7 things in her bag: Fiona Fussi

Singapore model Fiona Fussi is every inch the sweet teen.

Despite her 1.76m stature and strikingly good looks from her Eurasian heritage - her father is Austrian while her mother is Hong Kong-Chinese - the 19-year-old is still very much a teenager who finds amusement in little things.

When asked to share something she finds amusing, she launches into a story from her recent filming stint in Hong Kong.

Says the model of four years, who was in the territory working on a commercial for the new ferris wheel installation: "The male model and I were standing in front of this blue screen and we were supposed to be in one of the carriages of the ferris wheel.

"So to mimic that, staff members were kneeling in front of us, slowly rotating sheets of paper in front of the lights to make it seem as if we were riding it.

"I don't know if other people found it funny, but all these things that happen behind the scenes are so funny to me."

The young beauty's first step into the modelling world happened when at 15, she chanced upon the 2011 Elite Model Look Singapore competition on her Facebook news feed.

"I told my mum about it and we sent my photos via the online application," says Fussi, whose childhood dream was to enter the modelling and entertainment industry.

"We didn't think too much about it as we only sent photos online, so there was literally nothing to lose."

Little did she know that she would clinch the top position soon after. She flew to Shanghai to take part in the Elite Model Look 2011 World Finals with 63 other girls.

Fussi has come a long way since then. She has worked with established brands such as Guess, Lancome, Hermes and Uniqlo, and has been featured in fashion magazines such as Her World and Nylon Singapore.

The model was also the face of Audi Fashion Festival 2012, and is currently the brand ambassador of Wear, Japan's top fashion mobile app.

Launched in 2013, the app lets users upload images of their styles and tag the brands they are wearing.

Says Fussi: "It's a very appealing idea to be able to share your style with so many people in the fashion world."

She is also in the running for the Wearista Style Icon Award. Contestants download the Wear app and upload pictures of themselves in the latest styles. The winner of the popularity contest will receive runway tickets to the Mercedes Benz Tokyo Fashion Week 2015 in March.

"I would love to go to Tokyo for both work and play. I really want to see the fashion there in person, and eat good Japanese food," says the multilinguist who can speak English, Mandarin, Cantonese and German.

"I also want to learn Japanese, because I recently got into anime."

7 THINGS IN HER BAG

1. BERSHKA SWEATER

This oatmeal sweater, which I bought two years ago, is always in my bag because I don't know how cold restaurants or shopping malls will be. I like to throw it on whenever I need to and it fits most of my everyday outfits.

2. DAILY PLANNER FROM KIKKI.K

I really liked the colours of the 2014 planner so I bought a similar one this year. I usually jot down my work or personal appointments and, occasionally, some movies or books I would like to watch or read.

3. BORN LIPPY POT LIP BALM FROM THE BODY SHOP

I cannot live without lip balm and I apply it whenever I feel like biting my lips. I especially like this strawberry-scented one as I like berry-scented products and eating berries.

4. IT'S NOT HOW GOOD YOU ARE, IT'S HOW GOOD YOU WANT TO BE BY PAUL ARDEN

I have been carrying this around as a light read from a month ago, and I am about halfway done with it. The book is very motivational and gives readers little tips to live by, which I try to follow.

5. IPHONE 5S

My parents and I shared the cost for this phone two years ago. I use it to listen to music or update my social media on the go.

6. SCOTT'S VITAMIN C PASTILLES

I have a sweet tooth so I always have a pack of sweets or mints in my bag. My mum bought this for me and I guess she chose it because of the vitamin C.

7. MIU MIU CAT EYE SUNGLASSES

This was a gift from the Sunglass Hut after the Audi Fashion Festival last year. I use it all the time.

This article was first published onJan 16, 2015.
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