MAM
India’s first Femina Miss India and pioneering fashion journalist Meher Castelino dies at 81
MUMBAI: Meher Castelino, a defining force in Indian fashion who moved effortlessly from the runway to the newsroom, has died at the age of 81. The news was confirmed by the Miss India Organisation through an emotional social media statement, marking the passing of one of the industry’s earliest and most influential trailblazers.
“With profound sorrow, we mourn the passing of Meher Castelino, Femina Miss India 1964 and the very first Femina Miss India. A true trailblazer, she opened doors, set standards and laid the foundation for generations of women to dream fearlessly. A pioneer in the truest sense, her legacy lives on through the journeys she made possible and the dreams she helped shape,” the organisation said.
Born in Mumbai, Castelino entered public life soon after graduating from Lawrence School, Lovedale, when she won the inaugural Femina Miss India crown in 1964. She went on to represent India at the Miss Universe and Miss United Nations contests, carving out international space for Indian women at a time when such platforms were still scarce.
Her modelling career was formidable in scale and ambition. Castelino appeared in more than 2,000 live fashion shows, many conceived and directed by her, and worked across export and domestic fashion houses. She also served as fashion editor at Gentleman’s Fashion Quarterly, Flair and Eve’s Weekly, helping shape taste and trends long before fashion became mainstream conversation.
In 1973, she pivoted decisively to writing, publishing her first article in Eve’s Weekly and committing herself full-time to journalism. Over the decades, her byline appeared in nearly 160 national and international publications, earning her recognition as a pioneer of fashion journalism in India. Her work reframed fashion as culture, craft and serious industry.
Castelino’s career took her across Germany, France, Italy, the USA, South Africa, Turkey, the Netherlands and Singapore, where she attended haute couture shows and interviewed global designers, bringing international perspectives to Indian audiences. From 2006, she served as the official fashion writer for Lakmé Fashion Week, chronicling its rise with insight, depth and authority.
A multi-award winner, she also instituted fashion awards and served as an external examiner at Pearl Academy, shaping future generations of designers and communicators.
In an industry quick to forget its beginnings, Meher Castelino remained impossible to overlook. She arrived first, stayed relevant and left a blueprint behind. Long after the lights fade, her voice will continue to echo through Indian fashion’s most confident strides.
MAM
G-Shock launches GA-2100CM series with camouflage design
New sand and grey variants priced at Rs 10,995 each in India.
MUMBAI: Time just got a little more tactical and a lot more stylish. G-Shock has unveiled the GA-2100CM series, a fresh update to its popular GA-2100 line, bringing a camouflage twist to one of its most recognisable silhouettes. For the first time in the 2100 series, the watches feature G-Shock’s original camouflage pattern, subtly embedding the brand’s signature ‘G’ motif into the design. The move signals a shift towards more design-led storytelling, blending rugged functionality with fashion-forward detailing.
The new series introduces two colour variants sand (GA-2100CM-5A) and grey (GA-2100CM-8A) extending the model’s appeal across both streetwear and outdoor-inspired aesthetics. Built around the brand’s signature octagonal bezel and hybrid analogue-digital display, the watches retain a clean, modern look while adding layered visual depth.
Under the hood, the GA-2100CM continues to lean on performance. It features the Carbon Core Guard structure for durability, while maintaining a slim, lightweight profile suited for everyday wear. Functional elements include world time across 31 time zones, a 1/100-second stopwatch, countdown timer, LED light and 200-metre water resistance.
In line with evolving material choices, select components use bio-based resin, pointing to a gradual shift towards more sustainable design without compromising on toughness.
Priced at Rs 10,995, the GA-2100CM series is available across Casio India stores and online platforms.
As watch brands continue to balance utility with identity, G-Shock’s latest drop makes its intent clear, durability may be the legacy, but design is the new frontier.
