What do Julie Tan, Dawn Yeoh, Jayley Woo and Saffron Sharpe have in common? They were all finalists and winners of The New Paper New Face.
The modelling contest, now in its 25th run, is presented by Subaru MotorImage. More than 150 hopefuls showed up for the audition in Leng Kee Road. The field was then whittled down to 20 finalists. These 20 finalists will battle it out in the finals which will be held on the Sept 22, 2017 at Paragon and the winner will walk away with an attractive cash prize of $10, 000 as well as appear in a fashion spread in CLEO.
Click through to discover the quirks, aspirations and insecurities of the 20 finalists.
Photo: The New Paper
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With an Arab mother and African-American father, Smith has inherited striking features from both her parents. But this 23-year-old is more than just a pretty face.
Aside from being a talented cook, having graduated from the Sunrice GlobalChef Academy with a WSQ Diploma in Pastry & Bakery, Smith is also a grooming assistant at pet supply store, The Pampered Pet Corner. While the two jobs may seem like polar opposites, both have been something she aspired to do since she was a child. In her free time, this dog-lover enjoys dancing and singing.
Photo: The Newpaper
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Believe it or not, models have insecurities about the way they look too. Standing at 1.63m, the pine-sized Temasek Polytechnic law and management student’s biggest insecurity used to be her height as she was afraid that this would get in the way of her career. But Ann, has since learnt how to love and embrace what makes her different. This newfound confidence landed her a spot in Style Magazine’s February issue. The 19-year-old animal enthusiast wants to set up an animal shelter offering free medical services and volunteer at a wolf sanctuary in the state of Colorado in the United States.
Photo: The New Paper
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2014 was a tough year for the model and emcee. She contracted vasculitis, an inflammation of blood vessels, which caused blisters to appear on her legs. Her self-esteem took a dip when she had to undergo painful treatments and take medication for the inflammation that left her with a swollen face. She felt even worse about herself when a stranger at a food court told her that she should stay at home and hide the scars on her legs.
The traumatizing experience taught her the importance of empathy. She said, “You can break someone or build someone up with words, so choose what you say wisely as you never know what the person on the receiving end has been through that day”. She has since fully recovered from vasculitis. Yao’s favorite form of exercise is diving. In fact, the self-proclaimed “aquaphobe” is a certified diver who has dived more than 40 times thus far.
Photo: The New Paper
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The happy-go-lucky Temasek Polytechnic graduate checked another item off her bucket list year when she saw models walking down the runway at the poly dressed in the five elaborate lantern-inspired outfits she designed for her final-year project. She also hit another milestone when she was given the chance to walk for digital fashion week.
A firm believer in the mantra, what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger, Wei radiates warmth and positivity. The fresh-faced model draws her style inspiration from fashion stylist and digital influencer Chriselle Lim.
Photo: The New Paper
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In her secondary school days, Kumar struggled with being comfortable in her own skin as she would compare herself to girls who were willowy and slim. These days, the Jurong Junior College student shrugs off the negative thoughts and stays svelte by exercising and reminding herself to shake it off Taylor Swift style.
The 17-year-old also takes her mind off by baking. The self-taught baker picks up skills and recipes from YouTube tutorials.
Photo: The New Paper
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The travel buff dreams of going to Mexico to soak in its rich culture, music and heritage. She also wants to walk down the streets of New York City and take her parents on a trip to either Brazil or Africa. The hospitality and tourism student from Temasek Polytechnic added that travelling to Brazil and Africa has always been a dream of her parents but they never got a chance to because they were busy raising her and her two sisters, aged 21 and 22.
The makeup aficionado likes switching up her makeup depending on her mood and the occasion. She even has a lipstick stash with her when she heads out, changing colours throughout the day to suit her mood.
Photo: The New Paper
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The musically inclined teen had her big break when she collaborated with local DJs Inquisitive and Myrne to release two original tracks, Time After Time and Release Me, which are being streamed on Spotify. The German-Singaporean and sister of fellow New Face finalist Noelle says that her parents are her role models, pushing her to chase her dreams.
Photo: The New Paper
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The business student from Temasek Polytechnic hit rock bottom when her peers made snide and rude remarks about her. She brushed off the negativity with the help of her best guy friend. The same friend gave her a laminated and framed copy of the audition article published in The New Paper, in which her photograph was featured.
The Chinese Indonesian is now signed to local arts and entertainment agency Faces Talent Management and she hopes to expand her parents’ gold business in Medan and do some acting on the side. She likes nothing more than going out to eat steamboat and curling up with a good book and a cuppa ginger tea.
Photo: The Newpaper
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We asked about her biggest challenge, the student shared that she encountered her biggest obstacle last year when she faced vehement disapproval from her mother when she bought a maltese-yorkshire terrier and took it home. Her mother felt that she lacked the finances and commitment to care for a pet. She proved her mother wrong caring from her pet, mochi. In addition to her love for pets, the Singapore Institute of Management banking and finance student has a thirst for adventure and hopes to skydive and ride a hot air balloon. She also wants to star in a commercial and meet action star, Jason Statham.
