MUMBAI, India — Meher Castelino, India’s first Miss India and a trailblazing fashion journalist who helped shape the country’s fashion discourse for decades, passed away on Wednesday. She was 81.
Castelino is survived by her son Karl, daughter-in-law Nisha, and daughter Christina.
Born in Mumbai, Castelino first rose to national prominence in 1964 when she won the Femina Miss India title, becoming the first woman to hold the crown and represent India on international platforms, including the Miss Universe and Miss United Nations contests. While her pageant victory made her a public figure, it was her later work in journalism that defined her enduring legacy.
She began her career as a writer in 1973 with her first article published in Eve’s Weekly. She later became a full-time fashion journalist and syndicated columnist, with her work appearing in nearly 130 national and international newspapers and magazines. Over the years, her writing helped establish fashion journalism as a serious field in India.
Widely regarded as a pioneer, Castelino treated fashion as an industry long before it gained mainstream recognition. Her reporting went beyond glamour to focus on craftsmanship, branding, consumer behavior, and the evolving business of fashion. Her analytical approach and historical perspective earned her respect across generations of designers, editors, and readers.
Castelino authored several books on fashion, including Manstyle, Fashion Kaleidoscope, and Fashion Musings, which examined trends, industry shifts, and style sensibilities. She also served as the official fashion writer for major Indian fashion events such as Lakme Fashion Week and other prominent fashion weeks.
In addition to writing, she was a regular judge and speaker at fashion institutes and industry awards, and she mentored young designers and aspiring journalists. Known for her deep archival knowledge and industry memory, her columns became an important chronicle of India’s transition from boutique culture to global runway recognition.
With a career spanning more than five decades, Meher Castelino leaves behind a lasting imprint on Indian fashion media, remembered both as the country’s first Miss India and as one of the most influential voices in fashion journalism. (Source: IANS)
