I had such a full day today.  Yesterday, I found out I have a shoot in New York.  Ok, so no big deal.  But then I found out it’s in Brooklyn.  And I immediately checked on Google maps where exactly in Brooklyn because there are very shady areas in Brooklyn that I don’t really wish to go to.  I have been in Brooklyn around 3 times only, for shoots and castings.  But that was around the Williamsburg area which is very near Manhattan and relatively safe.  But then I learned that my shoot would be in Brooklyn and it’s one hour away from Manhattan.  And I’m like, wow!  I feel that I’m travelling back to New Jersey.   Since I’m coming from New Jersey that day, it took me exactly 2 hours and 30 minutes just to get to my shoot in Brooklyn.  The studio wherein I’m shooting is actually near Coney Island already and a few subway stops away from the beach.  But at least it’s a pretty safe area.  I’d rather travel two and a half hours away rather than go to the shady and unsafe part of Brooklyn.

So anyway, so there I was on the way to my shoot.  When I got off the train station, I was surprised.  I wasn’t in New York anymore; I felt that while I was on the train, I crossed borders from New York to China.  Yes, you read that right.  I felt that I was in China.  I landed right in the middle of Chinatown.  Well, I should have seen that one coming.  I was shooting for a Chinese photographer after all.  It is just so different from the streets of Manhattan.  Everything is just so—Chinese.  Haha!  All I saw where Asians.  I didn’t see any white, black, Hispanic or other ethnicities, just Asians—usually Chinese and Koreans.

Anyway, after recovering from my initial shock of being in New York but seeing Asians, I went to my shoot.  It was a beauty shoot so I got some really nice pictures.  I have to be done by 3pm because after that I have to rush to my casting in Manhattan.  So I finished before 3pm, had to remove my heavy makeup and apply a lighter one instead.  I did everything very quickly and rushed to my casting which was still one hour away.  When I got to my casting, they just did the regular casting which was to look at your portfolio and take your picture.  When that was done, I went to Film Annex to shoot another video for my web TV.  Maybe I’ll talk about my web TV in a different entry.  So, I was dead tired by the time I got home because I have been running around all day.  Tomorrow will be a new day because I have another shoot, but this time it’s in Manhattan.  Not that I don’t like Brooklyn, I just feel safer in an area where I’m most used to, which is Manhattan.

I had a very important casting today.  It is for the hair campaign of L’Oreal Feria, a hair color brand.  And I was already called back to do the final casting.  So that means I passed the first screening and I am nearer the finish line, so to speak.  This is a very big campaign and whoever the 3 lucky girls are, they would be in a commercial with Beyonce herself.  So I was really excited to have this casting.  My agency told me that my hair needs to be fabulous on the day of the casting.  So I applied my makeup, made sure my hair was fabulous and went to the casting.  BUT there was one thing that I need to be able to do–I need to be able to dance.  DANCE? THEY ASKED ME TO DANCE!  For all those who know me, they all know that I don’t dance! Never never never!  I only dance when I’m tipsy or drunk and if it’s really dark like in a club.  I cannot dance to save myself.  I have the stiffest body ever!!!  That’s why I don’t like listening to R&B and hip-hop and such because those are the club songs.  You need to be able to grind and move really well.  Unlike in rock songs, you only need to head bang a lot and just jerk your body around, which by the way, is the most that I can do.  That’s why I prefer listening to rock music.  However, since this project is with Beyonce, so obviously, you need to be able to move not only your body but to also let your hair fly around.

