Sanika Lahane: From a Childhood Dream in India to the International Runway
For Sanika Lahane, fashion has become a story of reinvention and proof that the dreams we carry with us don't necessarily disappear simply because life takes us in another direction.
Born and raised in Maharashtra, India, and now based in California's San Francisco Bay Area, Sanika remembers staying up at night watching Fashion TV, fascinated by models walking toward the lights and cameras. At the time, the possibility of one day moving to the United States and finding herself on those same kinds of runways seemed like little more than a distant dream.
Today, that dream looks remarkably different.
Sanika has walked multiple seasons of New York Fashion Week and Los Angeles Fashion Week, with experiences including DKNY, Donna Karan, Runway 7, Bureau Fashion Week and Break Free Runway. Her work has also expanded beyond modeling: she is now a fashion show choreographer and director, giving her the opportunity to understand the runway from both sides.
Her journey has also taken her through pageantry. Sanika was named Mrs. India 2023, 1st Place Winner, Season 2, before becoming Mrs. India International 2024 and representing India internationally. More recently, she received three Global Beauty Awards nominations, while her fashion and editorial work has appeared in publications including Vigour, MALVIE, Elements, Dolce and others.
Creating Space for Others
Yet perhaps the most interesting part of Sanika's evolving career is what she is building beyond her own success.
Through Lumorizon, an initiative centered on confidence and visibility, she hopes to create opportunities for people who may not traditionally imagine themselves belonging in fashion including women rediscovering themselves after years of careers and family responsibilities, as well as neurodivergent individuals and families.
It reflects a philosophy that has increasingly defined her work: pursuing your own ambitions can become even more meaningful when you leave the door open for someone else.
Now, Sanika is looking toward an increasingly international future, with ambitions to expand her runway career into Paris, Milan and London, while pursuing designer collaborations, campaigns and meaningful editorial opportunities.
Her motto feels particularly fitting: “If not now, when?”
For Sanika, the girl who once watched the runway from thousands of miles away has not only found her way into the lights... she is now working to make sure others have the opportunity to step into them, too.