It may be hot in your neighborhood, but fall is around the corner and that means so is school! Either way, at BG we wanted to reminisce a little longer on the hot days of summer with our newest Smart, Hip, Beautiful model Namita.

Namita means humble, unpretentious.

During the day I am a professional accountant (I know, exciting right!) but at night I turn into a girl who loves to have fun either with family and friends…be it movies, dinners, happy hours or just unwinding by watching my favorite shows or reading a book.

I live by the mantra “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

If I had one day to do whatever I want, I would spend it on the beach.

I plan to rock the world in the future by getting more involved in community service and helping those in need.  

I never leave my house without my Blackberry!! If anyone has any de-addiction tips, please let me know!  

I am wonderful at being non-judgmental and always being there for my family and friends no matter what.

I wish brown people would believe in themselves and find contentment and their true passion in life rather than letting our culture dictate our profession and society dictate our life.

I think my mom is a Smart, Hip, Beautiful Brown Girl (Woman) because hands down she is my best friend and has been the rock in the family. She is supportive, has a fantastic personality, always looks for the good in people, and an excellent listener. She is someone who has always kept me strong and with whom I can talk about anything under the sun (no joke). Besides her cooking skills still make a lot of people go crazzzyyy!

How many times have you ever been asked “Where are you from?” For many Brown Girls, it’s not an easy answer. For Rizwana, our Spring model, it’s a tough call. Rizwana was born in London, raised in California, and now calls Texas her home. Not to mention, her mom is from Africa (with an Indian origin) and her dad is from India.

Here’s a little bit about Rizwana Virani in her own words:

Rizwana means happiness, good will, acceptance, and pleasure.

During the day I am a professional nerd, complete with glasses, MacBook Pro, and never-ending homework, but at night I turn into a fun-loving, laid-back girl who can enjoy anything from watching a movie with family to getting dressed up and going out all night (why does this sound like a shaadi.com ad?).

I live by the mantra “The best things in life are those which, when given, do not diminish. Whether it be a smile, a hug, light, or love, we can only gain by giving more to the world.”

If I had one day to do whatever I want I would spend it with my family and closest friends. We would go through the day without worry, fear, or hesitation. I would take that day to celebrate everything, from the simplest moment to the most monumental events. And if we happened to be on a tropical island, then so be it.

I plan to rock the world in the future by delving into the field of Pharmacy. Whether it is through research, teaching, or one patient at a time, I hope to contribute to the field and improve the lives of others. I also wouldn’t mind modeling on the side, of course!

I never leave my house without my cellphone. I finally got a smartphone and love being able to keep in touch with friends and family…and it’s always fun to play Angry Birds!

I am wonderful at teaching, dancing, listening to others, and giving advice, but horrible at sports – I love to watch, but I could never play.

I wish Brown People would never limit themselves. Rather than forcing ourselves into the box labeled “Expectations”, I wish we could bring our talents together and encourage one another to realize our dreams, no matter how big or small. This is one of the reasons why I love Brown Girl Magazine. We get a chance to unleash our creativity in the realms of fashion, beauty, and culture. It is definitely a blessing to be able to relate to other Brown Girls and open up creative possibilities.

I think my mom is a smart, hip, beautiful Brown Girl because she is a young heart with an old soul. She can connect to practically anyone and positively change someone’s mindset in a single conversation. She is compassionate, charismatic, hilarious, and carries herself with an air of elegance that always reminds me of what it truly means to be a Brown Girl (well, Woman). Besides, she can rock a sari like no other.

make up by Cher Hukill

It’s out with the old, in with new in 2011. Are you ready for an amazing 2011? Many of us are craving for some excitement and fun after a pretty tough year! Join our newest BG Model Priyanka Patel ring in the new year and get ready for to go smart.hip.beautiful in full force.

