Brown Girls for Guess — Hollywood, Take Note!

Priyanka Chopra — a name I've known since childhood, thanks to Indian moms and their obsession with Bollywood gossip — is Guess brand's first Indian model! Chopra will be the face of the brand's Holiday 2013 campaign, which was shot by Bryan Adams. The photos are in the traditional tousled, retro-sexy vibe Guess has made famous, which ultimately launched several stellar careers, including Anna Nicole Smith's and Cindy Crawford's.

It's super cool that the very quintessentially American brand has an Indian woman as the face of their new campaign and in an interview with Women's Wear Daily, Chopra said: "I'm like their first brown model. For a global fashion brand, for them to move their campaign into a global space, for me it's an honor."

Finally, the major players in the fashion industry are beginning to diversify — although it's long overdue, it's wonderful to see Chopra, someone who does not fit the traditional Western ideals of beauty, as the face of a major campaign. Especially for a brand like Guess that has often used that blonde-haired, blue-eyed Bardot girl time and time again.

Though the choice may be surprising to American audiences — and to Chopra herself — she's extremely visible on the global scale. Chopra was the youngest winner of the Miss Universe competition, being crowned in 2000 when she was only 17. She's been in like, a million Bollywood movies, and is an advocate for children's rights; she was named the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador for Children's Rights in 2010.

Hollywood could take a page from Guess' book. There is very little visibility of Indian, and more broadly, South-East Asian women on television. Among the few rank Padma Lakshi, the host of Top Chef; Hannah Simone, Cece from New Girl; Freida Pinto, who rose to fame with Slumdog Millionaire; and of course my person idol, Mindy Kaling, who does everything and is hilarious always.

Though a handful of Indian women in Hollywood have reached far-reaching success, the fact remains that they are still only a handful. It's amazing that Chopra is the face of Guess — hopefully this means she will transition to acting, too. Or at least widen the idea of what beautiful and American can be, in both fashion and in Hollywood.

Here are her beautiful photos, inspired by Sophia Loren:

Images: Guess