From Bhavitha Mandava to Neelam Gill, how are South Asian models owning the global runway

From the storied ateliers of Paris to the gleaming runways of New York, a powerful and elegant shift is unfolding. A new generation of South Asian models is commanding the international fashion stage, not as fleeting trends but as definitive forces of beauty and presence. Their journeys, as unique as their heritages, are weaving a richer, more inclusive tapestry within the global industry.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by CHANEL (@chanelofficial)

This movement is marked by landmark debuts that have reshaped the landscape. Radhika Nair made history as the first Indian woman to walk for Balenciaga under Demna Gvasalia, an exclusive casting that signaled a seismic change. Similarly, Neelam Gill’s runway debut for Burberry in 2013 and her subsequent historic campaign for the house a year later broke barriers for Indian representation in British fashion. For Pooja Mor, a single Instagram post led to her walking the Louis Vuitton Cruise show in Palm Springs, launching a career that would see her grace runways for Chanel, Alexander McQueen, and Dolce & Gabbana. Even discovery stories carry a touch of destiny, as Bhavitha Mandava was famously scouted on a New York City subway platform by a then-creative director, a moment that foreshadowed her later opening the Chanel Métiers d’art show.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NEELAM KAUR GILL (@neelamkg)

Their impact is cemented by consistent presence at fashion’s most prestigious events. Shanina Shaik, who first walked for Victoria’s Secret in 2011, has since been a sought-after muse for houses like Chanel, Versace, and Moschino. These models carry their cultural identities with profound grace. Gill was encouraged by Burberry to embrace her authentic Indian self, while Mor channels the elegant discipline of her Kathak training into every stride. Shaik embodies a powerful fusion, her Pakistani, Saudi, and Lithuanian descent collectively redefining the very notion of belonging on the runway.

From opening shows for Esteban Cortazar to being the only brown model on the Victoria’s Secret runway in 2024, these women are claiming them, one historic step at a time, and in doing so, are permanently altering the silhouette of international beauty.

Here are some of the South Asians models who are truly making their mark in international runways