Meet Nidhi Sunil: L’Oréal Paris’ first Indian model global ambassador

L’Oréal Paris is pleased to announce its newest global ambassador, Indian model, actress, and philanthropist, Nidhi Sunil.

This move makes Sunil the brand’s first Indian model global ambassador, although the company has previously collaborated with Bollywood actresses such as Deepika Padukone.

According to WWD, Sunil is a former environmental attorney who grew up in Kerala and started modelling back in 2011, before venturing into fashion and film. She has since been the face of many campaigns and has been featured on the covers of numerous magazines such as Italian Vogue and GQ.

Sunil is also an advisory board member and spokesperson for the Invisible Girl Project, an organisation that sheds light on ending gendercide and infanticide that disproportionately affects young girls in India. She has also spoken against issues such as colourism, penning a powerful essay on the topic for Dazed in 2019.

“Confronting perspectives on beauty and other people’s perceptions on how they view you is obviously horrific because it shapes your sense of self-worth and self-esteem,” Sunil told WWD. “Growing up, there was always this weird colonial hangover. To grow up in a country that had that much self-loathing for its own skin colour was interesting. It shaped my perception on beauty.”

In a statement, L’Oréal Paris global brand president, Delphine Viguier-Hovasse, called Sunil “a perfect spokesperson” for the brand’s message that “every girl is born worth it.”

“From lawyer to model, actress to activist, Nidhi uses her energy to speak out against colourism and gendercide and to campaign for girls to be as valued as much as boys."