Hometown: Houston, TX

Age: 25

What you do: Market Research at Travelocity

Your dream/goals in life: To be happy no matter what I do

Hobbies/Talents: Dance (Ballet, tap, jazz), reading, hanging out with friends

A Brown Girl you admire: Kamala Harris (half Indian and half Jamaican) – the first  female Indian American District Attorney

What you love about being a Brown Girl: I love being a brown girl because I feel that we have such strong sense of community in the South Asian community. I also love being a brown girl because I love being able to dress up in our beautiful outfits! =)

Favorite quote: “A woman who does not stand up for social injustice is an injustice in itself”

The year is winding down and we’re getting closer to the holiday season. Are you ready for the family, shopping, lights, and craziness that the holidays bring? Well before you go high flying into the holidays, take some time and wind down with us. BG is proud to feature Sai Sadhu as our new cover girl.

Hometown: Houston, TX

Age: 23

What you do: Currently working as certified pharmacy technician, but will be starting medical school in 2011.

Your dream/goals in life: T become a surgeon and a health ambassador

Hobbies/Talents: Kathak (classical dance), Tennis, volunteering at Memorial Hermann, modeling, reading

A Brown Girl you admire: A woman I truly admire is Dr. Reenu Khator (President of University of Houston)

What you love about being a Brown Girl: That I have to strive to find a balance between my traditional and American values!

Favorite quote: ‘In this bright future, you can’t forget your past’ -Bob Marley

Feeling the weather outside? Temperatures are dropping, colors are changing, and we’re gearing up for the fall. And the best part about October? Halloween, yes, but it’s also Brown Girl’s Birthday!

October’s cover girl, Barkha Naik, helps us bring in the fall and the birthday festivities!

Hometown: Longview, TX

Age: 27 will be 28 Oct 13th!

What you do: I’m a Montessori teacher.

Your dream/goals in life: My dream is to live on a tropical island (haha) and my goal in life is to open up a Montessori school or a Private Preschool.

Hobbies/Talents: I love to shop, paint when I have time, and decorate.  Talents are painting. I’m an outdoor person, I like trying new things and new foods.

A Brown Girl you admire:  Madhuri Dixit

What you love about being a Brown Girl: I love our culture/food/music, and that our culture imbibes the purest meaning of respect.

Inspirational Brown Girl quote: My grandfather once told me that there were two kinds of people: those who do the work and those who take the credit. Try to be in the first group; there was much less competition.- Indira Gandhi

You can see the complete Fall shoot on our flickr page or facebook fan page!

modeling by ‘Tygrr’ DosRemedios

Photoshoot information:

1. Wakesurf: ShredStixx boards by slayshTank (http://slayshtank.com/)

2. Surfing: Dan Taylor board, slayshTank apparel

model ‘Tygrr’ DosRemedios

Waiting for finals to be done so you can bask in the sun? Well, it’s almost over, and we’re here for you!

Check out our newest BG model, Saba Danawala, as she lives our her summer dreams.

check out the complete photoshoot on our flickr page and our facebook fan page.

Join model Puja Amin in celebrating the beginning of a new month!

see the complete shoot on our Flickr page or on our Facebook Fan Page!

Meet our newest model Akriti Pokhrel.

I was born in Nepal, Kathmandu and I moved to Texas 6 years back with my family. I’m loving Texas very much because it’s a very laid back and calm state which kind of defines me. By nature I’m a very calm and quite person!

Life took a completely different turn for me when I came down here with my family. I completely had no idea what to expect here. Being in new surroundings with new people always scares me. It took a while for me to adjust but at the end I can say that I completely love being here. I’m currently pursuing a Bachelors in Medicine. I always had the inner desire to work at hospitals especially at a Children Hospital. I just love being around children. I plan on working at Children Hospital once I pursue my degree.

Working full time and going to school full time seems quite a lot. But, it’s not that hard as it seems like. You always need to manage your time accordingly. In fact, I chose to go to school and work full time because it keeps me busy all the time. I see everyday as an accomplishment. It’s a great feeling when you get paid for your hard work. Which is exactly how I feel at the end of the day when I come home tired of a long day at school and work.

My family has always been supportive no matter what I do. All I can say is I m one of the luckiest to have such a great family. Even though I want to pursue a career in a medicine, my love for modeling had always been growing within me. As of right now, I m enjoying my school and work. Needless to say, I m enjoying my life at the moment. In the coming few years, hopefully I see myself being a part of Children Hospital and of course Modeling is my first love. Always will be. I thank Brown Girl Magazine for giving me this opportunity to be a part of them.

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