Models are the epitome of beauty. Most of us look up to them for their style, beauty, or career. Before Bhumika Arora and Pooja Mor, many Indian faces ruled the high fashion runways but went unnoticed most of the time. Due to the lack of social media and less inclination towards fashion models back in the day made it difficult for them to get the recognition they deserve. Earlier fashion magazines usually wrote on the actor’s life and their career with less emphasis on fashion models and their achievements. Even if they did, people hardly remember them now. Let’s refresh our memory with all those queens of India who made our country proud during the time when the role of most of women in India was just limited to their household chores.

UJJWALA RAUT

She is the first and the only Indian model to ever walk in Victoria Secret’s Fashion Show 2003. Born in a typical Maharashtrian family. Her father worked in Mumbai Police and doesn’t come from a filmy background. Ujjwala always wanted to be a model. At the tender age of 17, she won Femina Look of the Year at Femina Miss India 1996. Since then she didn’t stop until she reached the level of supermodel league. She has strutted her walk on the runways of Paris, Milan, and London, New York. She has worked with brands like Yves Saint-Laurent, Roberto Cavalli, Hugo Boss, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta, Givenchy, Gucci, Emilio Pucci, Diane von Furstenberg, and Betsey Johnson. Now, she has shifted to reality television appearing in shows such as Kingfisher Calendar Hunt, India’s Next Top Model in the judging panel. Currently, she is appearing as a mentor in MTV Supermodel of the Year.

YASMEEN GHAURI

It’s hard not to include Yasmeen whenever the discussion of the supermodel rises. The femme fatale of the ’90s. Yasmeen was born in Canada to Indian/Pakistani-Germen parents. Raised in a very conservative Muslim family, with a father who was an Imam. Yasmeen never thought even in her wildest dreams that she would be a model. A modeling agent spotted her and sent her photos to her agency. Soon she was sent to Paris to start her modeling career. Her career spanned for 10 years working for brands like Versace, Fendi, Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Lanvin, Thierry Mugler, Dior, and many more. She was the designer’s favorite, becoming a muse of many designers including Gianni Versace. As stated by Gianni Versace himself “Yasmeen has the face of an angel and a body of a goddess”. In 1997 she retired from modeling to start a family with her husband.

GURMIT KAUR

This dusky slender figure gal was born to a Punjabi family in Singapore. Suffering from severe dyslexia since childhood, Gurmit was scouted in Brussels while studying. Right after that she arrived in Paris with a pocket full of dreams and went on to open for the Yves Saint Laurent runway show. Followed by Chanel, Emanuel Ungaro, Givenchy, and Azzedine Alaia. Also booking the cover shoots of top fashion magazines such as Vogue with prominent fashion photographers like Arthur Algot, Steven Klein, Ellen von Unwerth, Steven Meisel, etc. She was nicknamed “Jezebel” by Yves Saint Laurent as her muse. However, her passion resides in jewelry. She is an avid jewelry designer. Showcasing her collection in Bergdorf Goodman in 1995. She resides in London along with her family while managing her business as a jewelry designer.

ANJALI MENDES

Anjali was the first Indian ever to breakthrough into the world of high fashion in the late ’60s. The time when most of the Indian girls were not exactly career driven. She moved to Paris when the idea of becoming a high fashion model wasn’t particularly active in India. She was the face of Pierre Cardin for 12 years (1971-1982). Her anecdote of becoming a face for the brands is like a scene straight out a movie. She arrived in a Pierre Cardin’s office in a complete Indian look with a saree and a bindi saying-“ I want to be a model”. No one understood her due to the language barrier. Thankfully one of her assistants knew English told her to wait. A few hours later Pierre himself arrived to meet her and then the rest is history. Her resume also includes brands like Givenchy, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Emanuel Ungaro. Despite her dusky skin tone, she made a name for herself in an industry during the time when the modeling circle was dominated by eastern European beauty standards. She went on to become an executive for Pierre Cardin India for 18 years. She died in 2010 after suddenly falling ill due to some infection.

SHYAMOLI VERMA

Born in Pune and coming from an army background, Shyamoli was raised in a strict discipline environment. She was spotted by an assistant to fashion choreographer Jeannie Naoroji while working as a telephone operator. Her biggest achievement is that she was the first Indian and the first model to become the face of Lakme Cosmetics. She has been coined as the Lakme girl. Since her move to Paris, she has worked with Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Max Mara, Comme des Garcons, Azzedine Alaia, and ruling the covers of a fashion magazine like Vogue and Maxim too. After her stint in modeling, she moved back to Pune to work as a fashion choreographer. Since then she continued to work all around the world choreographing shows for fashion institutes, designers, and trade shows.

