Sandali

Sydney

— May 31, 2018 —

We knew Sandali was a tops human when we hung out with her in the park last year, and she told us about all the things she was excited for in the new year. Namely creating more meaningful memories, embracing any opportunities that 2018 would “cherish” her with, and improving her relationships with her friends and family. 

Now that we’ve arrived in 2018, we were blessed to be able to chill with the Sydney-based Sri Lanken angel again, where it was confirmed that she is indeed a great human being. Sandali was raised by parents who taught her to “never give up” and who instilled in her from a young age to always strive to be a “good, wholesome person regardless of wealth and status.” This upbringing enabled her to make her own decisions and judgements in all situations, and gave her the tools to become her own individual self.

She’s currently in year 11 at school. Her favourite subjects are Chemistry and Modern History, and outside of learning new concepts, the best thing about school for her is catching up with friends. Despite this, she “cannot wait to graduate” and is “literally counting down the terms” until she does. Why? “I’m excited to adopt a new freedom and hopefully be in a position that I am proud of,” she says. “I also hope to travel with my friends and family once I graduate, as there are so many places that I dream of exploring.” 

Sandali was scouted a year ago while out collecting charity donations for Red Cross—a surreal experience that her and her friends still think about. Through it, she’s been introduced to so many new people and a completely foreign industry, which is “such a dream” for her. She (rightly) believes that diverse representation in modelling is crucial, and the two models from history that she most admires most are Naomi Campbell and Aishwarya Rai. 

“Both these women are extremely beautiful and are so successful in their respective careers, and have broken boundaries to make a more accepting society for future models of diverse backgrounds,” she explains. 

When asked what she’s most excited about being a young person living in 2018, she acknowledges that the world today is completely different to how it used to be, as “we are constantly advancing and changing in our views, morals and beliefs.” She believes that we are “more aware of global issues, thus making us more likely to initiate change to create equality” and is “excited to see how the children of [her] generation can make a lasting impact in the future.” Yes! 

When getting dressed of a morning, she’s mostly concerned with finding something to wear quickly so she can eat brekky and start the day STAT. The on-screen character she relates most to is Phoebe from Friends, because she’s also “quirky, a little strange, hilarious, and an introvert at times who is still out there expressing herself.” Sandali is happiest in life when she’s with family and friends, and also when she feels that she’s on track with everything and organised, and can therefore relax with no responsibility. (Relate to that so hard!). 

She’s currently “borderline obsessed” with Lana Del Ray and Amine, and has has been rotating between ‘Red Mercedes’ by Amine, ‘Brooklyn Baby’ by Lana Del Ray and ‘Animal’ by Miike Snow, non-stop. *Adds to Spotify playlist.* If she could only eat one meal for the rest of her life, it’d be breakfast—a variation of pancakes and smoothies—but she also *needs* Pad Thai. 

To her, cool can be defined as the below: 

“I think that anyone who is confident in their own skin is cool. Particularly in today’s times, where everything is evolving, being able to hold onto one’s morals, culture, and tradition with respect is very brave, and I think that bravery is a very cool trait.”

See? Legend! 


 

Words: Maddy Woon    Images: Sarah Adamson   Fashion: Miguel Urbina Tan

Sandali is represented by:
IMG SYDNEY


Shot on location around Glebe, Australia

                    

Subscribe to Cool Pretty Cool Updates

Other Shoots