Sevina Kahlon is a fashion model from Kolkata but surprisingly, she never considered modeling as her career. She always wanted to be an actor and studied theatre all her life. Modeling happened by chance. When Sevina was 18, a designer told her that she liked her face and wanted her for a shoot. She was naive, inexperienced, and did not know what she was going to do. Finally, when she decided to take it up, Sevina did a lot of research and collaborated with photographers for portrait shoots.
Credits: @bijaya_datta
“When I got the opportunity, I took it as a good experience. I wanted to get into the film industry and I warmed up to loving it. It still took me two years to gain the required experience and grooming. Also properly decide whether or not I wanted to take it up seriously. It took me a long time to build that self-esteem and maturity that is needed to face the industry”.
Sevina is into different styles and it depends on her mood. She does not have a particular style and is picky about what she wears. Sevina loves vintage clothes, from bohemian to grunge and she takes inspiration from the 60s-70s. She mostly prefers to wear dark colors or nudes. Moreover, she has a fetish for boots and believes they make outfits more interesting.
Sevina learned a lot of things on her way. She knows her self-worth and knows how important it is. She knows where to draw the line and say no when directly negotiating with clients. Talking about her schedule, Sevina said,
“As soon as I get a confirmation for an assignment, I block the date on my calendar. A full day shoot is usually 8 hours, but sometimes we might shoot for less time. And can take up multiple shoots in a day which usually happens before the festive season. It can get very hectic, as sometimes we have to travel to far locations, long work hours and shoot back to back for days on end”.
Sevina hails from a mixed background. Her father is a Punjabi and her mother is Australian. She had lived both in India and Australia. She is lucky to have them as parents and they have always been supportive of her decisions. Her grandmother was a model in Australia in the 50s and 60s so it was not a huge surprise for her family. However, Sevina’s parents were always concerned about her well-being. They constantly advise her and want her to be safe. The industry is not an easy place for a young woman, especially as a freelance model. Moreover, her parents raised her to be independent and have always trusted her decisions.
Credits: @arpitr93
Sevina studied stagecraft, acting, directing, and more for many years. She is currently in 3rd year of her graduation pursuing BSC.
“I never really saw myself as fit to be a model. I worked on myself and groomed myself for the camera by practicing my poses, posture and more. Modelling is much more than what meets the eye. It’s about who you are, how you express yourself and of course, how you take care of your body”.
Sevina takes a lot of inspiration from supermodels from the 90s such as Claudia Schiffer, Elle Macpherson, and Cindy Crawford. She really looks up to Deepika Padukone and feels that she is effortlessly graceful. Every shoot for her is rewarding. One of her proudest moments was when her friends from other cities told her about her advertisement. It was a surreal feeling for Sevina.
Sevina loves working with creative people and the outcome is really validating and rewarding. She believes the downside is that there is a lot of pressure and competition. Further, she feels there are so many beautiful and talented people that sometimes it is difficult to compare oneself to others and question whether or not one deserves to be there. Although, she is precise and clear about her goals. Adding to which, she said,
I am going with the flow and being a better version of myself everyday. I am grateful for the kind of opportunities that come my way and hopefully gain some more recognition along with it. Also, I am happy to see wherever it takes me and I have faith that I will get what I deserve as long as I continue with this mindset and energy”
To Sevina, fashion is more about the person who is wearing it than anything else. It is a form of self-expression and a part of one’s identity. Discussing her beauty routine, Sevina said,
“I feel that for me, less is more. Basic moisturiser and cleanser is a daily must for me. I sometimes mix moringa oil when my skin needs an extra boost. Furthermore, I like Vitamin C products for glowing skin, and I occasionally use chemical exfoliation when needed. I swear by the bioderma micellar water to remove my makeup without harmful and harsh additives”.
Credits: @pixelamalgam
Talking more about herself, Sevina believes social media platforms are extremely helpful and have become a public portfolio for models. Especially for freelance models, the majority of the clients approach them through social media. Moreover, it has become very convenient because one’s profile can be shared instantaneously. Also, through tags and shares, one can gain more exposure and access to more clients.
Sevina has come a long way and is doing great in the modeling industry. She is determined and confident about herself.
“Modeling has taught me how to hustle. I know more about how to deal with all kinds of people and believe it or not, I get an exposure of business knowledge too. Everyone says this, but modelling is definitely not as flashy and glamorous as it seems on the outside. There is a lot of struggle, hustle and slogging behind to create the beautiful things that we do, and it is definitely not suited for everyone”
Also Read: “Dedication and hard work always kept me going,” says Smarth Sikka.
[…] read: “Modeling taught me how to hustle”, Fashion Model, Sevina Kahlon […]
[…] read: “Modeling taught me how to hustle”, Fashion Model, Sevina Kahlon […]