A Career-Spanning Across Cultures 

A Guiding Passion 

As an immigrant, finding the middle ground which bridges your heritage to your new homeland can often take a toll on one’s self-identification. However, Trisha Sood, a local turned international model, has challenged the bridge and used her footing in both India and Canada as a means of expanding her career. 

At the influential age of 11, Trisha Sood moved to Edmonton, along with her family, from the ever-so-busy city of New Delhi, India. Upon arriving, the new environment and culture turned the typically outgoing and energetic girl into a timid and shy student as she navigated a world with new accents, lingo and expectations. Despite the change in her overall demeanour, her quick adjustment and rebound to her usual lively behaviour unlocked an array of opportunities. 

As she opened up and assimilated among her peers, Trisha came to learn about modelling, a hobby that some of her classmates from school had picked up. As a child, she had had a deep fascination towards the fashion industry. The dressing up, the make-up, the hairstyling had all led her to enroll in dance as a kid, and with age, the passion grew within her, leading her towards exploring the world of modelling. 

Guided by the support of her friends and family, Trisha signed with a local modelling agency at the age of 15. Despite the evolving inclusivity of the modelling industry which is slowly occurring, particularly in small industries, a decade ago, the diversity and representation were not as visible. Thus, while being one of the only Indian girls who were a part of the modelling agency at the time, Trisha saw it more as an opportunity to blossom and bring exposure to not only herself, but her culture. 

“There had been so many times in my life where I had been the only person of colour in a room, so I didn’t feel out of place.”

A Steady Start 

In 2013, a local pageant, organized by her modelling agency, served as the launching pad for Trisha and her modelling career. The Miss Teen Edmonton pageant was a platform she was initially hesitant to partake in, given her lack of experience with pageants at the time. However, with the immense support from her parents, along with a few short weeks of training, Trisha was crowned Miss Teen Edmonton 2014.

Winning gave Trisha not only a boost in confidence that she had the skills required to prosper in the business, but also a sense of pride that she, as the only South Asian participant in the pageant, was able to serve as a representing figure for the community. Having an ethnic background, she felt she often had an advantage, as she held greater experiences expanding across cultures.

The victory introduced Trisha to a plethora of opportunities. From commercials to photoshoots, to TV interviews, she was slowly expanding her horizon and creeping into more elaborate appearances. Like most things, there were both pros and cons to these new breaks. While she was given opportunities to model Indian attire, which gave some initial momentum to her career, the smaller industry of the locally based projects capped the growth of her path. 

There were several occasions in which Trisha considered returning to India to develop her career further, knowing the opportunities there were endless. When the suggestion of a scouting agent implied she would have a greater chance for a career in India given her skin tone, her optimism allowed her to garner those words as guidance towards an industry in which she would succeed. 

Success Overseas  

Following a few years of pondering and the completion of her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Alberta, Trisha hopped across the Atlantic ocean to begin her journey in India, entering the Miss Diva 2017 pageant, a national feeder pageant for Miss Universe. 

Despite her months of hard work and sense of connection with her homeland, being the only participant hailing from outside of the country, in a pageant seeking a national representative, seemed to act as a shortcoming. 

“Because it was a national pageant and they wanted someone to represent India, I don’t think it was very advantageous to have come from outside.”

 Trisha remained proud of her participation in the national pageant, having won the titles of Miss Spectacular Eyes, Best Body and was voted Miss Congeniality by her competitors. She was proud that the effort she had put in had allowed her to leave the pageant not only with a handful of titles, but lasting camaraderie among her fellow challengers. 

Seeking a middle ground

“I felt a bit lost. It’s something that people who immigrate at an influential age feel – you have a bit of an identity crisis about where you want to be and who you want to be.”

With a hold in both countries, but lacking the sense of belonging in either one, Trisha questioned what she wanted and where she wanted to be. She remained in India for about 6 months following the Miss Diva pageant, doing several fashion shows and commercials, yet felt that making a concrete decision about her career at such a young age was a hasty choice. 

Photos of Trisha in traditional Indian costume. Photo provided by Trisha.

With the knowledge that she gained through her experiences, she returned to Edmonton to continue pursuing modelling while simultaneously working a commercial real-estate job. Her modelling career allowed her to mesh both cultures and create an identity that is strong and unique to her own experiences, acting as a bridge between her two selves. 

Photos provided by Trisha.

Optimism for Opportunistic  

“It’s a requirement-based industry.” 

Whether it be in Mumbai or in Edmonton, Trisha admits that people of colour are cast based on the requirements of their appearance in the given project. She scored an audition in India which required a Middle Eastern look for a commercial which was filmed in Istanbul which later aired in Pakistan. The ethnic range that this one commercial held represents how opportunities may lie far from where you expect them to be, regardless of where you feel you belong. 

 As the product of two worlds, Trisha’s success and ongoing modelling career, both here and abroad, serves as an inspiration to many aspiring models of Asian heritage, demonstrating that chances may reside outside of your prospects. While Trisha admits that times are changing and opportunities for coloured people are slowly opening up, it is important to be realistic about your aims and remain confident that there is a chance out there. 

Follow Trisha Sood on her Instagram: @trishasood