New Faces kick off

Who says models have it easy?

This year's The New Paper New Face contestants are learning that there is a lot more to it than just looking good in make-up and clothes.

At yesterday's event, the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Shop & Win Challenge 2014, the girls had to kick a football into a hole - in tight Levi's jeans and high heels from New Look.

This was their public debut as the Top 20 New Face finalists.

They were all game to have a go.

There were many misses and awkward kicks. Clearly, balancing in heels does not help ball skills.

But it was fun. The camaraderie among the girls was evident as they chatted and laughed backstage before the catwalk.

Then when the lights came on, it was show time.

Despite being beginners, the girls were poised and beautiful, strutting confidently as the MC introduced them.

As each finalist was introduced, they struck a pose and kicked the football before walking to the back of the stage to stand in sequence.

School of The Arts Singapore student Grace Ling, 17, said: "At first, I didn't quite know what to do but it was a good way to make my debut. Kicking the ball was quite fun with the other girls.

"I feel really privileged to have a new group of friends I can talk to about common interests - as well as awkward modelling things like stick-on bras and G-strings!"

Finalist Jun Min Ook, 17, said she was excited : "I'm happy that I'm doing what I want to do."

Not leaving anything to chance, she admitted that she has been practising her catwalk at home.

When the show was over, there were smiles all around.

Finalist Lim Jia Yi, 15, said: "I'm relieved and happy. Now I can relax with my friends. I'm looking forward to the other events. I enjoyed myself on stage."

One contestant had to rush to yesterday's venue from the airport.

Victoria Yue arrived at Changi Airport yesterday at 11am after a week's holiday in Thailand with friends.

From there, she had just under two hours to get to VivoCity.

"I was in Thailand just a few hours ago. I didn't have time to really prepare," she said, slightly flustered.

"I didn't have make-up on and had to race home to get my clothes."

The 20-year-old student at PSB Academy, has wanted to be a model since she was three. Rushing for call times is par for the course in the modelling industry, and Victoria and the 19 other finalists will have to be on their toes for all the events and rehearsals set before them until the finals in October.

New Face is in its 22nd year, and has helped launch many careers including those of actresses Jayley Woo, Julie Tan, Dawn Yeoh and Shine Koh, Power 98FM producer and presenter Jacqueline Thibodeaux and models Rachel Erasmus and Nargis Musawwir.

Great S'pore Kick

The New Face finalists' public debut at VivoCity's amphitheatre was in conjunction with Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) Shop & Win Challenge 2014.

It was dubbed The Great Singapore Kick, and some 600 participants were eligible to play after spending a minimum of $50 at participating shops during the Great Singapore Sale.

Yesterday, they vied for 30 prizes - including a car, refrigerator, mattress and diving watch - by kicking a football down a pinball-style ramp, with a prizes assigned to each hole at the bottom.

Additional prizes were given to audience members who correctly answered trivia questions about SPH publications.

Mr Willy Teo, 32, won the grand prize - a Nissan Sylphy 1.8L, worth $66,000. He qualified when he bought two pairs of Crocs at VivoCity in June.

"It wasn't on purpose," he explained.

"I only found out about the prizes after I bought (the shoes)."

He was at the event with his wife and four-year-old son.

To win, he kicked a football into the hole labelled "Nissan", and won when his name was drawn from the pool of participants. "I was shocked when I won, but very happy," he said.

sgascon@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on August 03, 2014.
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