Zinnia Kumar

Zinnia Kumar is the first ecologist to cover any international edition of Vogue Magazine in 128 years.[6][7] She is the first Indian and the first South Asian Australian to cover Australian Vogue in 62 years.[7] Zinnia appeared on the Porter Magazine August 2021 cover and was labelled 'Force of Nature'. Zinnia was named the 50 Most Influential Global Indians by Vogue India in 2019.[8][9] In 2021 Zinnia was nominated as a Social Mover and change maker by models.com.[10]

Zinnia has worked for Russh, Interview Magazine, Another Magazine, British Vogue, Vogue China, Vogue France, Vogue Italia, Vogue India[9], Vogue Australia, Harpers Bazaar among others.[11]

Zinnia is a field conservation ecologist having worked with Little Blue Penguins, invertebrates and wetland birds for the EPA, Birdlife and Department of Environment among others.[13] She is a former Australian Museum science communicator.[14] Zinnia is a CIEEM accredited Ecologist, sustainability consultant. [15]

Zinnia Kumar is a vocal colorism and Indian representation advocate and writer.[4][16][1] Zinnia is interested in decolonising and deconstructing beauty ideals and histories of scientific racism. She has researched how colorism disempowers women whilst at the University of Oxford. Her beauty advocacy involves educating, writing & speaking using mixed media.[17][3][2] Zinnia is the CEO and founder of sustainability and South Asian inclusion consultancy 'The Dotted Line'.

Zinnia has a keen interest in educational access as a tool for transformation. Zinnia spent a decade empowering refugee and disadvantaged children in Australia, India and Thailand.[18] She was selected by the Department of Foreign Affairs as a youth ambassador and is a Rotary Youth Leadership Awardee.[19]

Zinnia grew up with social anxiety she over came it by training in speaking & presenting at NIDA & RADA, she has been a member of Toastmasters International (Public Speaking Society) for a decade and is a member of The Oxford Union.[20] She has presented, spoken and delivered keynotes for British Fashion Council, Vogue, Cancer Council, H&M, Australasian Evolution Society, Australian Museum, The Australian among others. Her work covers motivational speaking and advocacy in beauty, inclusion, education, sustainability and female empowerment.[21]

Zinnia Kumar was born in Sydney, Australia to Indian parents and grew up in Sydney's south-western suburbs.[4][1] She attended a disadvantaged high school and self learned her final year studies.[16] Zinnia Kumar attended University of New South Wales for a Bachelor of Advanced Science, with First Class honours,[4] Brasenose College, Oxford University for an MPhil in Modern South Asian Studies,[22] and MSc in Industrial, Organisational and Business Psychology at University College London focusing on sustainability and increasing South Asian representation in fashion.[2]