“I believe in chasing dreams no matter what”, Nandini Patel, Fashion Model

Nandini Patel is a fashion model from Ahmedabad, is paving her own path in the world of glamour.  She believes in chasing her dreams no matter what, even though that means giving up on certain things, will not hesitate. This 21-year young fashion model is firm and strongly focused on her goals.

Nandini’s mother is her biggest supporter. Her mother wanted to be a fashion model. But could not continue further and, that is why she decided to support her daughter. When Nandini was a child, she was directed by her mother. Her mother made sure that she is surrounded by all the things which would make her way into the fashion industry. Sharing more about her mother’s part, Nandini said,

 “When my mother had to back off from modeling, she realized that her daughter would be going to pursue her dream. She made me wear fancy clothes and I was always the most fashionable kid in the group. She always made sure that I am, directed towards this path”.

The journey was not so easy for her. Nandini too had her ups and downs. She was popular in class and, others used to admire her personality. But not good in mathematics, she had to repeat the class. That is when she decided to do something to prove her abilities. Elaborating more on this, Nandini shared,

 I realized, that I wanted to be a fashion model back in 2017 when I had to repeat class 11. I was popular and children used to admire me because I was fun-loving. But, with strangers, in class, everything changed and they judged me. I became an introvert. That is when I decided to do something in my life. I was not confident about modeling but, I was sure that this is something where I belong to”.

Initially, when she started in 2018, Nandini had no one to guide her and was directionless. She used to get projects in months and had no idea what to do but was firm about her dreams. Talking about her journey, Nandini shared,

“Honestly, in the year 2021 when I started getting good projects and made good connections. From 2018 to 2021, I was directionless. I used to get projects in months and it was a very slow progress and did not know how things work and when one is actually supposed to reach out to people. I used to wait for someone to call me and tell me about the opportunities.”

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When asked about her first project, Nandini said that it was with Miss Fab India in 2018. She was amongst the top 15 but could not win the show. After that, she started working with photographers and collaborated with brands. She traveled for a photoshoot where she was a part of a Vogue show in Mumbai in 2019. Talking more about her projects, Nandini revealed,

“In 2021, I gave an audition for FDCI for top 15 models of India and got selected. I was trained by supermodel Lakshmi Rana ma’am for three days in Delhi. There I got to learn how the industry works and to be professional”.

If not modeling Nandini would have pursued Law or joined Army. This intellectual field fascinates her, where women are empowered day by day. Apart from modeling, Nandini is creative and is into sketching. She loves singing and dancing. Also, she has been taking professional guidance in Bharatnatyam for eight years. Nandini developed a keen interest in history when the pandemic happened. She always tries to manage time to read and learn new historical facts.

“I am someone, who loves to talk about what is happening in the country and around the world. Most of the time, I read books that help me discover new facts. I got a small collection related to History and Economics. So, most of the time, you would see me talking about it. This is the thing that I love to do and will never leave no matter how busy I get”.

While discussing how the pandemic has affected her career, Nandini mentioned, it helped her to get more projects. Also, she made good connections. She is looking for the right agency to make more connections and establish herself as a professional model in the industry. Sharing about how modeling has helped her as an individual, Nandini says,

“I am very straightforward, so in my day-to-day life, it is hard for people to accept me the way I am. It is the harsh reality of today that people have problems with women who are strongly opinionated and bold. Modeling, of course has helped me as a person on how to meet people and be more compassionate. But the most importantly, modeling has taught me to accept my personality and be myself”.

 Read: “Fashion for me is keeping up with the change”, Nikita Singh Tomar, Fashion Model