When they asked me during casting if I like dancing, of course I said YES!  I said, “Yeah, I love dancing.”  Because if you already told them point blank that you hate dancing and you have a stiff body, you already killed your own chances of scoring the project.  So I had to pretend and say that I do dance, but my heart was pounding and I was already thinking of ways how to move like I really know how to dance.  Then after the typical introduction and hair and face profiles, this is it, the moment of truth.  There were at least seven people in the room, clients and production people.  The camera was on me taping what would possibly be the most embarrassing moment of my life.  It is now my time to dance.  My heart was racing.  I do not know what to do at first.  I heard the music (Beyonce, of course.  I do not even know the title since I don’t listen to her songs.) and I started to dance. In what I thought would be called dancing.  Actually it’s more of moving than dancing.  Since it’s a hair commercial, I know the most important thing is the hair.  So I just flipped my head around and focused more on my hair than my body.  I started moving, trying to follow the beat for the love of God.  I was moving, flipping my hair around, supposedly dancing and praying to God to please please please don’t let me make such a fool of myself.  I was doing everything all at the same time.  At last, finally, my “one-minute horror” ended.  I found myself thanking everyone and bidding farewell.

I do not know how I did; if I did well or I failed miserably.  Maybe I did okay or I just made a complete fool of myself.  It doesn’t really matter because as long as I was able to do what they asked of me, and tried my best, that is all that matters, “one-minute horror” and all.

The city of New York; the city that never sleeps. The prime home of the fashion industry and the fashion capital of the world.  This is the city where models and fashion designers can only dream of making it big.  You would have thought that everything is upscale here.  For people who haven’t been here, New York City, more specifically Manhattan, is glamorous, chic and ritzy, that everything here is high-class.  That is not always the case.  Actually, living here in New York, I can say that it is not as classy as it seems.  Take for example the casting I had for a shoe campaign.  Take note, this is not just a regular casting; this is a campaign casting, which means that they have a budget for that.  I received the email from my agency that I had to go and meet with the client in this chic hotel in Manhattan.  The client apparently is from France, so they are in the city looking for models for their shoe campaign.  So off I went and located the hotel.  I entered the lobby, put my high heels on and went to the reception.  I asked for the room of the client I’m supposed to meet, and lo and behold!  The receptionist informed me that they were waiting outside for me—ON THE STREET!  I am not even kidding.  The clients were outside the hotel and in the cafe and they were doing the casting on the street.  So I just went to them, introduced myself and gave them my book.  They made me were this bright red stilettos and took pictures of me, while still on the street and all these people gawking at us.  It felt really weird.  Here I am in the fashion capital of the world and we were conducting the casting on the streets of New York, not to mention it was summer and it was extremely hot.

I remember this one funny time during the first month I arrived here.  My agency also sent me to a casting for this fashion show.  It was in a building.  But when I arrived, it was locked.  Then models started arriving as well and all of us were wondering why the building was locked.  There was already a line forming.  When we rang the bell, the guy told us he doesn’t know of any meeting or whatsoever happening there because he wasn’t informed.  So he did not allow us to enter.  Finally the clients arrived.  Even the clients were not allowed to go in.  As a result, yes, you might have guessed it.  We held the casting on the streets AGAIN! This time it was winter and it was cold.  All of the models were bundled in jackets and coats.  I was wearing my boots so I had to take it off and put on my heels right there on the streets.  It was a real hassle because there really was no place to put my bag, my coat and my book.  I had to drop everything on the floor.  Right there and then, my perception of Manhattan changed.  Just because you are in Manhattan doesn’t mean that you are in a more upscale modeling world.

Never in my entire life did I do a casting on the streets of Asia.  Oh yeah, I do remember one.  When I was in Shanghai and I had a casting for Vogue China.  I was already inside the building when the entire building started to sway.  We were in the midst of an earthquake.  Remember the big earthquake in Sichuan, China back in 2008 where thousands died?  That was that exact same time.  Everybody rushed out, so we had to do the casting on the park. But that was justifiable.  But here in New York, casting on the street is typical.  That is just one of the things that I had to learn while modeling here in New York.  It is not always as it seems.

