Hi guys, please face episode if you can find. On this episode, we have an incredible guest. We have a sensational Rishi Page. Rishi is a model with fellow management. Rishi just recently was on the curve edit at the Australian Fashion League. Rishi is a very popular influencer and highly demand as a model. Rishi is building up quite the following in her modeling career today. Welcome, Rishi, and thanks for coming on the podcast.
Thanks so much for having me, Nick. It's great.
You're welcome. How's it all been going down in Melbourne?
Yeah, good. It's all um, you know, out of the pandemic, it's it's really nice to be able to just go to a cafe again just to live and yeah, do all the fun things that we've missed so much. And Melbourne being such a busy city, um, you really miss that. So it's nice to even have events back again and yeah, just kind of some type of normality. That's what's really good.
Incredible. Tell me how um the pandemic affected you, being a model and being an influencer. How how did that affect you?
Well, I only recently joined as a curve model, uh, as of last year, mid about this time last year. So when the pandemic happened, it was sort of kind of like that snowball effect. I feel like everyone turned to social media and I did too. I really kind of went all in, and um it was good, it was equally good timing and uh good timing for myself to really explore my own skills because that's kind of how I was able to uh leap into the space, if you will.
And then uh a year later I uh was scouted by a Bella Management, and then yeah, it's sort of I I wish I could say it was all planned, but it really wasn't. It's sort of it feels like I was in the right spot at the right time.
Fantastic. All right, um, let's jump straight into it. Take us back and tell us about your incredible journey. Um, you're adopted um from India up to Australia. Tell me about that process and I guess um your life up to now.
Yeah, so I was adopted from Calcutta, India. I came to Australia when I was four months old and I arrived on Christmas Day. So it was a again, not very, it was there's structure there with adoption, but my parents literally, my adoptive parents literally got the call, I believe it was the night before uh Christmas Christmas Eve, and they kind of had to just go with it. You know, they got told that I was in Singapore at the time with my social worker and that I they needed to be at the airport.
It was very uh a huge surprise for my extended family as well. So yeah, it's been really good growing up with a family that has only treated me as their own and you know, made me feel so normal in what could have been a world where I might not. I, you know, there's there's heaps of examples of people that have been adopted and just didn't quite feel uh like they fit in as well.
So I've I'm very privileged, very lucky to have parents who have done that work of making me feel so accepted and uh in a world where I learned very quickly that not everyone does accept you. So I've had that foundation, which is great.
Yeah, that's great insights. Uh um, tell me about the modeling career. Um, and you obviously fella management, obviously well respected, you know, very, very well regarded in the industry. Tell me about that experience and joining them.
Yeah, so I got an email, yeah, no, sorry, a DM, a DM from Bella, uh, their social media team, and they just wanted to see if I could come in for a meeting. And at this point, my idea of what a model is is tall, um thin, and you know, they fit a specific category. So for them to reach out and ask uh specifically about modeling, I was, you know, half of my heart was in it, half of it wasn't.
And I was very confused because I was like, you know, I model on Instagram because you have that control, but to actually be considered as a model for your career is very different. And I definitely I definitely denied that. So anyway, they I had a meeting with them, and then the rest is sort of history. It's definitely a has been a uh a process, you know. I've had to get my digitals and I've had to kind of start from square one.
I don't have the same experiences I do with social media, so this is a completely new avenue, and I've I've dabbled in a few campaigns here and there, but it's definitely a new world that I'm really excited to explore.
That's very exciting. And um, tell me about they put you on the curve edited at the Australian Fashion Week a couple of weeks ago. Tell me about that and what that experience was like.
So I I didn't get to, I was invited to go and I was unable to make it to Sydney that week, but I I watched from the sidelines here on my phone, and I've never felt so proud and empowered. And I and I think that what was really special about the Curve Edit was how it made me specifically feel was excited to be me. And I think that was something that was really missing, and it just shows you the power of visibility in fashion.
