In an exclusive write-up for Verve Zinnia Kumar opens up about her personal battles with social phobia and distorted expectations of women in fashion. She uses her celebrity to spread the real meaning of beauty.
I was one of those late bloomers, a tomboy and completely unaware of how I looked. I was used to being called ugly and silly nicknames like Chewbacca and Gollum, mostly by guys. I wasn’t glamorous, I didn’t dress like other girls, always wearing clothes five to six sizes too big. I felt most comfortable in a T-shirt and trackpants. I would look at girls in magazines and think I’d never be like them. I believed in the stereotype that smart girls or ‘nerds’ are not pretty, and I was okay with that.
Before I started modelling I worked as a field ecologist and conservationist in the Australian Outback. I’m not afraid to get down and dirty in remote and rugged environments to track rare and endangered animals. I’ve had some of the most amazing experiences while out there, and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat! At my core I am a wild child. At university I kept on following my passions and for my final year project I decided to study human evolutionary biology, focusing on sexual selection and human attraction.
This story is from the December 2016 edition of Verve.
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This story is from the December 2016 edition of Verve.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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