Does being a model equates to having anorexia?  The answer is no.  People always assume that just because you’re a model, you are anorexic.  That is not always the case.  Yes, there are models who are really concerned about losing weight to the extremes by not eating and dieting to death.  Take these three models for instance.  In late 2006 to early 2007, three models died of anorexia: Luisel Ramos, Eliana Ramos and Ana Carolina Reston.  The first two were sisters from Uruguay and the latter was from Brazil.  Luisel Ramos died after stepping out of a runway show.  She was claimed to have adopted a diet of lettuce and Diet Coke for three months before her death.  She had a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 14.5.  The second model to have died was Ana Carolina Reston.  Her diet consisted of only apples and tomatoes.  Her BMI was 13.4.  The third model was Eliana Ramos, sister of Luisel Ramos.  She died only six months after her sister.  Her BMI is unknown.

Ana Carolina Reston

Luisel Ramos

Eliana Ramos

The fashion industry was shaken up when these three died.  It banned models on catwalks that have a BMI of 18 and below.  The World Health Organization (WHO) considers a BMI of 16 and below an indication of starvation.  Personally, I think that is ridiculous.  I can personally attest that there are only about 10% of models who are anorexic, maybe even less.  Just because there are models who died of Anorexia doesn’t mean that ALL the models suffer from this condition.  I mean, hey, what about the rest of the models who are naturally skinny?  Like me, I am very skinny with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of only 15.8, when experts claim that a BMI of 18.5 and below is underweight.  Does that mean that I am undergoing starvation already?  That is an insult.  I do understand and I admit I am underweight, but that doesn’t mean I do not eat.  I eat A LOT, my family and friends can attest to that.  It’s just in my genes; my dad is skinny and my mom is fat.  So you never know, 10 years from now, I could be just like my mom.  And also, you have to consider the fact that I am Asian.  Asian people are the thinnest race compared to Caucasians and Blacks.  In addition, all of my model friends eat.  Sometimes they even hoard food in shoots and shows.  Most of these girls are just naturally skinny.  You see skinny girls who eat and eat and do not gain any weight at all.  They are not anorexic.  They are just those blessed people who have fast metabolisms.

Personally, I don’t think it’s fair.  People have this misconception that just because you’re thin, that means you’re unhealthy and anorexic.  And what really irks me is when people blow it out of proportions.  The majority of photos you see online regarding anorexic models are just Photoshoped.  Take a look below and see what I’m raging about.

By no means does Giselse Bundchen look like the picture on the right

Another model to look anorexic

Need I say more?

I don’t think those photos are real.  I am not 100% sure but I am pretty positive it’s fake.  Do you know why the fashion industry uses skinny and tall models?  Because they look good in pictures and on runway shows.  They carry the clothes well.  Designers prefer to use tall and skinny models because they carry the clothes better than a shorter and heavier model can.  So that means they select models which they believe will showcase their clothes the best.  So who in their right mind would choose these models above?  NO ONE!  They look ridiculous.  They look sickly and ghastly.  Yes, the fashion industry does prefer skinny models BUT not to the extent that it would book these said models.  They are skeletal, freaky, and scary and they do not, by any means, showcase the clothes at their best.  That is why I believe these are edited.  I am a very skinny model in general.  And I get rejected to do some jobs for being too skinny.  You have no idea how much I wanted to add more pounds to my weight.  It’s just not happening.  I eat all the time.  I never skip a meal.  I even eat in between meals.  But I never gain weight.  Most of my model friends are the same thing.  You cannot just ban models because of their BMI.  It does not apply to all people.  There are just models who are naturally skinny and that doesn’t mean they are anorexic.

I am not supporting anorexic models by any means.  And I do agree that the industry should ban these models.  What I don’t agree is that they generalize too much.  People should start realizing that there are different body types, different shapes and different genes.  And one body is different from the next one.  As long as these models are taking care of themselves, no matter how low their BMI is, they should not be judged and be allowed to model.

The following is a list of top supermodels and their BMIs:

-          Gisele Bundchen: (5′10″, 127 lbs., 34-24-34) BMI of 18.2.

-          Heidi Klum: (5′9″, 119 lbs., 35-24-31) BMI of 17.6.

-          Tyra Banks: (5′10″, 131 lbs., 36-34-36) BMI of 18.8.

-          Kate Moss: (5′7″, 105 lbs., 33-23-35) BMI of 16.4.