You know, when you see yourself not just represented but celebrated, and you know, the the models there looked amazing and they were it was this massive uh fashion moment that I just left going, oh my god, I'm so excited for fashion. I'm so excited to wear clothes, which you know, as a short, curvy woman, that's not always the experience when you go shopping. It's um it can be a really tiresome and and mentally draining experience going shopping.
So to see fashion displayed on people that I could relate to was really exciting. And I'm so proud of Chelsea and everyone who was involved in creating the Curve Edit for this year. That was a historical moment, and I I'm so excited for what's next.
That is sensational, that is absolutely incredible. Tell me too, there is obviously the changing of the guide now in the industry where it's headed to the way of Kirby women and everything relating to that, I guess, um, and the world's changing. Talk to me about that and how that um obviously where where you believe it is headed towards as well.
I believe wholeheartedly that people are listening and that we are on a journey and a path to really honing in on visibility. I can't wait for the clothing to reflect that. I think we're heading towards a route where gender norms are no longer questioned and you can actually shop and not feel that you have, you don't have to feel shame for shopping in a specific gender or um you can shop clothes that are gonna not categorize you. I feel like that's where we're heading.
I am really excited for for stores to just be a really welcomed space and where anyone can walk in and not feel shamed or you know, questioned as to why are you wanting to wear a suit when you look this way, or why are you wanting to wear women's wear when you look this way? I think that's really exciting to kind of break those rules and those boundaries that have been set in place for such a long time.
And it's going to be a really exciting time for people to be able to express themselves however they decide to express themselves. That's that's all it is. It's a very simple, a simple baseline there. People just want to be able to have that freedom to express who they are and present how they want to present without any of the shame, embarrassment, or any of the boundaries that are blocking them.
Yeah, that's sensational. And you know, you represent the future too. So yeah, that's that's great insights. Thanks for sharing that. Tell me, too, on a personal level for yourself, your body image um generally going back and how that's reflected now, I guess, the confidence you have. Um, yeah, tell me about that.
Body image, I wish I could say that how I perceive myself is 100% cured, fixed, and I will forever be an ultimate confident person. That is absolutely not true. But what I constantly work on is viewing my body image as something to be proud of, and and constantly working that that dialogue within my brain, because it's it's that little voice that comes in and says, Oh my god, you don't fit this beauty standard.
And it's that little voice that comes and says, Well, if you looked this way, maybe you would you would have uh jumped this stepping stone. And it's a lot of self-dialogue that you have to constantly strengthen. And they go hand in hand because when I'm able to feel that way, I'm able to display those moments uh when I do content creation or when I when I talk on a panel. I can actually show that um and not just write about it.
So I think body image is something I hope that, you know, I I I get told a lot that I'm very confident and that it radiates from me, but I'm only able to do that because I've been in such a terrible situation where my confidence has been devalued and challenged. So it's it's an ongoing journey. I I'm not sure if I'll ever be 120% confident every single day.
I don't think that's a realistic expectation of being human, especially with the way media and our fashion industry, our beauty industry navigate what that beauty standard is. So I think if you can put in that work, that mental work to defeat those voices, external, internal, all of those voices, I think that's something really valuable for yourself.
Yeah, that's that's really great insights. You know, you should be very proud, you know, you don't know who's listening and who you're obviously motivating to, you know, to have that attitude. So it's quite inspiring. Um tell me about the content you created even before the modeling and what that looks like now. What makes good content?
So I was stuck in a rhythm of creating content that I that was only trending or that I thought I could only do. I think it was once I I viewed other pieces of content or content that I thought was not achievable and attempted to do that, was when I saw success in my own content. So for example, seeing I'm very inspired by a lot of professional beauty campaigns, um, you know, Tom Ford beauty campaigns, or when I see uh Mecca do a campaign, I'm like, oh, I love the way that was shot.
And instead of completely just leaving that way of filming and uh telling a story in a in a uh sense to that brand, I'm like, why can't I try and do something like that? And of course, I don't have the professional cameras and everything, I've just got my phone. But I think when I started incorporating some of those elements of the people that are already winning and the people that are already doing those crazy amazing things, that's when I was able to see some traction.
