Jade Rasif: I owe 99 per cent of my success to New Face
Jade Rasif used to feel 'ugly' & short
At 1.6m, Jade Rasif was one of the shortest The New Paper New Face finalists in 2013.
But that didn't stop her from being named first runner-up that year and scoring the Subaru Miss Vivacious subsidiary award.
The 22-year-old psychology undergraduate at the National University of Singapore told The New Paper: "I think I got lucky. But I also put in a lot of effort. I practised my smile, walk and introduction like a million times.
"(Still) I thought that I wouldn't win because models don't have my body shape."
Jade said she had been "incredibly insecure" about her height as other finalists, such as 1.77m-tall winner Noelle Woon, were at least a head taller than she was.
So she decided to lose weight - her lightest was 41kg - in order to look taller.
She said: "(During New Face), I was dieting to the point where I was severely underweight. I didn't eat. I was so thin, I looked tall."
In hindsight, she admitted that "losing weight in an unhealthy way is not sustainable".
She added: "I'd warn against (what I did)... I think it's normal to feel insecure, but it's important to confront your insecurities.
"I was never penalised for my height in New Face. All the pressure I felt for being short was from myself."
Jade said she has gained so much from New Face because the girls were "trained by the best".
"Before New Face, I felt a little bit ugly. I didn't like what I saw in the mirror...
"Without New Face, nobody would know who I was, I would have no confidence, I wouldn't know how to put on make-up and how to walk.
"I've passed every interview because New Face taught me how to be poised, confident and how to speak.
"It isn't just for girls who want to be models or hosts. It's for girls who want a new experience or skill."
After New Face, Jade signed on to a modelling agencybut admitted that modelling was not making her happy.
She cited an incident in which a casting director "laughed meanly" at her height, even though she was already in heels, and she said it was "degrading".
NEW CALLING
A year after New Face, she decided to leave the modelling industry and found her new calling in being a club deejay and actress.
She said: "I want to (party) while I can because I know this is not a lifestyle I can sustain."
In the past two months, she has been to four cities to play - Hong Kong, Yangon, Mandalay and Batam.
Additionally, she has monthly residencies at local clubs Zouk and F.Club.
Jade is also in Channel 5 drama Tanglin as Nat Ho's ex-girlfriend Sheila Oh.
She said: "Honestly, I would attribute 99 per cent of my relative success to New Face. If not for New Face, I wouldn't have this amazing fun job."
She advised this year's hopefuls: "Be brave. Don't fear rejection. Because if you are afraid, you'll be doing a disservice to yourself and depriving yourself of future opportunities.
"It's important to realise that you only have one life. Don't spend it being afraid."
Tune in live to the New Face 16 walk-in audition on our Facebook page on May 29 from 1pm.
OTHER SUCCESS STORIES
Jade Rasif is not the only New Face alumnus to have benefited from the modelling contest.
Others who have used it as a stepping stone in their careers in various industries include local actresses Atikah Suhaime, Jayley Woo and Shine Koh, models Vivian Ong, Rachel Erasmus and Christabel Campbell, and social media star Eunice Annabel Lim.
Here's your last chance this year to join the likes of them:
The walk-in audition for New Face 16 will be happening on Sunday.
Register at Bugis+ Level 2 atrium between 1pm and 2pm.
For updates, go to TNPNewFace on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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