Photo: The New Paper
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The self-proclaimed perfectionist with a strong business acumen made jewellery when she was younger. The Nanyang Technological University sociology undergraduate even started a little business selling handwoven bracelets, but put the business to focus on her studies. The goal-oriented student looks up to British actress and UN Women goodwill ambassador Emma Watson as she wants to lift others and help those in need while staying authentic and grounded.
Photo: The New Paper
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You might remember Hashy, who was a Top 11 finalist, from the local reality TV series The Final 1. Life was certainly not a bed of roses for Hashy. Just over a year ago, the reality star was struck down by a large tumour in her spinal cord that affected her ability to walk and almost left her paralyzed. Things took a turn for the better when her boyfriend found a surgeon who removed half of the tumour, which was enough to relieve the pain and ensure no more leg nerves were damaged.
She had to learn to walk again because she lost sensation in her legs. The business management graduate from RMIT University at the SIM Global Education campus has some wise words for her younger self, she said, “I would tell her to appreciate everything and live in the moment more. I’ve learnt that something as simple as walking is a gift.” Hashy, who is the marketing executive of local online apparel store The Velvet Dolls will be tying the knot with her boyfriend next year.
Photo: The New Paper
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She may be young but this girl knows what she wants. The National University of Singapore undergrad wants to start her own business venture and make a mark in the marketing industry. To further her goal, the ambitious 20-year-old interned at a local marketing start-up, content.co. Apart from modelling, Ong can also perform impressive tricks with the diabolo, a Chinese juggling prop. Also, is you wannabe be her friend, you should probably know that this ‘90s kid is a huge Spice Girls fan.
Photo: The New Paper
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Jean possesses both beauty and brains. She graduated from the prestigious Imperial College London in England, with a degree in biological sciences and management and is currently working as a part-time research assistant at the National University Health System.
The research assistant looks up to her Filipino domestic helper who has worked with her family for 20 years as she sacrificed a lot for her family in the Philippines. The statuesque 22-year-old is not just book smart, she also has a hidden talent of doing hula hooping for hours without stopping.
Photo: The New Paper
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There is an old adage that goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never break me”. Unfortunately for Mavis, she had to learn it the hard way. In her secondary school days, she was bullied. Even though she was affected at the time, she was able to emerge stronger from that ordeal. To destress, the veterinary bioscience graduate from Ngee Ann Polytechnic likes to tap into her artsy side and she enjoys painting in free time.
Photo: The New Paper
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Persistence is a virtue. This is the second time the Polytechnic student is auditioning for The New Paper New Face. Last year, she failed to make it through the semi-finals, which she believes is a result of self-doubt. This year, the 22-year-old is more determined than ever to win the title. Mohana has never travelled out of Singapore until last year when she went on a 12-week internship in Sydney. She considers the trip one of her fondest memories of 2016 and we are sure making it to the finals of the New Face search is one of her most memorable experience of the year.
Photo: The New Paper
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Annkatrin wanted to take part in New Face last year but she allowed her fear to get to her. She also faced disapproval from her father who was worried that the competition would bring her unnecessary media attention and cause her to be taken advantage of. Determined not to have any regrets, Annkatrin stepped out of her comfort zone and gave modelling a shot.
With the help of her mother, her father granted her permission to join the contest. Oversized tees are a staple for the former Nanyang Junior College student who frequents Italian clothing company, Brandy Melville, and gets outfit inspiration from British streetwear label, Hype. She admires style icon Cara Delevinge for her confidence, wild personality and her attitude towards life and its challenges.
Photo: The New Paper
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This 19-year-old with a heart of gold recently volunteered at People’s Association PAssionArts Festival 2017 activities at Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park and got to work with children. She is currently pursuing early childhood studies at ITE College Central as she loves being around children. The student wants to be able to provide for her father who raised her and her three siblings singlehandedly.
Photo: The Newpaper
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If you caught the local television show Tanglin, you would have seen Kiki who plays Mandy, a close friend of supporting characters Joy (Christina Kydoniefs) and Amir (Mujahid Mahamood). The 15-year-old boasts an impressive acting resume, having started acting at the age of seven or eight.
Photo: The New Paper
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Melanie, one of the youngest contestants is avid hip-hop dancer with an African-Chinese parentage. The CHIJ Katong student has been busting out moves since she was three. Melanie wants to pursue a career in dancing and modelling in Los Angeles and learn from her idols, including Portuguese-Filipino dancer-choreographer Ysabelle Capitule.
Photo: The New Paper
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Just like any other teenager, Noelle spends her free time watching dramas on Netflix. Her favourite shows include Riverdale and 13 Reasons Why. She once binge-watched seven seasons of The Vampire Diaries in three weeks. The teen is also a competitive swimmer who has been swimming since she was two.
Photo: The New Paper
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