The Models Of Diversity

From pioneers who took the local idea of beauty to international runways to the army of models representing the country’s multiplicity today—Divya Bala charts the rise of the Indian supermodel

The ubiquity of Indian faces on the international runways and campaigns in recent times has risen steadily with the global demand for diversity. As the world moves towards greater inclusivity, the Indian market has begun to show its clout and consumers are demanding to see faces that speak to them.

2018 was a landmark year for Indian faces and saw super-in-the-making Pooja Mor front H&M’s Spring 2018 campaign. Bhumika Arora featured in a Spring 2018 campaign for GAP White Tee, international editorials as well as runway appearances for Ralph Lauren and Pamela Rolland. Dipti Sharma debuted on an exclusive at Balenciaga Spring 2018, following in the footsteps of Radhika Nair who was the first Indian model to ever walk for the brand in its 100-year-history in the Spring 2017 presentation. Following on from her are Natasha Ramachandran, Pardeep Bassi, Monica Tomas, Bali Bassi, Kiran Kandola, Ravyanshi Mehta, Naomi Janumala, Diya Prabhakar and an indefatigable army of Indian models taking to the runways for the year.