-          Adriana Lima: (5′10″, 112 lbs., 34-23-33) BMI of 16.1.

They are all below the required catwalk BMI of 18 save for Gisele Bundchen and Tyra Banks, so does that mean that they are all banned from catwalks?  Does that mean that they are all anorexics?  We all know the answer.  All of these girls do not suffer from Anorexia.  They are all just naturally skinny, most especially Kate Moss.  A BMI of 18 and below is UNDERWEIGHT and not anorexic.  Anorexia is a disorder.  It is not a category of weight.  I just wish that the people will learn to see that and to stop judging.  I don’t speak only for the models; I speak for all the underweight, not anorexic, girls in general.

You can calculate your own BMI in this site: www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi.  I’m interested to find out your BMI.  You can post it here.  What do you guys think?

Hello there unglamorous boys and girls and everything in between.  My name is Ana Sideco and I am the unglamorous model.  Before I proceed, I’ll tell you a bit about myself first.  I am an international fashion model and is proudly Filipina.  I started a bit of modeling in 2002 but modeled professionally in 2006.  I have modeled in countries, such as, the Philippines (but of course!), Thailand, China and New York.  It has also brought me to do jobs in Malaysia, Myanmar and Hong Kong.  Currently, I am being represented by Major Model Management New York and am currently living and based in New York City.

So you might be wondering why I put up my own website. First and foremost, I love writing.  Second, I belong in an industry, in which I believe a lot of people find interesting.  So who better tell the story about the modeling industry but me, an insider to the fashion world?  That’s why I decided to put up my own website and just share bits and pieces with you guys.  When people find out that I’m a model, they ask me some of these questions:

1. How did you start as a model?
2. What do you model?
3. Do you get to keep the clothes that you model?
4. How much do they pay you?  They must pay you pretty big.
5. So, you must have met many famous people.

And so on and so forth.  Most of the time I get these questions and the hardest question for me to answer is number 2.  Whenever I get that question, I just answer, “Umm…Anything.”  In a sheepish voice as if I’m too embarrassed to answer.  Because if I’m not careful, they might think I’m conceited.  But it’s the truth.  Fashion models really do model anything: from magazines to catalogues to TV commercials, to runways, etc.  We’re not limited to just one.  It really depends.  You see, modeling has categories.  Either you’re a fashion model or a commercial model.  Most fashion models can also be in TV commercials but not all commercial models can be fashion models.  It is just one of the little rules in the modeling industry.  In addition, questions 4 and 5 are not even questions.  They are assumptions.  People think that just because you’re a model you get paid VERY big and that you get to meet many famous people.  That’s not really how it works.  Yes, I admit that sometimes I get to meet famous people but not all the time.  And since being in the industry, meeting famous people is not really a big deal anymore.  It’s as if they are just your next door neighbors, unless of course, you meet A-List Hollywood celebrities.  Now, that’s a different story.  And the pay?  Now that is one huge misconception.  Yes, we do get paid but not as much as you think.

Thus, I realized that there are so many people who have very many misconceptions about my industry.  They all think about the glamour, the fame and the huge sums of money.  Let me ask you something, if you see a picture of a model in a magazine, what do you think?  Do you think that she is in such a glamorous industry?  Do you think about how lucky she is that her job is so easy?  Do you think that she is living the life?  Most people only see the good side of the fashion industry because they see a beautiful picture on a magazine or they see beautiful models sashaying down the runway, but what about behind the scenes?  What is the real score that happens on a shoot or a runway show: the preparation, the stress, the competition and the hassles that all come with it.

With that being said, I am going to take you on a journey to the fashion industry: both glamorous and unglamorous alike.  Keep also in mind that this is my personal website; everything revolves around me, my friends, my industry and my own personal opinions.  This is not a gossip hub nor is it a source.  This is just my personal view of everything in the industry that I have come to love.  Since I really do have a lot to talk about, might as well share it with you guys.  Your comments and feedbacks are most welcome.  Feel free to link to my site.  With that said, welcome to the modeling and fashion industry; welcome to my world.