And um, people noticed that the content I was creating was um of a different level. And it was um really, really exciting because my visions were coming to life. And you know, sometimes I would see a fancy beauty campaign. I'm like, oh my God, I really want to do something like that. And I would do it, it wouldn't be exactly the same.
It still has that rawness of a creator at home just fluffing about with their skincare and doing all that stuff, but I was really excited to incorporate some of those professional elements from those major campaigns. And I think also what makes great content is staying true, very cliche, but staying true to yourself, always having that element of you in that piece of content. Tell a story, be purposeful with your content. Uh, and don't be afraid to get on trends.
I think I was very cautious of always being on trends because my ego got in the way and I was like, I don't want to do trends, but they are important, they're trends for a reason. Use them to your advantage and still stay in your own lane.
It's amazing.
Whilst also taking your foot out. I feel like it's that balance between doing your content, staying true to you, so that you're recognizable for oh, that is this person's content. I recognize that, but don't be afraid to yeah, just incorporate the elements or the tools that are accessible to you on social media. You've got so much to work with.
Amazing. Tell me what are what are the three things that brands are attracted to?
Well, it's hard. I I for a long time I didn't know. I would my my sabotage and be like, why? I don't, you know, when I in 2020 I only had 2,000 followers, and so I and still I don't if you compare me to a macro creator, I'm so small, I'm really small, and I still was like, is it is it they're not here for the numbers. I really don't understand why they're here or why they why I'm getting emails to partner with brands.
And there's a time and a and a moment where you have to start believing so hard in your craft and and your your skill that you have to accept the fact that brands are there for you because you're being you. And I had to do that. I can't sit there day in, day out going, I don't know why they're here, but I'll just take the the opportunity. You have to know why you're here and you have to know why they are coming to you.
And I do believe that it's because uh I showcase authenticity, I I showcase a purpose for not just myself, but a message that I hope reaches other people to really embrace who they are without being so cliche and and um and all that. I I really want people to defeat those current standards. And I think intertwining message, engaging content, and uh authenticity, I do believe that perhaps that could be a reason why brands are um interested.
Yeah, definitely. I definitely believe you're very genuine, authentic, and that resonates too. So definitely couldn't agree more with that. Um thank you. You're welcome. All right, so tell me about being vulnerable in the industry and what actually, even more, what advice would you give to anybody young that wants to take your footsteps? What advice would you give them as well?
I would say be prepared to have moments where you are going to self-reflect a lot and have those vulnerable moments where you're not where you're not sure. Be prepared for those moments because when you defeat those moments, you're unstoppable. And if you can understand that this is not going to be a matter of a walk in the park, if you're going down social media route, uh specifically, it's not as simple as picking up your phone and taking a uh a selfie. That's that's that's the bare minimum.
That is if I have a little bit of time and I'm like, ah, I can actually fit something in. But that is not it at all. There is uh editing, there's filming, there's modeling, there's uh learning product information, uh research and planning. You have to plan your content ahead. If you want to be organized, you need to be prepared to post regularly. I know a lot of people get a bit frightened of posting or being annoying.
You need to be annoying, you need to put your face out there and be unapologetic, you know. Do what you need to do, and you have to ignore the voices that could be saying, Oh, why are you doing this? This is so embarrassing. Who do you think you are? That's that that was my dialogue for a very long time. And I grew up in a very small town, so starting social media was very it felt uncomfortable because people would probably think, What is she, what does she think she's doing?
You know, I didn't grow up in a big city where you could almost just slide in and just do what you need to do. All eyes were on me for a minute there, and um, you have to just ignore it and just keep pushing forward. I think also if you're going to go into social media, specifically creation or uh writing, you need to be flexible and um adaptable, I would say.
You need to be able to be hungry for it, and there's gonna be opportunities that might test you and make make you want to shrivel in and say, Oh, I can't do that. If you can step outside of that comfort zone and actually say, I I my initial response is that I can't do that, but I hack I actually haven't tried, so I'm gonna give it a go. And I think that's like if you told me I was gonna be considered a writer, I would have said, I shut my laptop when I finished uni.
