Described by Rolling Stones as "achingly lovely", Freida Pinto walked the ramp for Goa-based fashion designer Wendell Rodricks' Les Vamps show in 2007

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> Where to buy limited edition suitcases that sport a crocodile skin feelu00a0u00a0
> The journey of model Freida Pinto,u00a0 from Mulund to Hollywood
> Why you should ditch the tie and sport the cravat SRK style

Two individuals, interviewed at different times, couldn't have possibly run out of words from an expansive vocabulary to describe Slumdog Millionaire actress Freida Pinto. And yet, both Director and CEO of Elite Model Management Sushma Puri, and designer Wendell Rodricks ended up using "very confident" for the Mangalorean beauty.

Sushma signed on Freida in 2005, while Wendell made her walk the ramp for his Lakme Fashion Week show in 2007. "Danny Boyle's casting agency was looking for a fresh, versatile face, one that wouldn't look out of place in a slum, and yet have a subtle glamorous look. When they approached me, I suggested a couple of girls, but it was Freida who was called back for auditions and screen tests. She was eventually chosen in 2007," recalls Sushma about the Mulund-basedu00a0 model.

Freida's 5 feet 5 inch stature made her "not tall enough" for ramp, but Wendell along with handful of designers took a chance on her. "During the auditions at Taj Lands End, she was the only girl with great energy. There was something nice about her face, a mix of innocence and confidence. In fact, Freida walked the ramp for me and was so intimidated by the crowd, that she scurried back half way," laughs Wendell. The Goan designer with an eye for spotting promising faces including model-turned-actresses Deepika Padukone and Anushka Sharma, went on to work with Freida on the Elite 2006 calendar.

If Wendell were to design an Oscar outfit for Freida
I would use colour effectively to make her look taller. I'll put her in a sleek, sexy outfit. She is very confident of her body, I don't think she'll have a problem revealing a bit.u00a0u00a0

We loved SRK's cravat at the Golden Globes