Red Lotus has given them the confidence to come to terms with their identities.
29-year-old Maya and 30-year-old Gowri, who prefer to be known by their first names, are breaking stereotypes in Kerala. They are the state's first transgender models.
With Onam around the corner, Maya and Gowri have been roped in to model for a handloom line, Red Lotus, which they say has given them the confidence to come to terms with their identities.
"My friends after seeing the advertisements would ask me if I was the same woman in it. And I would confidently say - yes. This whole experience has helped me to come out in front of people, even in front of my own family," said Maya, who works as a yoga trainer.
"Maya, at least was earning her livelihood with dignity. I like writing and I have never been offered a job. This opportunity means the world to me," said Gowri.
Maya and Gowri have 25-year-old designer Sharmila Nair to thank for making them the face of her fashion label.
Ms Nair credits herself for being an unconventional designer who thinks beyond the ordinary by often picking married women as her models.
Ms Nair admits this decision was not easy with a lot of negative feedback from people around her, including shocked reactions from the transgenders she approached.
"I started with just 15 handloom sarees, and dedicated the collection to transgenders. After I released the video for Red Lotus featuring Maya and Gauri, there has been no looking back. We had to order and reorder and reorder sarees," the 25-year-old designer said.