Preview Clique member and model Reins Mika just made the Philippines proud by winning the Digital Creatorโs category of the international modeling competition Elite Model Look 2020! The prestigious competition, thatโs been going on since 1983, has discovered the likes of Cindy Crawford and Giselle Bรผndchen, while Elite (the modeling agency) has a super star roster of talents including Kendall Jenner. Last month, we reported about Mikaโs inclusion as one of the five finalists for the contest, and was the only Asian to make the cut under her category.
Since then, the college student, currently taking up BS Management in Ateneo, participated in a number of digital challenges, was mentored by Cameron Dallas, and even participated in a posing boot camp with supermodel Coco Rocha! "They constantly reminded us that theyโre not looking for perfection, but potential. So, it is very essential to believe in yourself and to stay true to your own branding," Mika tells Preview about the mentoring experience with international industry experts. "It was was more of a 'model-digital creator bootcamp' to test your creative skills. The mentors were also there to support and give advice on what the industry is like internationally and how to prepare for it."
In an exclusive interview, the young model reveals the overall experience of the virtual contest. "I was actually intimidated by the other contestants in my category since they all had huge followings on Instagram and other social media platforms, and I was just starting out. Sometimes youโll doubt yourselfโitโs more of a battle within yourself," Mika shares, "The experience was incredibly unbelievable, never in my life would Iย have imagined doing something like this, especially meeting international mentors and industry experts!"
The winners were announced today through an IG stories post on the official @elitemodellook Instagram and Mika herself shared the good news on her personal feed. She writes in her caption,
โA dream come true! I am the first Filipina to win the Elite Model Look World Final Competition in the Digital category and representing my beautiful countryโthe Philippines.โ
From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much to everyone who has supported me in this amazing 'virtual' journey.โ
Last year, Mika signed with Preview as part of our exclusive group of influencers called the Preview Clique. We definitely saw something special in her then, and this win is well-deserved! Though Elite has yet to announce which agency Mika will be listed under (whether that's Supreme, Society, Women, or others), we know that this is only the start of her international fashion journery!
Congratulations, Mika!
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