Zinnia Kumar

Zinnia Kumar is an Indian Australian fashion model and advocate.[1][2][3]

Zinnia Kumar
Born
Zinnia Jothi Kumar

(1997-04-18) 18 April 1997
Sydney, Australia[1]
Alma mater
Occupations
  • Model
  • advocate
  • speaker
Modeling information
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Hair colorBlack
Eye colorBrown
Agency
  • TDL.Studio (London)
  • The Society (New York)
  • Priscilla's (Sydney)
  • TDL (MA)
Websitewww.zinniakumar.com

Career

Zinnia Kumar is a fashion model consumer psychologist, CIEEM accredited ecologist,[4] and representation in fashion advocate[1][2][3]

Model

Zinnia is the first ecologist to cover any international edition of Vogue Magazine in 128 years.[5][6] She is the first Indian and the first South Asian Australian to cover Australian Vogue in 62 years.[6] Zinnia appeared on the Porter Magazine August 2021 cover and was labelled 'Force of Nature'. Zinnia was named the 50 Most Influential Global Indians by Vogue India in 2019.[7][8] In 2021 Zinnia was nominated as a Social Mover and change maker by models.com.[9]

Zinnia has worked for Russh, Interview Magazine, Another Magazine, British Vogue, Vogue China, Vogue France, Vogue Italia, Vogue Germany, Vogue Korea, CAP74024, Vogue India[8], Vogue Australia, Harpers Bazaar, Dior, Jacquemus, Vivienne Westwood, among others.[10] Zinnia has also acted as an Amazonian warrior in the film Wonder Woman.[11]

Zinnia Kumar's journey into modelling was not straightforward, she was initially scouted but then rejected by every agency in Australia for being racially Indian despite being born in Australia.[12] She was told by Australian agencies “We only take Anglos or half-Anglos" and “have you thought about modelling in your own country?”.[2] After facing racism, she quit pursuing modelling and moved to the UK to study, whilst on Tottenham Court Road on her way to UCL library, she was scouted again by her current manager.[13] "I was working three jobs at the time to pay for university, so actually modelling and being paid for it sounded like a dream! In 2016, I became the first agency signed, Indian model from Australia without white ancestry."[13]

Environmentalism & conservation

Zinnia is a field conservation ecologist having worked with Little Blue Penguins, invertebrates and wetland birds for the EPA, Birdlife and Department of Environment among others.[14] She is a former Australian Museum science communicator.[4] Zinnia is a CIEEM accredited ecologist, sustainability consultant and hold a BSc (Advanced) in Ecology from UNSW, Australia.[2][15]

Advocacy & humanitarianism

Zinnia Kumar is a vocal Indian representation in fashion activist.[2][16][17] Zinnia is interested in deconstructing colonial beauty ideals through history of scientific racism. She has researched how colorism disempowers women whilst at the University of Oxford.[2] Her beauty advocacy involves podcasts, interviews, journalism & talks using mixed media.[18][1][4] Zinnia is the CEO and founder of sustainability and South Asian representation organisation 'The Dotted Line'.[13]

Zinnia is interested in educational access and empowerment as a tool for social transformation. Zinnia spent a decade empowering refugee and disadvantaged children in Australia, India and Thailand.[19] She was selected by the Department of Foreign Affairs as a youth ambassador and is a Rotary Youth Leadership Awardee.[20]

Zinnia grew up with social anxiety she over came it by training in speaking & presenting at NIDA & RADA, she has been a member of Toastmasters International (Public Speaking Society) for a decade and is a member of The Oxford Union.[21] She has presented, spoken and delivered keynotes for British Fashion Council, Vogue, Cancer Council, H&M, Australasian Evolution Society, Australian Museum, The Australian among others. Her work covers motivational speaking and advocacy in beauty, inclusion, education, sustainability and female empowerment.[22]

Personal life

Zinnia Kumar was born in Sydney, Australia to Indian parents and grew up in Sydney's south-western suburbs.[2][17] She is a 5th generation Indian immigrant, and her family have lived in Oceania since 1879.[23] She has Northern, Southern & Eastern Indian ancestry, with Punjabi and Awadhi from her fathers side, and Bengali and Tamilian from her mothers side.[12][8]

She attended a disadvantaged high school and self learned her final year studies.[16] Zinnia Kumar attended University of New South Wales for a Bachelor of Advanced Science, in Ecology and Human Evolutionary Biology with First Class honours,[2] she matriculated at Brasenose College, Oxford University for an MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies,[24] and holds an MSc in Industrial, Organisational and Business Psychology at University College London focusing on sustainability and Indian representation in fashion.[4]

References
  1. "My Fashion Life: Zinnia Kumar AW19". www.matchesfashion.com. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  2. "Sauce chats with Zinnia Kumar - Published Scientist, activist & model". Sauce. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  3. Ferere, Cassell. "H&M Conscious Exclusive A/W20 Collection Is Giving Evening Wear Fashion A New Life". Forbes. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
  4. "About Zinnia". ZINNIA KUMAR. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  5. "Megha Kapoor ushers in a new era for Vogue India". www.condenast.com. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  6. "Zinnia Kumar - Model". MODELS.com. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  7. "January 2019 Issue". Vogue India.
  8. "49 incredible Indian women who are creating legacies across the globe". VOGUE India. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  9. "StackPath". models.com. Retrieved 27 December 2021.
  10. "Zinnia Kumar - Model". MODELS.com. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  11. "Zinnia Kumar". IMDb. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  12. "Zinnia Kumar: "The folly is in thinking of ourselves and our generation as the sole victims of colourism"". Vogue India. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  13. ""This show with Dior will launch the careers of Indian faces who would otherwise not get an opportunity to exist or access high fashion. " Zinnia Kumar on 10 years of breaking South Asian stereotypes". Perfect˙. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  14. "Little Penguin research". Little Penguin research. 4 December 2012. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  15. Ferere, Cassell. "H&M Conscious Exclusive A/W20 Collection Is Giving Evening Wear Fashion A New Life". Forbes. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  16. "Scientist and model Zinnia Kumar on colourism, the serious issue of skin colour stigma in South Asia and why science and spirituality can co-exist. - Offline, The Podcast: Honest Conversations About True Self". Spotify. 6 June 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  17. Kumar, Zinnia (11 March 2021). "Model Zinnia Kumar on belonging and the importance of storytelling". Vogue Australia. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  18. "The Ecologist With A Color Correcting Lip Stain". Into The Gloss. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  19. "Zinnia Kumar on Dismantling Beauty Standards & DIY Skincare". Rose Inc. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  20. Porter, Magazine (9 August 2021). "Porter Magazine Cover Story Zinnia Kumar". Netaporter.
  21. Porter, Magazine (9 August 2021). "Porter Magazine Cover Story Zinnia Kumar". Netaporter.
  22. "The Ecologist With A Color Correcting Lip Stain". Into The Gloss. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 30 December 2021.
  23. "Reads|Zinnia Kumar". Reluxe Fashion. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  24. The Brazen Nose (PDF). University of Oxford, Brasenose College. 2018. p. 29.
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