She manages a handicraft shop at Patan and hopes to be a successful businesswoman one day. That’s 21-year-old Archana Tamang’s ambition. However, right now she’s concentrating on the Lux Supermodel Hunt in which she is one of the 20 finalists.

She’s not a greenhorn as many of the aspiring supermodels. She has already done a number of shows including the first Sunsilk Nepal Fashion Week held in 2004. She doesn’t actually slate modelling as her career choice, but says it is more of a favourite hobby, a passion.

She was encouraged to enter the hunt by her cousin Divya Lama, also a well-known model.

Archana labels the hunt as the best launching platform for models who want to make a mark in this field. And no, she hasn’t thought about her plans should she win the hunt. But then she would keep half the cash prize amount for her education and give some to shelter for dogs as she “just adores them”.

Her choice in colours run to the classic red and black: black because it is forever, and red because it is the colour of life-giving blood, and also because she feels that “all ladies look very good in red”. By the way, her vital stats stand at 33-25-36.

Daman is where she’d like to be as it is her birthplace and her favourite too. Archana loves dancing and she even taught school children dance earlier, while her ever-favourite food is a typical Nepali khana of daal-bhat and tarkari.

Phoney, greedy and selfish people are at top of her pet peeves list. That’s the reason why she says she misses her Grandpa and her best friend, who she says were kind and genuine people. “They sadly are no more.”

“If you’ve got the height, the figure and confidence, you’ve got the right supermodel formula,” says this 5’7” beauty who thinks the best model is none other than Manima Khadka.