The one thing (or variations of it) that I am often asked:
The one thing (or variations of it) that I am often asked: Why is there a dearth of local models in local magazines? Which implies (well, to me, anyway) that we are not featuring enough Singapore models. If local doesn’t stand up for local and show local, who will, right?
It’s not so straightforward, because there’s context behind everything, including the local modelling scene.
I was born in the 1960s, so I can’t speak for that era – I was too young to be interested in anything but playing, and the music of the 1970s. But I do know that in the 1980s and 1990s, we had a lot of local models: Ethel Fong, Pat Kraal, Zoe Tay, the late Bonnie Hicks – all were regular faces in HW.
The 2000s were a different time, when global overtook local. And that was when the modelling scene here became international.
Now that we are at the tail end of another decade, history is repeating itself. The difference between then and now? The fresh faces – like the fi ve here we’ve selected for this issue – are less cookiecutter or merely reflective of a current standard. They are looking to represent themselves in the best possible way, using modelling to help others, and to have a louder, more positive, more inclusive and more unique voice. In short: Each wants to be a role model, not just a different model. – JE, creative editor
