IT is a dream for many young women to walk on a designer runway or front a campaign for a clothing brand. In fact, girls as young as seven often model themselves after their favourite catwalk stars. For Fiona Fussi, this dream became a reality when she won the Elite Model Look Singapore competition at the age of 15.
Since then, Fussi – who has an Austrian father and Chinese mother – has had a successful career as a model.
From walking the runways in Paris and New York to fronting global campaigns for Clarins and Charlotte Tilbury, Fussi has managed to accomplish so much since joining the industry.
“My favourite highlight would definitely be the ability to travel for work. I have lived in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris and New York. And I still travel often for work even now during the pandemic,” said the model who works mostly out of Singapore.
Over the years, Fussi has been naturally gravitating towards beauty assignments. The Singaporean model finds the working experience more relatable and fulfilling.
“I definitely prefer modelling for beauty jobs. They are on a larger scale like the global campaigns. Not only do they pay better, but I also enjoy working closely with the clients one on one.”
The unglamorous side of modelling
Although the industry can be very exciting, there is an element of uncertainty that comes with the territory. Unlike many traditional vocations, a career in this field does not always promise financial and professional security. This is especially true with the ongoing pandemic.
“A lot of people in my industry have suffered a lot because they are not able to find work. Unlike traditional jobs, we are not able to work from home like other people. We cannot have productions and shoots ( in this way). But luckily things have been getting better.”
Aside from this, the prospect of growing old is also another shared concern among models. In an industry that highly values youth, the idea of ageing can be stressful. In fact, models are often tossed aside as soon as they reach a certain age.
Fortunately for Fussi, this is not personal insecurity. “Ageing is not an insecurity of mine because that is a natural and beautiful process. With ageing comes maturity, experience, wisdom and we should embrace it with grace. Of course, taking care of our body and skin helps our appearance but we should not be terrified of wrinkles, they are only natural!”
Future endeavours
However, Fussi has nothing to worry about as she has a lot to look forward to even outside the modelling industry. As a matter of fact, Fussi has shown potential as an actress and singer.
She has acted in over three different productions. One of her recent projects, Last Madame even scored the Best Digital Drama at the 2020 Asian TV Awards.
Since gaining recognition for her work as an actress, Fussi is open to further expanding her acting resume. In fact, she has been reading a number of scripts over the past year. “I am currently balancing my modelling and acting career. And I have not seen so many great local scripts this year yet.
“But I am looking forward to reading some good scripts that will get me excited. So, I am definitely looking to continue more acting in the near future.”
