Having recently returned to Bangalore from the Mrs. Universe 2014 pageant held at Kuala Lumpur, Sandhya Aiyer Oza bagged the title of Mrs. Photogenic there. This 40-year-old mother of two juggles her time between the high-fashion world of modelling and motherhood.
In the early 90s, when not too many girls were trying their hand at modelling, Sandhya was picked from her college in Trivandrum for a fashion show, as she was one of the few slim and tall girls sighted there. From there she began her foray into the world of modelling and did several ramp shows in Kerala.
“A few years later my family moved to Bangalore and I began working with choreographers like Michael Vasant and Salim Sait,” explains Sandhya. She even did a few advertising campaigns for ethnic-wear brands like Shantala Silks and Jain Brothers, a jewellery company.
“In 2000 I got married and moved to London. I did some ramp work there too; along with several charity fashion shows for the Indian community. Upon my return to India I took to modelling here again and have done some campaigns for Hiya (weaves), a jewellery brand called Paarisha, local newspaper Vijaya Karnataka and some others. I was also the show stopper at the Madras Fashion Week held in August this year,” she tells.
Unlike other models, Sandhya is also an entrepreneur and manages two successful business ventures. “I am a certified image consultant and have my own company called Dressmart by Sandhya Oza. I also run Curry Classes, a cooking class meant for expats that I started in order to break the myth most foreigners hold towards Indian cooking,” she explains. Though her classes this enterprising lady tries to educate people on the health benefits of Indian cooking and how Indian cooking techniques can be simplified.
Her advise to aspiring models – eat right! Yes, Sandhya is not a fan of diets and believes that anything consumed in moderation helps keep the body fit and healthy. She also stresses on the importance of posture and how it is important for those keen on modelling to never slouch and stand tall. Taking good care of one’s hair and skin are also mandatory, she says.
