employees from 16 per cent to 20 per cent, with four female employees in leadership roles. We have enrolled female employees under the INSPIRIT mentor program that enables the younger generation to connect with mentors, recognising the importance of having diverse mentorship experiences and training. We are looking at giving opportunities to female colleagues and creating a thriving work experience for them,” said Kumar Shobhan, general manager, Hyatt Regency Kolkata.
A t2 CHAT WITH RUNA LAHA AND RACHEL WHITE ON THEIR GROOMING JOURNEY:
Runa Laha with Rachel White.
When you started your modelling journey, what was that one grooming tip that helped you the most?
Runa: Being told: “Understand your body type and dress accordingly”.
Rachel: To always remove my make-up before going to bed no matter how tired I am after a hectic day of shooting, also I always keep a check for clean equipment being used on me.
What has your self-grooming journey been like? What were the key areas you focussed on?
Runa: It was difficult. I used to work in the corporate sector where I had to visit different schools, so I had a completely different wardrobe. When modelling happened to me, I had zero “modellike” clothes in my closet and I absolutely had no idea how a model should dress. So, I really struggled a lot. But I am a very observant person and I learned many things by watching others, but I never imitated anything blindly rather I tried to customise things according to my own needs, preferences and choices.
The key areas where I focused on definitely were dressing, personal hygiene, cleanliness, discipline in eating habits, exercise, updating my knowledge and vocabulary, body posture and language and how to present myself nicely wherever I go. I am an avid reader. I believe that really helped me in this entire process. Also, till my post-graduation my medium of academics was Bengali. So, I really had to work very hard on my English speaking skill. I can still recall hours of shadow practising in front of the mirror just remembering mockeries like “Look at her Bengali medium English accents”.
Rachel: Grooming needs to be looked at from a broader spectrum. One needs to take care of oneself, not just superfluously, but also put equal focus on one’s intake physically and mentally as well. That includes positivity towards oneself which will reflect in one’s overall persona. Healthy eating habits and some sort of physical activity outside of one’s work are important.
How important is the self-grooming stage in any career?
Runa: Skills, experience and qualifications are important, but so is our grooming. Our appearance is a statement of who we are. Even in an interview before one opens his/her mouth that person is judged by their looks. So, it’s very important to know if you are going for an interview what would be your body language on that very table.
Rachel: No matter what profession one is in, self-grooming will always help boost their confidence and selfesteem. It definitely makes one stand out in a professional environment and gives the impression of not being a lazy person and rather a responsible one. So, they will probably be taken more seriously.
As a veteran in this field and a grooming expert what kind of attitude would you say helps best during the grooming stage?
Runa: I would say keeping an open mind with no mental barriers is important. It’s okay to know less but it’s not okay to pretend that we know everything. So a genuine and honest approach is always Grooming must never mean pushing for perfection but working around what brings out the best in you. It’s very important to understand that what works for one person with regards to their clothes, makeup or hair might not work for another simply because of their bone structure or quality of skin or hair. But that doesn’t necessarily have to be taken in an insecure manner as a flaw, it just means that you have to design your own personal style.
What are the key areas one needs to focus on while grooming themselves?
Runa: Personal hygiene and cleanliness come first. Dressing and wearing the correct accessories are next but for that one needs to understand their body type. One’s dressing should enhance their personality, it should not overpower it. Being vigilant about eating habits and time. Working hard to master one’s mind and work harder to not be fooled by one’s own mind. So, work not only on outer aspects and appearance but also focus on inner perspectives and mental well-being.
Rachel, you have made massive turns in your career from modelling to acting to hairdressing...was your self-grooming different for each journey?
Initially, of course, full-time modelling and acting restricted me from experimenting with my hair. However, when I started hairdressing, I’ve been taking on fewer acting and modelling gigs and I could finally play around with a shorter haircut or a colour, which was impossible at one point in time since advertising required me to play safe. I’m loving this liberty of change. I’ve started wearing more black too! (Laughs)
Runa, you started your modelling career after 30. Do you believe there is a right age and time for grooming oneself?
I was 31 when I took part in the Sananda Srimoti beauty pageant and won as the first runner-up. As a model, I started my career when I was 32. I believe in that saying… jab jago tabhi savera (Whenever you wake up that is only your morning). If one is lucky enough to have all the resources from an early stage of one’s life, the journey would be much easier. But if not, one can start working on it from the time of their own epiphany. When our son, Om, was born I used to be 92 kgs and I was 27 years old. So, I will never buy the idea that age and time have anything to do with our dreams. What matters is conviction.