Tuesday, November 25, 2014

Every girl for herself

“DID my mother just call you?” And just like that, the room full of reporters and guests at the SupermodelMe Sirens Malaysian Press conference roared in laughter.
Lisa Selesner, or Lisa S as she is more commonly known, did not hide the fact that she is trying for a second child after the birth of her daughter Raven last year.
Lisa, who married to renowned actor Daniel Wu in a private ceremony in South Africa, says she was worried about having another child.
“I was terrified because of my busy schedule and Daniel’s as well.
And I know a lot of people have been asking us about Raven having siblings,” she says, laughing.
“Both Daniel and I have been trying for our second child.” A model-turned-actress, Lisa has graced many billboards and fashion runways, lending her exotic looks to high fashion labels.
Lisa is now an entrepreneuer as well as the host for the new SupermodelMe Sirens, currently in its fifth season.
The show, in which 12 contestants compete against each other in a series of gruelling challenges, aims to discover Asia’s next big model.
Lisa credits her husband for making the time to take care of Raven inbetween shoots.
When met in Hong Kong last year, Lisa revealed that she had no idea how some women who hold a nine-to-five job are still able to find time to cook for the family.
She called these women “true warriors” of the world.
This year, husband Daniel and Raven visited Lisa while the entire production was being filmed in Kuala Lumpur.
Featuring locations in and around the city, the production also went to Pangkor Laut.
Recalling a funny incident involving a jetski, Lisa says, the most unexpected thing happened when Daniel took Raven on a jetski ride.
“Can you believe that Raven actually fell asleep in between us while we were jetskiing in the middle of the sea?” she asks.
“That is why you never trust your husband with the baby and the jetski,” she says.
Both father and daughter were also spotted having a great time in the pool, while mum was busy giving modelling tips to the contestants.
SUPER SIRENS
Lisa returns as host and judge, joined by resident judges Dominic Lau, a celebrated TV host for Channel V International, and Ase Wang, the Singapore born and Thailandbased model-actress.
Filipina model and actress, Ruffa Gutierrez of It Takes Gutz To Be A Gutierrez fame is guest judge, along with Singapore-born photographer Kevin Christopher Ou, Sonia Couling, Marion Caunter, Elaine Daly, Andrea Wong, Danielle Graham, Carmen Soo, Daniel Boey and Bryanboy.
Known as the Asia-based modelling show, the reason why viewers keep coming back is because of “the realistic, bold and sexy theme.” Lisa says: “Being a Supermodel is no longer about being thin.
With the show, we want to quash that myth.
And the reason we are still trending is that Asian models are now part of the global model stage.
The professionalism that Asian models put in is incredible.
And we’re very on time.
Where else can you find a model who eats out of a styrofoam lunch box, sitting on a plastic chair, if not in Asia?” Resident judge Ase Wang agrees.
“Part of the show is to help the girls (contestants) achieve their dreams.
I wish I had someone tell me what to do when I first started out,” Ase says.
“Another reason why viewers love our show is because we don’t plan what’s going to happen.
It is unscripted, almost organic,” she says.
With a vast passion for media and the arts, the Chinese-Swedish mix finds herself in a globe-trotting journey to express her creativity through film and television as well as modelling.
A professionally-trained actress from the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute of New York and Leslie Khan Institute of Los Angeles, Ase has appeared on Singaporean film and TV.
Her first feature film was Clouds In My Coffee and there’s also Spin, a series where she played the lead.
The young entrepreneur was also voted Sexiest Asian five times (2006-2009 and 2013).
SILENCE IS DEADLY
Featuring models from Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines , Thailand and South Korea, the current season is also more exciting.
With crazy casting calls, photoshoot s feat ur ing exotic birds and catfights in moving vehicles, expect to see more exciting scenes as the show progresses.
Aside from the exclusive behindthe- scenes and outtakes at the end of the show (there were none in the previous seasons), the tasks that the models have to undertake are “healthy and sporty.” According to Dominic, the previous season saw its participants’ personality shine, but in this season, “there is something more seductive and sexy.”
“The show is constantly evolving.
What we want to give people this time around is that ‘silence is deadly’.
All I can say for now is that the tasks have definitely gone more extreme,” he says.
“There is definitely friction between the girls and even the judges, whether it is on camera or off camera.
It’s inevitable because everybody is fighting for the same thing.
It’s every girl for herself and you wouldn’t believe how one girl can put the other under the bus,.
” At the end of the day, the girls will gain invaluable experience and exposure from the show.
“Either you win or not, you (the girls) are building a fanbase that will eventually take you places,” Lisa says.
“Imagine there are millions of eyeballs on you and the show is giving the girls the exposure they need.
We are preparing them for the world,” she adds.
Last year’s second place winner, Sasha Quahe, put her studies onhold just to take part in the show.
Nevermind that she graduated six months later than her peers, the Australian beauty (whose mother is of German and Hungarian descent while her father is Chinese-Singaporean) is currently going places, including France, for an exchange programme.
“Some of these girls might not go back to modelling but one thing the show does is boost their confidence.
Sasha is currently travelling the world and it’s good that a show like this is helping her to be more outgoing.
It’s great to meet people and help each other grow,” Dom says.

No comments:

Post a Comment