Sneha Sridhar: In Her Light
“Each step, each pose, felt like a spark of recognition. My body remembered. My spirit reconnected.”
Text: VIONNE Magazine | Photography: Sanoj Mathew
Model: Sneha Sridhar | Runway Coach: Solitha Shortte
Reclaiming Light: The Quiet Resilience of Sneha Sridhar
After a devastating personal loss turned her world upside down, Sneha Sridhar found herself thousands of miles from home—searching not just for stability, but for herself. From India to Ireland to Canada, her path has been one of quiet strength, deep introspection, and eventually, rediscovery.
When she stepped onto the runway at Halifax Fashion Week, it wasn’t just about fashion. It was about remembrance. About reclaiming the vibrant, artistic self she thought she had lost. In this exclusive VIONNE interview, Sneha opens up about grief, growth, and how modeling became her unexpected—but undeniable—path to healing.
Shot by Sanoj Mathew, this editorial captures Sneha in her element: poised, grounded, and luminous. With the guidance of runway coach Solitha Shortte, she’s not just walking—she’s rising.
Interview with Sneha Sridhar
VIONNE: How has modelling helped you reconnect with your identity and confidence after such a life-altering loss?
Sneha: As a student, I was always the girl who thrived beyond the classroom. I led a dance troupe, represented my university as a model, and together, we brought home countless inter-college titles. After graduating, I joined Amazon, where even my manager recognized my creative spark—so much so that she gave me permission to dedicate a few hours of my workday to content creation.
It felt like everything was aligning, until life shifted in an unexpected way. One incident changed the lens through which I saw the world. The vibrant, multi-talented artist in me suddenly felt numb. I went from being a top performer to struggling with even the simplest tasks. The confidence that once defined me had vanished, and I carried that heaviness into my master’s journey and eventually, into my new life in Canada.
But healing has its own timeline. After six years of battling grief, loss, self-doubt, and unanswered questions, I finally decided to take a leap of faith. I auditioned. As I began practicing for the runway under Soli’s guidance (my runway coach)—learning to refine my poses and perfect my walk—something shifted. Each step, each pose, felt like a spark of recognition. My body remembered. My spirit reconnected. And for the first time in years, I felt like my old, carefree self again.
VIONNE: What message would you share with other young women who may be navigating grief or searching for themselves?
Sneha: I believe young women should surround themselves with people who nurture their growth—those who inspire them to become better versions of themselves, while also giving them the freedom to discover who they truly are in their own unique way, to me that was mother and my husband.
Grief, after all, is a weight that doesn’t follow a timeline. It can feel just as heavy a decade later as it did the very first day. In those moments, it’s important to remember: don’t be too hard on yourself. Healing isn’t a race. Take the time you need, allow yourself grace, and when you’re ready, embrace that second chance life always offers.
VIONNE: Do you see fashion as a form of healing or self-expression — and if so, how has it helped you tell your story?
Sneha: For me fashion is a form of self-expression, which helped me find that feeling I had when I used to excel as a kid, to find myself again through that feeling all over again. I wish I had done this way sooner.
Follow Sanoj Mathew | Sneha Sridhar | Solitha Shortte
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