Head-turners & hard-workers: Beauty queens on campus

By Megan Koh

As schools crown their new pageant Kings and Queens, Lifestyle writer Megan Koh brings the competition to the national level and introduces fellow schoolmates who have competed in nationwide beauty contests.

Kim Min Pei Lam
The New Paper New Face 2016

WHEN Kim Lam was 16, she was scouted on the streets to be a model.

Her first modelling agency, Carrie Models, helped kickstart her career and Lam proceeded to land jobs with brands like Gucci and Burberry.

Four years later, she clinched first runner-up for Miss Singapore World.

The final-year Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information student then represented Singapore on the international stage in Miss Pancontinental 2015, where she won second runner-up.

With Lam’s experiences in pageants, it was hardly surprising that the 22-year-old emerged champion of the recent The New Paper (TNP) New Face 2016, where she was also awarded Miss Photogenic.

The annual modelling competition by TNP is now in its 24th year, and has propelled the successful careers of previous contestants such as actresses Julie Tan and Jayley Woo.

In an exclusive interview with the Nanyang Chronicle, the freshly crowned winner shares her experiences during the competitions.

Why did you join TNP New Face 2016?

I wanted to try something different from Miss Singapore World, which I joined in 2014. TNP New Face is probably one of Singapore’s biggest modelling competitions and I thought it would be a good experience.

Share with us your experience in TNP New Face.

It’s very different from a pageant where there will be a lot of public appearances and talking to people. In TNP New Face, we had radio interviews, photoshoots and catwalk classes with Pat Kraal, one of Singapore’s pioneer supermodels. During the process, I met with people from all walks of life, and it was a good opportunity for me to network and make friends out of school.

What was your biggest challenge?

I was the first one to open TNP New Face Finals and that brought me much pressure and stress. On top of that, we had rehearsals every night after school from 8 to 11pm. However, the desire to put on an amazing show fuelled me to perform well. And on the last day of the rehearsals, I told myself: I’ve practised so much, surely there’s no way to mess up. Stop worrying and do your best.

Was your family supportive of your decision to compete in the competition?

I come from a close-knit family of seven. They backed me up all the way and were always so supportive. If they’re not there physically, they will always send me a message. Sometimes I prefer if they are not watching so I can just be myself.

What was the most memorable experience?

It was one of the catwalk classes with Pat Kraal. Even though she is 51, she was still walking in her high heels and teaching us how to do the walk. She was formerly from my modelling agency, Carrie Models, and was the one who taught me how to walk my first walk. It felt like a reunion, and was especially heartwarming.

How did you feel when you were crowned the winner of TNP New Face 2016?

I didn’t expect myself to win. I went straight in for the experience and the fun. When they announced the winner, I was surprised and honoured that they had so much trust in me.

What do you plan to do with the $11,000 cash prize?

The money is a nice gift to my parents who have invested so much in me during my growing years. My first flute was $4,000 and then my more professional one was $10,000. So it’s a definite thing for the money to go back to them.

What’s next in your plans?

I’m in my last year in university now and the Final Year Project is my main focus. The finale was on a Friday, and the next day, I was back in school at 8am. I felt so drained that weekend but the energy and adrenaline rush fuelled me. I have been very lucky to have a handful of people who have been guiding and training me. They have offered me jobs that I could only have dreamed of in the past. Looking forward, it’s about rising to the challenge and learning every step of the way with a grateful heart.

Shanice Vanessa Hedger
Top 15 Finalist
Miss Universe Singapore 2016

A familiar face from Singaporean reality singing competition The Final One, Shanice Hedger has outdone herself yet again.

This time, she takes the stage as one of the top 15 finalists of Miss Universe Singapore 2016 and will compete for the crown at the grand finals on 16 Oct.

Hedger first learnt about the pageant’s recruitment from an advertisement on Instagram. When her driving instructor persuaded her out of the blue to join the beauty contest, Hedger took it as a sign and submitted her application. And there, things took off for the 21-year-old.

Being completely new to the modelling industry, the second-year student from the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information mused at how she underestimated the difficulty of her first catwalk training.

“I didn’t know that walking alone would have so much techniques,” she said.

Besides the catwalk trainings, Hedger also had to follow a fitness regime with an appointed personal trainer that pushed her beyond her boundaries.

But to Hedger, the biggest challenge was to balance her studies and the long hours of trainings.

In one week, her training schedule can include three fitness trainings, three photo shoots, one press conference and one runway show all on top of her lessons.

However, she counts on her daily dose of Vitamin C tablets and positive attitude to tide through the lack of sleep.

The opportunity to compete in Miss Universe Singapore has been rewarding for Hedger, and she hopes to advance in the competition despite not being a model.

Kaylie Ding
Miss Mermaid ASEAN 2016

EVEN at a young age, Kaylie Ding was never the type of girl to sing along to the Little Mermaid theme song, Under the Sea.

While her friends were harbouring dreams to be the next Ariel, Ding was instead obsessed with the Japanese manga series Crayon Shin-chan.

But this year, Ding joined Miss Mermaid ASEAN 2016 — Singapore’s first ever mermaid pageant — and won the title. She was also crowned Miss Body Beautiful.

Held internationally in countries such as Australia, Thailand and Mexico, Miss Mermaid was organised in Singapore for the first time earlier this year.

With the pageant’s focus on promoting marine life conservation, Ding was encouraged by her budding passion for marine wildlife to sign up.

“I don’t have a very strong opinion on marine life but there are a few issues that I feel very strongly about, such as consuming shark’s fin,” she said.

“We have a responsibility and there is a need for people to constantly remind others to do their part.”

As part of the competition, the finalists had to undergo a series of swimming lessons in a neoprene mermaid tail and be photographed underwater.

“I’m not a very good swimmer and I was struggling when I was posing underwater,” Ding said.

Fortunately for Ding, Miss Mermaid was not entirely about performing like the mythical sea creature.

The pageant also featured a catwalk segment, similar to other beauty contests.

“The reason why it’s called a mermaid pageant is due to the environmental causes it stands for,” Ding said.

Sng Xiao Li
First Runner-up of Miss
Singapore Beauty Pageant 2016

FOR Sng Xiao Li, joining a beauty pageant wasn’t about the glamour and glitz.

The first runner-up for the Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant held in August shared that her mother was the reason and motivation behind her participation.

“My mother wanted me to join the pageant to watch me grow,” the 18-year-old said. “It was also fulfilling for her because she always wanted to join pageants when she was younger, but couldn’t because of stage fright.”

However, the competition was not smooth-sailing – the ruthless rivalry came as a shock for the first-year Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information student.

Subjected to ridicule during trainings, Sng was even taunted by a competitor who mocked that she had no friends.

“You face a lot of jealousy and frustration when the contestants don’t get what they want,” she said.

“Sometimes they will look down on you, and there’s no one to talk to.”

Despite breaking down several times during the competition, Sng did not let the negativity get the better of her.

“The challenge is learning how to control your own negative emotions because they’re not going to do anything good for you,” she said. “Just look forward and keep going.”

Eventually emerging as the first runner-up and bagging the subsidiary titles of Best Dressed, Best in Talent, and Miss Beautiful Skin, Sng said the highlight of her competition was when she saw her mother’s reaction.

“I looked at my mother and she was just screaming for me, and that moment was my prize,” she said.
Sng will be representing Singapore next in Miss World University 2016 in December.