The Model Student
Story by: Yasivini Raveendra
Photos by: Chloe Clarice Tan
Remember Hannah Montana? Normal school girl by day and rock star by night? Well, now let’s meet the Singapore version of Hannah Montana… but without the wig.
Known by her Instagram handle @kiminpei, Kimberly Lam is a 22-year-old full-time student studying at Nanyang Technological University. On the side, she is a full-fledged model who has won big titles, such as the Miss World Singapore in 2014 and was in the top three for Miss Pancontinental 2015. Kimberly takes normality to a whole new level for a student of her age. But to everyone’s surprise, she'd never thought of becoming a model.
“I actually wanted to become a make-up artist because I liked the fact that I could do something to bring more beauty to the world, and help people feel better about themselves,” Kim says. She only took modelling up because she wanted to try out new things.
Being a full-time student while juggling her modelling career is not a bed of roses. But Kim tells us that she actually likes the adrenaline rush. “I’d like to think that you make time for the things you love. I love what I do, and I make time for it,” she says with a huge grin.
In her modelling career, Kim has attended a number of pageants to build her reputation. She recently won The New Paper New Face (TNPNF) 2016. “My pageant experience, especially on the international stage, where I met, shared, and learnt from so many international delegates allowed me to present myself better and at a more matured level in TNPNF,” she says.
When asked what her best and worst moments were, she says that her best moments were definitely meeting famous and talented fashion designers. Her worse was that one particular time, where she spent four hours trying to wash off a faux Mohawk hairstyle. “This fashion show was all about bold and big. The make-up was out-of-this-world gorgeous, and hair was humongous and high. It was fun while it lasted – but washing it all off was really painful and tough,” she says with a wince.
Her advice to all aspiring models out there? “Try all that you want to do, but remember who you are and stay true to yourself. In a fast-paced industry like fashion, it’s easy to be swayed by various characters, and lose sight of yourself. Remember to be good and kind always.”
