Lara Dutta turning shoe designer

Lara Dutta has added one more label on her resume - shoe designer. Model, actress, fitness DVD host, and now this! The actress, who is getting married to tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi next month, is gearing up to launch her designer shoe line soon.

Says a source close to Lara, "After the success of her fitness DVD, Lara is now preparing to launch her own range of shoes. Mahesh is very encouraging and supportive of Lara's decisions and has been sharing his own business expertise with her. She had shown some designs and samples to him and he encouraged her to take it up on a more serious level and launch her collection."

Year-end launch
Adds an insider, "Mahesh is impressed with Lara's eye for detail and talent. Work is in progress on the shoe launch and Lara is working on it. Lara is planning to launch it at the end of the year."

The source adds that Lara is tight-lipped about the details, "It's still too early to talk about it, but the designer shoes will be a high-end, expensive, limited edition line. It will be all kinds of shoes - from ladies' casual to formal wear including stilettos and sandals, and sports shoes. Lara is personally looking into the concepts and designs."

International tie-up
It is learnt that the actress will go for a tie-up with an existing international footwear brand, "She has been talking to a few brands for the tie-up. Globosport (Mahesh Bhupathi's company) is marketing it on her behalf and talking to the various shoe brands. Once the shoe brand is locked, they will figure the extent of Lara's involvement and participation in the whole project. It's a mutual basis agreement. Lara is very excited about it. It's always been her dream to launch a fitness DVD and shoe collection ” one of which has come true and the other is happening too."