In an episode of Mauve’s Happened Over Coffee, host Priya Lalwani sits down with Namrata Guglani, model, pageant winner and Central Head of the VLCC School of Beauty & Modelling in Chhattisgarh, for a conversation about ambition, professional grooming, personal style and the rapidly evolving beauty industry.
By Khizra Khan
For a long time, the beauty and modelling industry was viewed through a very narrow lens.
Glamour.
Appearance.
The runway.
And, for many, a career that was considered temporary rather than professional.
But the industry has changed.
Beauty and wellness today is no longer limited to basic grooming. It is a growing professional sector that demands technical knowledge, specialised training and an understanding of anatomy, physiology and aesthetics.
And as the industry expands, so do the opportunities within it.
What makes Namrata’s story particularly interesting is the journey that brought her to this position.
She began in the world of pageantry and modelling.
Today, she is helping build an institution that trains the next generation of professionals in the beauty and modelling industry.
From the Glamour Industry to Building an Institution
Namrata’s journey into the beauty education space was not something that followed a conventional corporate path.
With her own experience in pageantry and modelling, she had already developed an understanding of the industry from the inside.
It was this experience that eventually led her to VLCC.
After being recognised for her knowledge and experience in the glamour industry, Namrata was approached with the opportunity to launch and grow the VLCC academy in Chhattisgarh.
What followed was a transition from being in front of the camera to taking responsibility behind an entire institution.
She became involved in operations, counselling and training, working not only on the growth of the academy but also directly with students trying to understand what their own futures could look like.
The academy achieved profitability within just two months of its launch, marking an important milestone in Namrata’s journey from a pageant contestant and model to a business leader.
But for her, the numbers are only one part of the story.
The more meaningful part is the opportunity to help people see the beauty industry differently.
Beauty Is No Longer Just About Grooming
One of the central ideas in the conversation is the changing nature of the beauty and wellness industry.
For years, beauty was often dismissed as something superficial.
A skill.
A hobby.
Or simply a profession based on appearance.
But the industry today is far more complex.
Professional beauty services require an understanding of skin, hair, the human body and the science behind different treatments.
The knowledge required goes beyond simply knowing how to apply makeup or style hair.
The sector increasingly involves technical education, specialised training and professional expertise.
As Priya and Namrata discuss, beauty and wellness has become a “need of the hour” not because appearance is everything, but because the industry itself has evolved into a serious professional field.
It requires trained individuals who understand what they are doing and why they are doing it.
And that shift is changing the opportunities available to those who enter the industry.
Breaking the Myths Around Beauty Education
One of the biggest challenges facing the industry has been perception.
Many people still believe that a career in beauty or modelling does not offer the same legitimacy as other professional fields.
This is a perception Namrata strongly challenges.
Institutions such as VLCC offer professional programmes and recognised academic pathways, including Bachelor of Vocation and equivalent higher education options.
The message is clear: beauty is not simply a fallback career.
It can be a serious profession.
It can lead to entrepreneurship.
It can provide opportunities for financial independence.
And it is not limited to one gender.
The beauty industry today has space for everyone from makeup artists and hairstylists to skin specialists, wellness professionals, educators and business owners.
The possibilities are much wider than the traditional image of the industry suggests.
The Joy of Helping People Discover Their Potential
For Namrata, one of the most fulfilling aspects of her work is counselling.
Her students come from different age groups and backgrounds.
Some are young people trying to decide what they want to do after college.
Others are professionals looking for a career change.
Some may already have an interest in makeup, beauty or styling but lack the confidence to turn that interest into a profession.
Namrata’s role often begins with helping them see possibilities they may not have considered before.
A person who joins an academy wanting to learn makeup may eventually discover an entrepreneurial opportunity.
Someone who begins with an interest in beauty may go on to establish their own studio.
Another may find a career in education, fashion or professional styling.
For Namrata, counselling is therefore not simply about explaining courses.
It is about understanding the person sitting across from her.
What are they good at?
What do they enjoy?
What are they afraid of?
And what kind of future can they build for themselves?
Professional Grooming Is About More Than Appearance
The conversation also touches upon the importance of grooming.
Namrata makes an important distinction.
Professional grooming is not limited to people who work in the glamour or pageant industry.
“It’s not just because when you are in the pageant or glamour field, whatever irrespective field what you are in, you should be presentable.”
In a professional world where people meet, communicate and build impressions quickly, the way we present ourselves can influence how we are perceived.
But being presentable does not mean conforming to one standard of beauty.
It can simply mean understanding yourself and presenting yourself with confidence.
Which brings the conversation naturally to style.
Style Is About Standing Out Without Losing Yourself
For Namrata, personal style is not about copying the latest trend.
It is not about wearing exactly what someone else is wearing.
And it is certainly not about disappearing into a crowd simply to fit in.
“Style is something where you are very comfortable. You are still standing out of the crowd.”
This idea of comfort becomes central to her definition of style.
Because true personal style does not require constant self-consciousness.
It allows a person to feel at ease while still being memorable.
Namrata explains that the most important part of style is the balance between individuality and comfort.
“When you are inside the room, you stand out and you are yet confident. That is what is like according to me the style with comfort.”
It is a philosophy that extends beyond clothing.
Style becomes an expression of personality.
The way someone carries themselves.
The way they communicate.
The choices they make.
And the confidence with which they occupy space.
From Pageantry to Professional Leadership
Namrata’s journey reflects the changing nature of the beauty and modelling industry itself.
She entered the world through pageantry and modelling.
Today, she is helping create pathways for others who want to enter the same broader ecosystem.
That transition is significant.
Because the beauty industry is no longer only about being the person on the stage or in front of the camera.
There are opportunities behind the scenes, in education, management, entrepreneurship, counselling, training and business leadership.
Namrata’s own journey is an example of that evolution.
Her experience in the glamour industry became the foundation for something much larger.
She moved from participating in the industry to helping shape the people who will become its future professionals.
The Industry Is Changing and So Are the Opportunities
Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the conversation is that the beauty and wellness industry needs to be seen differently.
Not as a career chosen only by those who could not find another option.
Not as a field limited to appearance.
And not as an industry that only offers opportunities to women.
It is a growing professional ecosystem that combines creativity with technical knowledge, personal skill with business opportunity and individual talent with formal education.
For students, it can become a career.
For professionals, it can become a second chapter.
For entrepreneurs, it can become the foundation of a business.
And for people like Namrata, it can become an opportunity to help others recognise their own potential.
The conversation between Priya Lalwani and Namrata Guglani ultimately goes beyond beauty.
It is about confidence.
It is about professional identity.
It is about understanding that the way you present yourself can be an extension of who you are but also that your appearance is only one part of the larger person you are becoming.
Because perhaps the most powerful form of style is not simply being noticed.
It is being comfortable enough to be yourself and confident enough to stand out while doing it.
This conversation with Namrata Guglani, model, pageant winner and Central Head of the VLCC School of Beauty & Modelling in Chhattisgarh, is featured on Mauve’s Happened Over Coffee, hosted by Priya Lalwani, founder of Mauve.
-Khizra Khan