That was never happening again, and now I've had to go buy a new laptop because I needed a good quality computer to help me with my writing, and I just would never have thought that because I it did go beyond my initial response of I can't, and translated that to I can. So that would be my advice. Very long-winded, but there's a lot to think about with social media, but no, it's um yeah.
I think that's I think that's wonderful um advice, and yeah, I can agree more. You know, it takes takes a lot of courage to do, you know, things and worry about the external noises. So yeah, I think it's incredible advice that you just shared. Uh, what motivates you daily?
You know what? I in full transparency, the last two years I've been incredibly motivated, but lately I have, you know, there's times where I struggle to be motivated. And I'm very fortunate to have a partner who is also creative, and and he gets in there and says, Come on, I know what you can do.
And I would say if you have people that believe in your work to the exact same level as you do, when you when your gas is running empty, it's so handy to have people out there that are able to lift lift you up again and and do and motivate you again. So um, when I'm down, obviously I have my people and my great support system to help me out.
But when I'm good and I'm feeling motivated, what what really draws me to create or to write or or anything is learning from other people and listening to the gaps in conversation. So if I'm out, that's why coming out of the pandemic was really vital because I was missing that that conversation, that real human connection to hear how people think and and perhaps where those gaps are in terms of how we view our WIPOC community, how we how we view marginalized groups, you know.
Um, so that motivates me to create content that will challenge some of those perceptions. I'm also motivated in terms of the beauty world, I'm motivated by other creators. I love seeing work from people that inspire me, and I love taking that idea and then making it my own. So there's that, and then it's also about uh my own internal experiences. So not thinking that my experience is the only one in the world because there is someone else out there that has experienced that as well.
So taking those vulnerable moments and sharing it sometimes is what motivates me because I know it's connecting with somebody and it might help them in a way it didn't, I didn't quite get that help when I was younger. So yeah.
That's a great answer. Um, what are your passions and hobbies aside from the modeling? What do you like to do in the downtime?
Uh I love to sing and play guitar. I love going out for dinners and and um uh I love to travel. My partner's Greek, so we're going back to Greece uh in July, which is nice to be out of the country again after a huge global pandemic. It's nice to be able to travel. I love traveling, so I also love going to cafes. Sounds very boring, but I love that stuff. Melbourne is the best place for cafes and everything. Um, I obviously love makeup.
I I could you could leave me in a Sephora or a Mecca store and come back at the end of the day, and I'll still be there. So I just I can't deny that my beauty is my passion.
Wow, that's really great. I'm half Greek too, so I can definitely write there.
Oh I thought so. I had a feeling because I think I saw your last name, maybe, and I was like, hey, that sounds great.
Um, and tell me, what where do you want to take your career into the future? What what are what are the future projects and yeah, where do you see yourself headed overall?
Well, I another thing about this this industry is is that there is a lot of unknown, and I can't tell you exactly where I see myself. I have dreams, of course, but there's things that have happened to me in my career that I could never have thought of and never have thought they'd happen to me specifically. So it's hard to say where do I see myself, but um or what kind of visual or tangible things that I have in mind.
There is one thing I suppose with my um inclusive series Faces of Australia that was uh interviewed by the uh through Instagram next and Pinterest recently. I really hope to create an extension of that this year. And that's a a very achievable goal, but it it takes a lot of work. So I hope to see that. Everything else, I I'm just an open mind ready to accept anything. So who knows?
Oh that's incredible, and definitely your trajectory so far is incredible. So you're on a really, really good path.
Ah, thank you. Hopefully.
I believe so. Uh yeah, Rishi, thanks. Thanks for joining the podcast. I do appreciate it. And just what I said and alluded to you. I think uh your trajectory and where you're going is incredible and keep doing the amazing stuff.
Thank you so much. Thanks so much for having me. It was fantastic.
I had fun, thank you.