PETALING JAYA, March 4 ― If you told Vanizha Vasanthanathan when she just started modelling that she would one day walk at Milan Fashion Week, she would have laughed it off as a joke.
Fast forward seven years, the 29-year-old is still floating on cloud nine after walking for two designers at the recently concluded fashion event in Italy.
Given that Milan Fashion Week is one of the “Big Four”, the Kuala Lumpur native said the entire experience was unforgettable and is the highlight of her modelling career.
“After doing the show, it somehow felt like the dream that I was working towards came true,” she told Malay Mail.
“I felt proud of myself that I finally walked at one of the world’s biggest fashion events.”
Vanizha always wanted to model in Europe and the opportunity came in late January when her mother agency told her that an agency in Milan was keen to get her over there as soon as possible.
After two years of Covid-19 that prevented shows and shoots from happening, the news felt surreal.
At the Marco Rambaldi and Act N°1 shows, the model said she felt nervous but was confident in herself that she could pull it off.
Amid all the chaos backstage, it was a fun experience that allowed Vanizha to mingle with other models from around the world while getting their hair and makeup done.
“I had to focus while being on the runway and put everything aside to make sure my walk was perfect,” she said.
“It was an incredible experience as the eyes of the world were on me.”
Vanizha said the cultural diversity was evident at an event like Milan Fashion Week and it was encouraging to see models of different body shapes and ages.
“The whole stereotypical idea of a slim fair model is out of the question,” she said.
“I also met a lot of models from different ethnicities who worked their way through to be there ― hearing about their journey inspired me to keep going.”
Back in 2016 when Malay Mail first met Vanizha, the model and Odissi dancer said there was an unspoken rule that fair-skinned talents were preferred.
Being of Indian heritage, Vanizha knows this all too well ― her classmates used to call her the “Darlie toothpaste black man”.
She used to believe only fair girls would make it as models but seeing Tyra Banks on America’s Next Top Model motivated her to dream big.
Although brands are becoming more inclusive, Vanizha believes there is always room for improvement.
“There are also some brands that have the idea that inclusivity means just adding one person of colour, one plus size model, one Asian and that means diversity has been embraced,” she said.
“It should not just be restricted to one person but embrace the talent and beauty of every individual regardless of their colour or ethnic background.”
Growing up, Vanizha said she didn’t see anyone of her colour in major advertisements and billboards.
Being part of that representation today means a lot to her, just like the time she was chosen for a Sephora billboard.
A woman reached out to her to say that her daughter who was feeling demotivated due to her skin colour felt inspired after seeing the ad.
“Putting myself out there probably gives people of my colour hope and confidence to go out there and thrive,” said Vanizha, who is the youngest of four siblings.
“It’s things like this that drives me to achieve more so I can be an example to people like me, that it is possible if you put in effort and hard work.”
Although Milan Fashion Week is over, Vanizha has adopted the Italian capital as her new home for the next few months to attend more casting calls and enhance her portfolio.
Since arriving in Italy, she has been occupied with work and hasn’t had the chance to explore the city.
In fact, the model was busy moving into a new apartment when Malay Mail contacted her.
“What I can gather so far, since I’m on public transportation most of the time, it is such a beautiful city and the people here are really friendly,” she said.
“I know how to greet people in Italian but I guess the longer I am here, I would be able to pick up the language more.”
Her daily routine mainly consists of attending casting calls but she loves cooking herself a meal when she comes home.
“I really miss Malaysian food so I try to make as much local food as I can get,” said Vanizha, whose parents run a vegetarian Indian restaurant.
“The weather is pretty chilly here, so I would rather stay indoors but when things start to ease a bit, I will definitely take the time to explore the city even more.”
