Chan Trier
Who:
Chan Trier Rhodes (@lune.child) — 173 cm / 5’8″ — American/Cambodian from Phnom Penh, Cambodia — born January 8th — she/her.
Where:
JAG Models (New York – mother agency)
— What’s your most prized possession and why?
My books. I’ve picked up my favorite books from all over. Bookstores, second-hand shops, and different countries I’ve visited. I’ve had most of them since I was a kid, and it doesn’t matter where I move to; there is always a box of my books with me. I would love to pass them down to my children one day.
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
That I grew up in Asia my entire life, mostly because of my accent. But I think I got my accent from watching so many American shows growing up.
— Who is someone you admire and why?
My grandma. I only knew her for ten years of my life, but it still feels as if she is still with me. She taught me courage and strength, as well as how to be soft. She raised four children as a widow right after the war. She always had my back and knew what to say.
Jewel
Who:
Jewel Jacobs (@jeweldivine_) — 174 cm / 5’8.5″ — Nigerian from Jakarta, Indonesia — born January 26th — she/her.
Where:
Ivy Models (Jakarta – mother agency)
— What are three interesting facts about you?
I have no idea if any of these will be interesting, but here goes:
1. I love books way more than movies or any other form of media. Though I must clarify this is only specific to fictional books. I love them way more than movies. With reading fictional books, it feels like a movie is playing in my head.
2. I can hum and beatbox simultaneously. However, I do a horrible job at both things. But hey, that’s just raw talent waiting to be refined.
3. When I was younger, I used to hear that models were scouted while they were out and about, and really wanted that to happen to me. So when I would go out to the mall, for example, I would wear super cute outfits and try to make my face calm and controlled to attract a potential scouter. That never worked out for me, and I would feel very disappointed going home without a scouter approaching me.
— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
I’m really passionate about creating spaces for people who are different – who aren’t the same as everyone else. After all, we’re different human beings with different thought processes and different upbringings. Why are we all expected to look and act the same way and get shunned when we try to do our own thing (especially if it’s not hurting others)? This just makes for a uniform society which is just absolutely boring. We’re made to be different and born to be different. So, I believe wholeheartedly that there should be space for different races, different bodies, neurodivergent people, and disabled people in society, in everyday life, and in the modeling industry. Heaven knows that if I had seen more women who looked like me when I was younger in the media being portrayed as beautiful and desirable, I would be 5x more confident than I am now. And everybody deserves to feel beautiful and confident.
— How did you become a model?
It was just another day, and I was scrolling on TikTok as one does. I saw a video from my current agency stating that they were accepting new models and to send your digitals and other info to their email. And after approximately 3 hours of trying to film a decent walking video and take digitals, I sent them to the agency’s email address. I checked my email in the evening and screamed for joy when they expressed interest and “loved my look,” and the rest was history!
Phillip
Who:
Phillip Pham (@phillippphillip) — 185 cm / 6’1″ — Vietnamese from Prague, Czech Republic — born September 18th — he/him.
Where:
CLIQUE MODELS (Prague – mother agency)
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I speak three languages fluently: Czech, English, and Vietnamese. I have learned German for eight years, but I do not feel like I am too good at it!
2. I once took a DNA test, and 1.1% of my ethnic heritage actually comes from Finland.
3. I can taste the difference between different kinds of water: tap water, filtered water, bottled water, etc.
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
When I was a child, I was playing with a metal key near a wall socket, and the best thing that my mind came up with was sticking the key inside the socket, and guess what happened? I got electrocuted, but luckily – I survived.
— What’s your most prized possession and why?
One of my most prized “possessions” is my baby dog, Viki. Well, he is not a puppy anymore, as he is 12 years old, even though he still acts like one.
Saurabh
Who:
Saurabh Dhyani (@saurabhdhyaani) — 192 cm / 6’3.5″ — Indian from Lansdowne, Uttarakhand, India — born July 22nd — he/him.
Where:
Ninjas Models (Delhi – mother agency)
— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
The biggest cause and issue that we all have on our heads is climate change. I have been raising awareness about these issues for the past 3-4 yrs now, and it’s something that we all should be worried about. Whether it’s plant-based food, cleanliness, saving soil, or river rejuvenation. We are all getting affected by it, and it’s just a start. I have been volunteering since last year in the biggest movement, ‘SAVE SOIL’, as there’s now a thing called ‘soil extinction’. We all can voice up and make policymakers take action, so save soil: let’s make it happen.
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
I think most people judge me after our first meeting or see me on social media as someone who is always hanging out or kinda extroverted. But I love my own company. It’s not that I am an introvert, but I’m happier and blissed when I am in my own company, meditating or doing my kriyas. Because if you don’t like your own company, that means you are in bad company :-)
— How did you become a model?
After school, modeling was something that used to make me crazy and obsessed. I always wanted to start modeling but was scared to apply, thinking I was not ready. Then one day, Ninjas Models scouted me on Instagram and said they want to sign me. So that’s how kicked off my journey.
Syd
Who:
Syd Walker (@syd_walker) — 175 cm / 5’9″ — American from Heber City, Utah, USA — born July 8th — she/her.
Where:
Kollektiv Mgmt (New York – mother agency), Special Management (Milan), Linden Staub (London)
— What’s a story your family/friends like to tell about you?
I was a big time collector when I was a kid, usually of pretty random stuff. Little glass animal sculptures, compacts, spoons, marbles, all that. I’m quite a sentimental person and still haven’t seemed to shake the habit. I’m currently working on my collection of Ray Gun magazines and cartoon-styled candle figurines that I’m sure I’ll never burn.
— One thing people may be surprised to find out about you:
I trained as a dancer for over eighteen years. I also studied dance at my University. My relationship to movement and dance is different now and far more special to me in a personal way. I don’t perform on a stage as often as I once did, so people that I have met recently outside of the dance community are occasionally surprised to learn that about me.
— What are you super interested in that most people have never heard of?
I’m quite into typography from the 80s and 90s. Paula Scher, Neville Brody, and Chris Ashworth are big sources of inspiration for me.
Zaquel
Who:
Zaquel Mendes (@zaquel_mendes_) — 189 cm / 6’2.5″ — Portuguese/Bissau-Guinean from Guinea-Bissau — born August 11th — he/him.
Where:
Elite Lisbon (mother agency)
— One thing you never want to do again:
I never want to drink alcohol again. I don’t need it to have fun. Life is fun when you are sober an aware of what’s going on.
— An issue or cause you are passionate about:
Mental health. Everyone should take care of themselves. If we are not strong mentally, we can’t be strong physically.
— What are three interesting facts about you?
1. I love to read, especially business-related books.
2. I always loved fashion, so for me, it’s funny that I’m now a model.
3. I’m a creative person. I love to record videos, take photos, and design graphic content.