Archive · 11 Sep 2026
Rejected in India, Anjali Mendes Became Pierre Cardin’s Muse
Anjali Mendes was an Indian woman who was very tall, slim and dark-skinned.
Some people in India thought these features made her unsuitable for modelling.
She first tried modelling at a fashion show in 1969.
In 1971, she travelled to Paris with little money.
Pierre Cardin saw her and immediately hired her as a house model.
She worked with him for 12 years and became famous in the fashion world.
Later, she helped run Cardin’s India operations and became interested in cooking.
Anjali died in 2010, but her story is remembered because traits others rejected helped make her successful.
Anjali Phyllis Mendes was rejected in India for being considered too tall, dark-skinned and skinny.
She entered modelling after joining a 1969 fashion show choreographed by Jeannie Naoroji.
In Paris in June 1971, Pierre Cardin hired her as his house model after a brief audition.
Mendes remained associated with Cardin for 12 years and also modelled for other major fashion houses.
She later managed Cardin’s India operations, wrote a cookbook and died from a stomach infection in 2010.
- Who
- Anjali Phyllis Mendes, an Indian model who became associated with Pierre Cardin.
- What
- She went from being rejected in India to becoming Pierre Cardin’s house model and a prominent Paris-based model.
- When
- She began modelling in 1969, reached Paris in June 1971, and died in 2010.
- Where
- She began her career in India and achieved major success in Paris.
- Why
- Pierre Cardin recognised and valued the height, skin tone and slim build that had led to her rejection in India.
Indian Beauty Standards
Parisian Fashion Recognition
Appearance and suitability
Indian Beauty Standards
In India, Mendes was reportedly dismissed as too tall, too dark-skinned and too skinny, and was compared unfavourably with conventional models.
Parisian Fashion Recognition
Pierre Cardin saw those same characteristics as distinctive strengths and hired her immediately as his house model.
Her place in fashion
Indian Beauty Standards
Early reactions in India treated her height and appearance as unusual, including calling her “Daddy Long Legs” and “Ethiopian Princess.”
Parisian Fashion Recognition
In Paris, her height and long legs helped her open shows and become a recognised model for several major fashion houses.
Career direction
Indian Beauty Standards
Her Indian modelling career initially did not develop as successfully as she and her supporters hoped.
Parisian Fashion Recognition
After gaining recognition in Paris, she returned to work behind the ramp by managing Cardin’s India operations and later pursued cooking and writing.
- Birth name
- Phyllis Mendes
- First major fashion opportunity
- A 1969 Indian fashion show linked to the Eve’s Weekly Miss India contest
- Arrival in Paris
- June 1971, with a return ticket and 150 francs
- Pierre Cardin relationship
- She became his house model and remained his muse for 12 years
- Other fashion houses
- Ungaro, Givenchy and Schiaparelli
- Later career
- She managed Pierre Cardin’s India operations for nearly 18 years
- Death
- She died in 2010 from a stomach infection