Ravleen Varghese and Neelam Gill: Indian Heritage on the Victoria’s Secret Runway

From a first appearance by Kerala-born Ravleen Varghese to British-Punjabi model Neelam Gill’s third consecutive show, the 2026 Victoria’s Secret runway highlighted two different journeys shaped by Indian heritage. Their visibility raises a larger question about how global fashion represents South Asian women beyond familiar stereotypes.

Two models with Indian roots made their mark at one of fashion’s most internationally visible events on October 18, 2026. At the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show in Culver City, California, Ravleen Varghese made her debut, while Neelam Gill returned for the third consecutive year.

Their appearances represented different stages of international modelling careers. For Varghese, the show marked a new milestone after years of work across fashion and editorial projects. For Gill, a British model of Punjabi heritage, it continued a presence that has helped bring South Asian identity into a global fashion conversation.

The significance goes beyond a celebrity runway. Both models demonstrate how Indian heritage travels through different experiences of migration, education, family identity and professional ambition—and why representation is about more than simply putting an Indian-origin face on a billboard.

Ravleen Varghese: From Kerala to an international runway

Varghese, 25, comes from Kodumon in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district. Her route into modelling began while she was studying design at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in Delhi.

At 18, she was scouted by Anima Creative Management. What followed was a career that brought her into international fashion, including a New York Fashion Week debut in 2022 and work connected with prominent designers, among them Indian couturier Sabyasachi Mukherjee.

Varghese later moved to New York to pursue a master’s degree at Parsons School of Design. She graduated just days before her Victoria’s Secret appearance, bringing together two demanding worlds: fashion education and professional modelling.

At the 2026 show, she walked twice. Her first appearance featured a pink lace lingerie set; she returned in a black-and-white look alongside models Luíza Perote and Malika El Maslouhi.

Her debut was widely reported as a milestone for Malayali representation on the Victoria’s Secret runway. It also placed her among the relatively small group of Indian models to have appeared at the event.

Yet Varghese’s own perspective offers a more substantial way to understand the achievement. In an interview with The Nod, she spoke about growing up as a curvy Indian girl and about how the industry’s traditional image of beauty could leave people feeling underrepresented.

She argued that Indian beauty cannot be reduced to a single appearance. Indian women have diverse skin tones, features, body types and personal styles, she noted, and that diversity deserves recognition internationally.

That message gives her debut significance beyond the show itself: success need not depend on fitting a narrow visual stereotype.

Neelam Gill: A British-Punjabi model building continuity

Gill’s story follows a different path. Born in Coventry, England, she has spoken publicly about her Punjabi family background and the importance of maintaining a connection to her heritage while building a career in Britain and internationally.

She entered modelling as a teenager and became known through major fashion campaigns, including work for Burberry. Her career has also included collaborations with established designers and appearances in fashion publications.

Gill first walked the Victoria’s Secret runway in 2024, returned in 2025 and appeared again in 2026. That continuity matters because representation is not only about a first appearance. Repeated participation can help make people from underrepresented backgrounds more familiar within an industry’s leading events.

For her 2026 appearance, Gill wore a pink-and-gold embellished ensemble with gold body chains, a multicoloured embroidered skirt and bright orange hoop earrings. The styling incorporated visual elements associated with South Asian fashion, bringing an Indian-inspired look into the show’s broader mix of runway aesthetics.

Her presence also illustrates the layered identities of the diaspora. Gill is British, with Punjabi heritage; Varghese grew up in Kerala before pursuing education and work internationally. Neither experience needs to stand in for all Indian women. Together, however, they reflect the different routes through which Indian identity appears in global culture.

Why representation still matters

Fashion has considerable power to shape public ideas about beauty, status and belonging. For years, international campaigns and runways have faced criticism for narrow standards around body size, skin colour, ethnicity and appearance.

Progress is not measured simply by the number of models from a particular country or community. It also depends on whether opportunities are sustained, whether individuals are treated as distinct professionals rather than cultural symbols, and whether a wider range of appearances is represented across campaigns and collections.

Varghese’s emphasis on diversity is particularly relevant here. A single Indian-origin model cannot represent the full range of India’s population, just as one South Asian look cannot capture the diversity of the diaspora. Visibility is a starting point, not a substitute for broader inclusion.

There is also a practical dimension for aspiring models. International careers require more than a high-profile runway appearance: they depend on professional development, agency relationships, portfolio building, industry knowledge and the ability to navigate competitive markets. Varghese’s design education and Gill’s sustained career show two different forms of preparation and experience.

For young people in India and abroad who are considering fashion careers, their journeys offer examples of ambition without suggesting that success follows a simple or guaranteed path.

From individual milestones to a wider cultural shift

The 2026 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show brought established international names and new faces together in Los Angeles. Within that crowded global spectacle, Varghese’s debut and Gill’s return created a clear point of connection for Indian and South Asian audiences.

Their achievements should be celebrated on their own terms. Varghese reached a new professional milestone after combining design education with modelling; Gill continued a career that has placed Punjabi heritage within a major international fashion event.

The larger test for the industry will be what happens next. Will more models with varied South Asian backgrounds gain access to major campaigns and runways? Will their identities be presented with nuance rather than reduced to familiar visual cues? And will opportunities continue beyond a single headline-making show?

For now, Varghese and Gill offer two distinct answers to what global representation can look like: a new arrival opening a door, and an established presence helping keep it open. Their appearances show that Indian heritage is not confined to one look, one country or one generation—and that meaningful representation begins by allowing people to be seen as individuals.