Neelam Gill is a Britain-based fashion model and activist. She became the first model of Indian origin who featured in a Burberry campaign in 2014.
Wiki/Biography
Neelam Gill was born on Thursday, 27 April 1995 (age 25 years; as of 2022) in Coventry, West Midlands, England. Her zodiac sign is Taurus.
A childhood photograph of Neelam Gill
A photograph of Neelam in her teenage
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5’10”
Weight (approx.): 45 kg
Hair Colour: Brown
Eye Colour: Brown
Body Measurements (approx.): Bust 33, waist 26, hips 36
Family
Neelam Gill belongs to a Sikh family.
Parents & Siblings
Her stepfather’s name is Harpreet Gill and her mother’s name is Rajan Gill who is a makeup artist. She has two younger sisters Jasmine gill and Millian (stepsister).
Neelam Gill (extreme right) with her stepfather (extreme left), mother (second from left), younger sister Jasmine (second from right), and the youngest sister Millan
Husband & Children
She is unmarried.
Relationships/Affairs
In 2015, there was a rumour that Neelam Gill is dating the English Singer Zayn Malik. According to the rumours, Gill first met Zayn in London and afterwards kept in contact with him.
Career
During her school days, Neelam Gill was signed by Model 1 agency (the top agency in Europe), at the age of 14. In 2013, she made her debut on the catwalk for Burberry’s fashion show, as a global exclusive during London Fashion Week. The following year, she became the first Indian model featured in a Burberry campaign. She was also selected by Kanye West to be starred in his Adidas show at New York Fashion Week 2014. Neelam Gill became the face of the popular brand Abercrombie & Fitch in 2015.
Neelam Gill in the Fall Campaign of Abercrombie & Fitch
She has walked runways for various fashion shows and events including the Ashish show during London Fashion Week ASpring/Summer collections 2017, in London, United Kingdom on 19 September 2016.
Neelam Gill in Ashish Show during London Fashion Week ASpring/Summer collections 2017
She also walked the runway for “Oxfam Fashion Fighting Poverty Autumn/Winter 2019” during the London Fashion Week show at Ambika p3, London.
Neelam Gill at Oxfam Fashion Fighting Poverty Autumn/Winter 2019
In 2017, she became the first British Indian ambassador of L’Oréal Paris. Neelam Gill became the first digital cover star for the French-British magazine, Marie Claire, flaunting Dior’s SS20 fashion and beauty. She was featured on the cover page of various famous magazines like Stylist Magazine, Vogue India Magazine, and Harrods Magazine. She has also appeared in commercials for various brands such as Dior, Puma, and Western Union. Besides being a model, Neelam is also a spokesperson. She delivered a speech about ”Resilience & Recovery” at TEDx Talks on 29 June 2021.
Awards, Honours, Achievements
- In 2019, British Vogue recognised Neelam Gill as one of the seven young activists featured in their October issue.
- In 2020, she was enlisted in the in ‘The Sikh 100 under 30 list’ at the Sikh Peoples Choice Award.
Favourites
- Singers: Drake, Kanye West, and Jay-Z
- TV Shows: Keeping up with the Kardashians, The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and The Great British Bake Off
- Designer: Burberry, Alexander Wang, and Balenciaga
- Beauty Product: MAC Snob (lipstick)
- Places: Brazil, New York, and Maldives
- Book: And The Mountains Echoed
- Model: Naomi Campbell and Jourdan Dunn
Facts/Trivia
- Neelam Gill shared an Instagram post in January 2014 in which she shared about the divorce of her parents and the reason behind changing her surname from Johal to Gill. She wrote,
Before people start asking why I have changed my second name from Johal to Gill, I thought it was better for me to explain. My parents divorced when I was young, and I have no contact with my biological father. The man in the picture is my ‘stepdad’ but in my heart he is my real Dad because he has been the one who has raised me and loved me like no other. He is truly one in a million and I’ve been meaning to change my last name for a long time because I’m proud to be his daughter.”
- She loves to read books and shop in her free time.
- Neelam Gill prefers the ancient Indian method to keep her eyebrows tidy for which she was chosen as an ambassador for Blink Brow Bar.
- Being her origin in India, she was invited by British Airways for the launch of its Dreamliner service from London to New Delhi and requested to appear in Indian attire along with her fellow British model Suki Waterhouse.
Neelam Gill with Suki Waterhouse during the promotion of British Airways
- Neelam Gill suffered depression and anxiety at the beginning of her modelling career.
- During her school days, she was bullied by other students and called “paki” for her dusky complexion. In an interview, while talking about this, she said,
I remember being a kid and walking to school and someone shouting ‘Paki’ out the window. That was just so normal.” - The model talks about the concerns like bullying, racism and depression in her video blogs ‘rants.’ She also conjoined with body confidence activist Harnaam Kaur, (The Bearded Lady), to discuss their bullying experiences at school and on social media.
Neelam Gill with Harnaam Kaur (The Bearded Lady)
- In 2017, Neelam Gill accompanied the Canadian singer Justin Biber, on his Purpose World Tour to India.