Life isn’t all tantrums and tiaras for The New Paper New Face winner KIM MIN. She shares the life lessons gleaned from her experience.
Life isn’t all tantrums and tiaras for The New Paper New Face winner KIM MIN. She shares the life lessons gleaned from her experience.
#1 Take things in your stride “The judges interact with us backstage and during hair and makeup sessions to assess our personality, which is a key component of the New Face competition. They’ll observe how you react when the makeup artist and hairstylist are doing your face and hair. Even if you feel the look isn’t your style, you just do your best to work the look.”
#2 Stay positive and have fun “Whenever I go for auditions or castings, I remind myself that it’s for the fun of it. I don’t expect anything, so if something good comes out of it, I’ll be surprised. If not, I’ll take it as a positive learning experience. There are more important takeaways than winning, like the people you meet and the skills you cultivate. It’s very easy to get sidetracked or distracted when things are buzzing around you, especially backstage – when the girls start agonising over their slip-ups, you might start worrying too. I always remind myself to stay strong and focused.”
#3 Support the competition “One of my goals when I join pageants is to meet like-minded people I can work with in the future; I reckon I’ve made a few enduring friendships. If one of the girls asked me to watch them walk and give them advice on how to improve, I would help them by saying things like, ‘okay, walk here or swing your arms a bit more’. The only way to improve is through feedback.”
#4 Be politically savvy “I came from an all-girls school, so gossip is something I’m used to. People talk, and if they say something in a malicious way, take it with a pinch of salt. Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, and it’s up to you to discern whether it’s true or not. I don’t like contributing to this sort of thing, but when it happens, I usually change the subject and go, ‘Okay, let’s eat!’”
#5 Be prepared to improvise “On finale night, we had three sequences to remember, which meant three outfit changes, and I tried to do a different walk for each. I was the one opening the show and I didn’t want to mess things up. As we didn’t rehearse with the dancers, I collided with one of them but quickly grabbed on to her as if pulling her into a hug. It turned out fine as we both reacted quickly. Being able to react to situations is crucial during photo shoots and saves time. Of course, it helps to know your angles and all, but there are some things you can’t prepare for, such as lighting conditions. For shoots, it’s not just about looking good, you have to sell the product and brand as well.”
COORDINATION HOE I YUNE / PHOTOGRAPHY WINSTON CHUANG / ART DIRECTION ALICE CHUA / STYLING JOSIAH CHUA / HAIR KENNETH ONG / MAKEUP ALEX T / DRESS & ACCESSORIES BIMBA Y LOLA.
