In 2016, I stepped onto the runway for my first ever Sacramento Fashion Week Fashion Show. Since then, I've been modeling on and off for local runway shows and collaborative projects with peer artists as a hobby and a way to express my creativity. When I had the chance or some time to spare from school, I would take on modeling opportunities here and there. While it was always a dream to model for a living, I knew it wasn't practical so it slowly fell lower and lower on my priorities list. I stopped modeling and focused on finishing my Bachelor's degree. It wasn't until after I graduated that I found the time and opportunity to consider modeling again. It wasn't a serious plan, but I felt that now (as I went home to the Philippines) would be the best chance to try my hand at being a model or actress in Manila. Little did I know that I would actually end up meeting a local model manager (on my 2nd day in the Philippines) who was interested in representing me during my stay, Myk of MainModels PH.
After getting in contact with him, sending him my measurements and portfolio, he quickly put me into a group with several other "development" models (relatively newer models that need extra guidance and opportunities). And I was off. He set up test shoots to help us develop our portfolios. I started going to castings and VTRs, trying out for different fashion shows, commercials, and more. It was exciting. I was actually out and about trying for different opportunities. I was going to several castings a week for almost 3 weeks straight.
When I showed up to the model casting for the Fashion Institute of the Philippines, I didn't know what to expect, but there is nothing like standing in a room of girls who look like you but are taller, skinner, prettier, etc. to make you feel insecure. I was definitely intimidated. These models had previous experience and years of history in this business, and yet here I was, less than a month into my stay in Manila, at this casting. So I was shocked when I got the notification that I was booked for the FIP Graduation Fashion Showcase. That show was my Manila debut and my first ever paid booking. (**see blog post on FIP Grad Show here**).
My 1 month vacation extended into 2 months, and then eventually an indefinite stay. I wanted to stay to take advantage of the opportunities I was getting while I didn't have any responsibilities in the US holding me back. Even if I wasn't necessarily getting booked for things, I was getting experience going to castings and VTRs, and I was making new friends. After 5 months of being in the Philippines and getting a taste of the lifestyle and industry, I learned a few things.
This experience in Manila was a wakeup call. First of all, spending hours waiting at castings and VTRs was not something I was expecting. I knew that these things involved wait times, but for some of these I was there for hours without being told beforehand or with no real answer as to when we would be released. It was also hard to plan ahead for these castings when I got the notice about them maybe like 3 or 4 hours (most of the time less) beforehand. Plus getting around Manila with all the traffic to make it to the different castings was insane and extremely difficult.
I also thought that since I was Filipino, I would have a good chance at getting bookings, but I was the "wrong" type of Filipino. I had brown skin, dark brown eyes, and long black hair. I wasn't the tallest and I had curves. The types they were casting were foreigners with cool accents, or mixed Filipinos with fairer light skin, colored eyes, and lighter colored hair. They were tall and very very thin. Whatever confidence I had in my look and features, was gone when I realized that I was not in the most compatible market for me.
I also did not expect or appreciate the politics that came with this industry in the Philippines. It seemed that depending on the agency you were signed to (or not signed to), decided what bookings you were getting. A lot of the shows and bookings only casted the same models. There was no point in going to castings because models that weren't even at the casting were get casted based solely on their agency reputation. It didn't bode well for newcomers like me. Luckily I figured that out early, and I didn't take these bookings too seriously. I was here to try it out and have fun. I wasn't going to get too upset about the politics of everything.
Making friends was also a bit harder because the girls already had their agencies and they were like little cliques only talking to those signed to the same agency. There were some that were friendly enough to respond to me and talk to me, but only after I initiated conversation. These cliques made it hard to make friends easily, but I made it work. I became friends with more male models and some of the girls who were nice enough to talk to me.
While this opportunity didn't turn out exactly the way I wanted it to, it was still a good learning experience. I'm grateful to Myk and the MainModels team for giving me opportunities while I was in the Philippines. I found out what worked and what didn't work for me. I've realized that modeling still won't be a full-time thing for me, but it is something I want to do often as a creative outlet. I realized that my look and features was not something the market in the Philippines was looking for and that was okay. I didn't get my hopes up too high to begin with so I didn't take it to heart when I was rejected. I think if I continue to model it will be back in the US or maybe even in Europe? We'll see, I'm not really sure but a girl can dream right?
To see some of the work I did while in Manila, please see the Creatives and Runway tabs of my Model Portfolio.
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