When we heard that the face of Rihanna’s Fenty Clothing Campaign is Indian-born model Naomi Janumala, we could not contain our excitement.
A little over a week ago, Mumbai-based Naomi Janumala, represented by Anima Creative Management, took to Instagram to announce that she has been signed as the face of Rihanna’s luxury label. In no time, Janumala became a sensation across the country with fashion aficionados and Indian media celebrating her achievement. Although she has been working with international brands including H&M, Nike x Nordstrom, Levi’s, American Eagle, Opening Ceremony x Disney and Matthew Adams Dolan, to name a few, she admits that being a part of Fenty Clothing Campaign was quite the surreal experience because the 19-year-old was photographed by Rihanna herself. We speak to her about the spate of superstardom and breaking stereotypes, one shoot at a time. Excerpts:
Congratulations on being a part of the Fenty Clothing Campaign. How did the campaign happen?
Thank you so much! I was at Starbucks in London when I got my manager’s call from Paris (New Madison Models) and she says, ‘Hey Naomi, you’re confirmed for Fenty’s clothing brand shoot’ — well that was exciting in itself! Then she adds, ‘Oh, also Rihanna is shooting.’ That’s when I absolutely lost my mind. I wanted to scream but I didn’t want to get kicked out of Starbucks. I was so happy that I almost ended up crying. After that, I called my best friends and almost every family member.
Tell us all about working with Rihanna? Did you grow up listening to her music?
Of course! I used to dance to her songs at parties, but had never imagined that I would get to spend a whole day with her. She’s an actual queen and she knows what she wants. On the set, it was like working with a friend or an elder sister. She was so sweet and funny, everyone on set thought that we’ve been friends for a long time because we clicked immediately. It was so natural, she brought out the best in me without me even realising. I actually fell in love with her after the shoot day.
What made you take up modelling? Tell us the backstory.
I started modelling three years ago when I got scouted via Instagram by my agency. I never thought about taking up modelling as a profession, even though I knew about the agency and I was interested in talking to them but after my college. They approached me in the second year in junior college. When I started it, it took off so well that I figured out I was made to do this, especially considering my family’s support and being in the safest hands professionally.
Tell us how the colour brown is perceived on the international runway?
Internationally, the industries will be shocked if you tell them you’re from India. They love brown representation. For them, it’s unique and beautiful. It is so different in India. I’d say it’s slowly starting to change but we got a long way to go. We have grown to learn, not from teachers or families, but just your surroundings and even watching television commercials for skin lightening creams that having dark skin will not get you a job or you won’t get a man and how they conveniently put “dull” next to dark skin. Overseas we’re exotic, but in India, we’re dull. It’s time to get out of that as soon as possible.