Queen’s is Anisha Sandhu’s runway. The third-year ArtSci student struts through Union and University as if she’s just stepped off a photo shoot — to my knowledge, she probably has. 

The aspiring model met me on campus for a cup of coffee Tuesday afternoon. 

She had a sense of familiarity — not because I’d seen her face plastered all over social media with Queen’s Fashion Photography’s (QFP) Instagram or in the pages of MUSE Magazine, but rather because she radiated a down-to-earth tone that contrasted her tall height and striking looks. 

The Kingston native was running off to work at Topshop after our meeting and was dressed to sell both the brand and her image. She wore a black jumpsuit tucked into skinny jeans with perfectly winged eyeliner. Her dark complexion and flowing hair completed the look.

Sandhu looked effortlessly-polished and most impressively, comfortable. “Comfort is the number one thing. Every time I put an outfit together, I know I have to be comfortable,” she said. 

Having always been tall with a slim stature, Sandhu said in highschool, she wasn’t all that confident with her unique looks. 

“The confidence wasn’t quite there. When I got to Queen’s I was like, ‘Oh I can kind of use this to my advantage.’” Thanks to the suggestion of a friend to apply, she eventually found her calling in clubs like QFP and MUSE. 

She described her transition to being in front of the camera as “pushing myself to see myself as the model, and instead of just being like ‘I wish I could be a model.’” 

Working for QFP has really inspired her in ways she didn’t expect. Sandhu described the shoots as “extra”, opportunities for her to wear more exaggerated and out-there clothes that she wouldn’t typically wear, inspiring her style and her confidence. 

Aside from being in front of the camera, Sandhu also enjoys the creative process, whether its creating content or photographing others. Since joining, she’s become a regular model for both QFP and MUSE Magazine, as well as one of the creative directors of MUSE. 

The history major is focused on her studies right now, but hopes to head to Toronto when the year is done to take modelling from a passion to a potential career. 

The aspiring model has already been scouted this past summer by Elite Model Management, an internationally-known agency, who offered her a highly-coveted contract. 

Although she had to turn it down for academic priorities, Sandhu sees it as the moment she recognized the potential that her look and her portfolio here at Queen’s could help her break into the modelling world. 

“Just going and having the meeting and seriously considering the contract was an accomplishment to me because it was a reality check for me that this is something that I can pursue.”