Models are the epitome of beauty. Most of us look up to them for their style, beauty, or career. Before Bhumika Arora and Pooja Mor, many Indian faces ruled the high fashion runways but went unnoticed most of the time. Due to the lack of social media and less inclination towards fashion models back in the day made it difficult for them to get the recognition they deserve. Earlier fashion magazines usually wrote on the actor’s life and their career with less emphasis on fashion models and their achievements. Even if they did, people hardly remember them now. Let’s refresh our memory with all those queens of India who made our country proud during the time when the role of most of women in India was just limited to their household chores.

UJJWALA RAUT

She is the first and the only Indian model to ever walk in Victoria Secret’s Fashion Show 2003. Born in a typical Maharashtrian family. Her father worked in Mumbai Police and doesn’t come from a filmy background. Ujjwala always wanted to be a model. At the tender age of 17, she won Femina Look of the Year at Femina Miss India 1996. Since then she didn’t stop until she reached the level of supermodel league. She has strutted her walk on the runways of Paris, Milan, and London, New York. She has worked with brands like Yves Saint-Laurent, Roberto Cavalli, Hugo Boss, Dolce & Gabbana, Oscar de la Renta, Givenchy, Gucci, Emilio Pucci, Diane von Furstenberg, and Betsey Johnson. Now, she has shifted to reality television appearing in shows such as Kingfisher Calendar Hunt, India’s Next Top Model in the judging panel. Currently, she is appearing as a mentor in MTV Supermodel of the Year.

YASMEEN GHAURI

It’s hard not to include Yasmeen whenever the discussion of the supermodel rises. The femme fatale of the ’90s. Yasmeen was born in Canada to Indian/Pakistani-Germen parents. Raised in a very conservative Muslim family, with a father who was an Imam. Yasmeen never thought even in her wildest dreams that she would be a model. A modeling agent spotted her and sent her photos to her agency. Soon she was sent to Paris to start her modeling career. Her career spanned for 10 years working for brands like Versace, Fendi, Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Lanvin, Thierry Mugler, Dior, and many more. She was the designer’s favorite, becoming a muse of many designers including Gianni Versace. As stated by Gianni Versace himself “Yasmeen has the face of an angel and a body of a goddess”. In 1997 she retired from modeling to start a family with her husband.

GURMIT KAUR

This dusky slender figure gal was born to a Punjabi family in Singapore. Suffering from severe dyslexia since childhood, Gurmit was scouted in Brussels while studying. Right after that she arrived in Paris with a pocket full of dreams and went on to open for the Yves Saint Laurent runway show. Followed by Chanel, Emanuel Ungaro, Givenchy, and Azzedine Alaia. Also booking the cover shoots of top fashion magazines such as Vogue with prominent fashion photographers like Arthur Algot, Steven Klein, Ellen von Unwerth, Steven Meisel, etc. She was nicknamed “Jezebel” by Yves Saint Laurent as her muse. However, her passion resides in jewelry. She is an avid jewelry designer. Showcasing her collection in Bergdorf Goodman in 1995. She resides in London along with her family while managing her business as a jewelry designer.

ANJALI MENDES

Anjali was the first Indian ever to breakthrough into the world of high fashion in the late ’60s. The time when most of the Indian girls were not exactly career driven. She moved to Paris when the idea of becoming a high fashion model wasn’t particularly active in India. She was the face of Pierre Cardin for 12 years (1971-1982). Her anecdote of becoming a face for the brands is like a scene straight out a movie. She arrived in a Pierre Cardin’s office in a complete Indian look with a saree and a bindi saying-“ I want to be a model”. No one understood her due to the language barrier. Thankfully one of her assistants knew English told her to wait. A few hours later Pierre himself arrived to meet her and then the rest is history. Her resume also includes brands like Givenchy, Elsa Schiaparelli, and Emanuel Ungaro. Despite her dusky skin tone, she made a name for herself in an industry during the time when the modeling circle was dominated by eastern European beauty standards. She went on to become an executive for Pierre Cardin India for 18 years. She died in 2010 after suddenly falling ill due to some infection.

SHYAMOLI VERMA

Born in Pune and coming from an army background, Shyamoli was raised in a strict discipline environment. She was spotted by an assistant to fashion choreographer Jeannie Naoroji while working as a telephone operator. Her biggest achievement is that she was the first Indian and the first model to become the face of Lakme Cosmetics. She has been coined as the Lakme girl. Since her move to Paris, she has worked with Pierre Cardin, Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Max Mara, Comme des Garcons, Azzedine Alaia, and ruling the covers of a fashion magazine like Vogue and Maxim too. After her stint in modeling, she moved back to Pune to work as a fashion choreographer. Since then she continued to work all around the world choreographing shows for fashion institutes, designers, and trade shows.