Meet the people bringing unconventional beauty to the forefront in fashion

Talent agencies are redefining what it means to be a model by putting individuality before beauty

The seemingly glamourous world of the modeling industry in India had been a closed world for a long time, where only if women looked a particular way would they get the opportunity to “make it.”It’s only in the recent past that the industry has opened up to people of all shapes, sizes and genders. “I'm glad that the fashion industry is embracing not only classic beauties but faces that have traits which can inspire, because beauty is not necessarily in perfection,” says Gunita Stobe, co-founder of Anima Creative Management, a talent firm that represents current ‘it” models including Pooja Mor and Naomi Janumala.

Thanks to social media platforms, the concept of beauty is being challenged everyday by consumers who wish to see people like themselves—imperfect and diverse—being seen and heard. So how are talent agencies adhering to these new standards of beauty that have no rigid lists of virtues to check off anymore?

Visibility on the runway

In the 1990s and early naughts, supermodels looked a very specific way: waif-thin, blonde hair, blue eyes. Think Kate Moss and Gisele Bündchen. There were very few women of colour on the runway, notably Naomi Campbell who started her career in the ’80s, and Tyra Banks who broke the stereotypes.

Among Indian models, there’s Yasmeen Ghauri, a South Asian from Canada and Ujjwala Raut, both of whom found success on the runways of Paris, with the latter walking for Yves Saint-Laurent, Roberto Cavalli, Valentino, Victoria’s Secret and Givenchy, to name a few. “I happen to be lucky as my casting agent at the time probably saw something in me that could work internationally,” says Raut, paving the way for dark-skinned and sharp-featured Indian models like Lakshmi Menon, Preeti Dhata, Nidhi Sunil, Ashley Radjarame and Avanti Nagrath, all of whom you see on international runways today.

Stobe remembers Asian and African models dominating runways and campaigns before Indian faces did. “The economy is a big driver in this change. When luxury and commercial brands started to enter the Indian market, an interest in having faces that represent various parts of the world was a natural progression,” she says. Neelam Gill made waves in 2013 when she became the first model of Indian descent to book a Burberry campaign, and four years later, Radhika Nair became the first Indian model to walk for Balenciaga. Others followed suit: Dipti Sharma appeared in Balenciaga’s 2019 spring/summer campaign and Assam-born Kangkan Rabha walked for Zegna and Rick Owens.

A reluctant change

“Beauty standards are still very set in their old ways,” says stylist and creative director Kshitij Kankaria who has worked with Louis Vuitton, Alexander Wang and Adidas as a creative consultant. Despite Ashley Graham, a size 16 model, and Jill Kortlevo and Paloma Elsesser, whose presence on a runway show increases visibility for a brand, size inclusivity isn’t a common occurrence in the industry. Case in point: “Designers who put different bodies on the ramp still don’t have their sizes as samples or in their ready-to-wear sections,” says Kankaria. “It’s a constant issue I’ve been having while working as a stylist, and as someone who doesn’t usually work with ‘usual’ models,” says Kankaria. "I don’t know if it’s still a token they give or a place they fill by having models of various body types or colour or gender. Nevertheless the industry is definitely moving towards being more inclusive. Agencies being more open to broadening the beauty standards is nice to see."

Stobe agrees, “The situation is indeed different now when it comes to models’ heights and facial features,” she says. “Earlier, to place a shorter model in the international fashion markets like Paris, London and New York was nearly impossible. But now at least agencies are considering and look over the missing inch or two if they are fascinated or inspired by the face.”

Challenging the stereotypes

While it may seem that a crop of campaigns and magazine covers showcase how diverse and inclusive they are every season, change hasn’t just been on the side of brands and designers. Talent agencies are championing a diverse roster of models—Mitr Trust, a New-Delhi-based LGBTQIA+ charity organisation, launched India’s first transgender modelling agency in 2016. Similarly, talent agency A Little Fly, who describes themselves as “repping cool kids with good vibes” in India, launched showcasing faces and features of a diverse India, including Khup S Hangsing, a non-binary model. Feat. Artists, a agency led by stylist Nikhil D and model Smita Lasrado, too, represents unique talents from diverse areas of the country. Their roster of talent include Anugraha Natarajan, known for her signature unibrow, and Tarun Panwar, a queer model blurring gender lines when it comes to representation.

As brands look to become more inclusive and diverse, talent agencies are at the forefront, championing a new concept of beauty. “The person just has to be inspiring with their looks, character, charisma, personality and values,” says Stobe. Raut, who has been a part of a reality talent show called Kingfisher Calendar Hunt as a host and judge, agrees, “In the end it’s your persona that photographers need to feel inspired by.”

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