South Asian Models: Ruban Rajendran

Age: 35

Background/ ethnicity: Indian

City of birth: Benin City, Nigeria

When dressing in the morning — or for a shoot — what's your internal conversation?

I wake up, think about where I’m going to be for the day, then inversely decide how comfortable I can be (I’m half kidding).

If I’m going out I want to look put together. I feel better and carry myself with that type of energy and also try to be aware of the interactions that I have that day. I definitely walk with more confidence on the days that I have my Dior Chelsea boots on.

How did you get into modeling, and what were those early days like?

I was first scouted for commercials at a gym in Vancouver, something I'd thought about but never pursued. It felt too far from the world of a mechanical engineering grad. When my agency opened a modelling division, I asked to explore it, nerves and all, since the fear of rejection used to hold me back. There was a lot to learn, and my engineering brain couldn't just let things flow. I had to optimize every step.

I signed with my agency a week before the lockdown. My first booking was a campaign with Lululemon for their membership program, which was a big deal and still is. I went on to do two more campaigns with them that year, and nothing quite beat seeing friends send me screenshots of my face sitting in their inbox.

What's clicking on your journey now, and what are you still figuring out?

One thing that's worked in my favour is that my lifestyle already supports a modelling career. I enjoy eating well, staying active, and I cook about 90% of my meals, even adapting traditional Indian dishes to keep things balanced. No pressure to overhaul anything.

What I'm still figuring out is how to advocate for myself without coming across as a prick. There's a fine line, and I'm still learning to walk it.

Is there a garment, a look, or even a texture that you keep coming back to? Something that just feels like you?

In the past couple of years I've leaned heavily into natural fabrics. I heard about the vibrational energy of materials and noticed how much synthetic clothing I owned. Maybe it's a placebo effect, but donating all my polyester and swapping to cotton and linen has made a small but noticeable difference.

Denim has taken on a whole new meaning for me. There's centuries of skill and intention behind it that I've come to really appreciate. I've accepted that good things are never cheap, and that spending a little more on pieces that last is actually the more economical choice in the long run.

Modelling is often romanticized. What do people get wrong about the craft?

People assume modelling is something you just fall into. What they don't see is turning down a butter croissant, the morning runs before work, or saying no to a second serving of biryani. What irks me most is the genetics comment. Sure, it plays a role, but I was a twig in high school. It wasn't until a traumatic event in grade 11 that I started treating the gym like a second home, and that snowballed into how I feel about myself, mentally and physically. Now my lifestyle just works,  so when I book a job and need to be on set in two days, I'm ready.

Who or what (a person, a place, a moment) shaped your eye?

First, there's my brother Mayan. He was always the guy I'd go to for fashion advice. I'd walk out thinking I was ready, and he'd hit me with that "let's try that again" look. Back into the closet we'd go, start with a base piece, and build around it. He's been all over the world drawing inspiration from the menswear space and has an eye for trends the market doesn't catch on to until they're everywhere. He hasn't missed yet.

The other is my best friend Eliza. She taught me to notice the beauty in things most people walk right past, and shifted the way I see relationship,  don't hold on too tightly, show up as yourself, and you'll attract the people who love you for it.

Is there a part of your identity — cultural or other - that you want to express in the fashion industry?

We don't need any more new clothes. We could be repurposing what we already have and finding new ways to wear it, even if that causes some waves in an industry built around selling. It's something I stand by enough that I built an app to help men style outfits from what's already in their closet. We all have those pieces that sit forgotten for years, bought on impulse with no idea how to wear them. I'm trying to solve that.

What would you tell a younger version of yourself about this industry?

"Rejection will find you. There will be a time you go around Toronto with a friend to open castings at some of the big agencies and get rejected by all of them. It will be tough and it will crush your motivation,  but it will also strengthen your resilience. Not immediately, but you'll rebuild. And then you'll end up on multiple Lululemon campaigns, fly to Paris for the LV F/W runway castings, and meet Pharrell. The industry is always changing. Keep going."

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