Naomi Janumala is taking India to the world from the fashion runway

South Asian-origin girls have only been rising on global fashion scene for a while now. Formerly used just for representation points in the past, these women are actually gaining popularity through their raw talent and work now. One such name is Naomi Janumala, an international supermodel rising to the runway ranks at supersonic speed. Of Indian origin, the 26-year-old model happens to be related to Bollywood actor Johnny Lever, who has achieved fame through his comedic acting roles.

Standing tall at a height of 5'9, Janumala is a striking South Asian beauty currently residing in the USA, who has walked ramps for designer labels Dior and Burberry. Starting her career as early as 16, Janumala got her major breakthrough at 19, when she was cast as one of the faces of Rihanna's Fenty fashion campaign. By that point, Janumal's portfolio already included names like Alexander Wang, Adidas, American Eagle, Levi's, H&M, and Nike x Nordstrom.

Starting her career with Anima Creative Management in Mumbai, she quickly climbed the ranks once she moved to the States, where she walked for several shows at New York Fashion Week. She later went on to sign with a Paris-based model agency known as New Madison, which ended up landing her the contract for Fenty. While she is still represented by them in Paris, Janumala is also represented by Kollektiv Management in New York and Models1in London.

Major highlights through Janumala's career include walking the runway for Bottega Veneta Fall/Winter 2021, Burberry for Fall/Winter in 2023 and Spring/Summer 2024, the Dior pre-fall show in Mumbai, and Prabal Gurung for Fall/Winter 2024 and 2025. Apart from the Fenty campaign, Janumala has also been the face for Pandora and Burberry campaigns and has also been the cover star for many magazines.

Janumala is making India proud, and she is not the only one either. While we are all familiar with the likes of Lakshmi Menon, Ujjwala Raut, and Mehr Jesia, a new generation of homegrown supermodels are on the rise. Avanthi Nagrath, for example, has walked the runway for Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Hermes, Ferragamo, Givenchy, and Ralph Lauren, to name a few of her projects. Kirandeep Chahal has strutted for Nina Ricci, Dries Van Noten, and Mame Karugouchi. 

While the ladies have the global runways in their stride, South Asian male models such as Deepak Gupta and Naman Narnolia aren't far behind either. With names such as Valentino, Tod's, Isee Miyake, and Giorgio Armani, Narnolia is making a name for himself on the runways. Gupta is also fast rising to fame after walking for Louis Vuitton, Issey Miyake and Pierre-Louis Mascia in their latest shows.

We can confidently say that the Indian supermodel industry is all set to flourish.