Meet the ‘Face of Asia’
A Malaysian beauty wins a highly coveted modelling title in the region.
THIS year, a Malaysian was crowned the Face Of Asia for the first time.
Kampar-born Jesiey Giam, 29, did Malaysia proud by being the first homegrown talent to win the highly coveted title of being the Face Of Asia.
Giam, who had her first foray into modelling at the tender age of 17, decided to take a hiatus from the glitz and glamour after three years to focus on becoming a beautician.
Despite a long lay off from modelling, that didn’t stop her from picking it up again and enrolling herself in Amber Chia Academy last year.
“Age is just a number. It’s not something that should define you,” shared the grand prize winner of Face Of Asia 2017.
Accompanied by her mentor, Chia, Giam shared her experiences of competing in Face Of Asia in an interview at Menara Star, Petaling Jaya recently.
“I believe that I learnt a lot and grew as a model during Face Of Asia. It certainly helped me gain a lot of exposure.
“The experience is very enriching because I got to meet models from around Asia and be exposed to different types of beauty and cultures.”
Participants of Face Of Asia were required to undergo a two-week boot camp in South Korea.
Giam said the experience was challenging, but a very good confidence booster.
“One of the most challenging things about being a model is finding the best catwalk style that suits you and perfecting it.”
“Compared to the other models, I am quite short. So, it was intimidating to be among so many others, competing to be in the spotlight but the boot camp did help me gain confidence, so, I was happy to overcome that challenge,” she said.
Chia also shared with us, her experience as the national director and organiser of Face Of Malaysia, where she was responsible for recruiting fresh talent to represent Malaysia.
“Face Of Asia reminded me a lot of Ford Models’ Supermodel Of The World in 2009. “I thought it was a good opportunity for Asians to compete with each other, especially since modelling is such a cutthroat industry and the competition is so fierce,” said Chia.
“In a way, I do what I do because I want to give opportunities like these to passionate and hopeful models who want to make a breakthrough in the industry.
“I wouldn’t be who I am today, if it weren’t for the opportunities that I had when I started out.”
Asked about the evolution of modelling from the time she joined the fraternity, Chia replied: “I’ve seen the ups and downs of the industry.
“I came into it before social media was in. The thing is, modelling now goes beyond what a model used to do.”
“It’s more than just photo and video shoots.
“It is important for us models to have an online presence and have a following on social media platforms.
“For me, I am still learning and it’s interesting how social media has taken over modelling!” exclaimed Chia.
As for Giam, she concluded the interview by downplaying age’s importance in the larger scheme of things.
“Just go out there and accept things as they come. Learn as much as you can and enjoy yourself!”