Models Inc.

DLSU has always had a reputation for producing celebrities, from Edu Manzano in the 1970s, to Rico Yan in the 1990s, and all the way to Enchong Dee in the mid-2000s. However, the recent expansion of social media into the mainstream has helped usher in a relatively newer breed of Lasallian celebrity: the student-model, one that dons a fierce stare and an imposing saunter as opposed to a heartwarming pair of dimples and a cheeky laugh. An upright stance and flair as opposed to a dreamy set of eyes and a homey aura. They grace phones, laptops, and magazine spreads, all with a calculated flamboyance. Their job is to look fashionable and make products even more so. “Unapproachable” has been a term often attached to them. But there’s no need to worry; they don’t bite.

Opened doors

“It’s all about choosing your projects and balancing it with your academics,” says Chiara Ocampo (III, AB-LIM). Unlike some student-models who got their starts from epiphanic sightings by casting directors or Instagram, Ocampo’s first foray into the world of modeling actually came after she finished first runner up in the 2014 Miss Teen Philippines pageant.

Aside from aiding various organizations in their socio civic endeavors, Ocampo also used her newfound title to slowly permeate the modeling scene. She has modeled for Project Runway, Giordano, and more recently, NBA Philippines. “A lot of doors were opened for me so I started going for those opportunities,” she shares. “Thankfully, up to now, I still receive projects and gigs.”

It’s a huge hassle, she admits. At 20, Ocampo has the whole world in front of her. She’s on the cusp of graduating cum laude and receiving outstanding thesis honors. One would think that at this point, everything else ought to be relegated into the background, at least for just a term. Not her. She still enjoys the whole process and continues to do it nonetheless. For one, she feels that she excels in what she does. Secondly, she earns a considerable amount of money from her gigs after sacrificing “blood, sweat, and tears,” as she puts it.

Arianna Cowper (III, AB-LIM) also echoes this sentiment. She expresses relief with the fact that the income from her gigs is enough that she doesn’t have to ask money from her parents anymore. A quick browse through her Instagram feed, which has amassed as of the moment north of 14,000 followers, more than validates the statement. Apart from being tapped to stride down runways and appear on various magazines, she also serves as ambassador for such brands as Havaianas and SM Youth.

Passion and drive

Of course, there’s always a downside. Competition is fierce in the industry. Gisele Bundchen, for example, who is now one of the richest women in the world, was doubted by Mario Testino when she was starting out because of her nose—the same goes in the local scene, according to Cowper. “Not everyone is supportive. There’s a lot of jealousy from other people and a lot of talented people that could be better. So I’d say insecurities would be another problem.”

That doesn’t deter Cowper’s passion, though. If anything, it only serves to her drive her more. “It was always a dream of mine. So ever since, I’d work as much as I could if the opportunities were present.” And certainly the hard work has paid off. Over the course of a couple of years, she has garnered Candy’s Reader’s Choice Award for Favorite Model on Instagram, and has been listed as one of the country’s top rising models by Preview, Preen, and Status. To top it all off, she just recently landed a gig with Spotify—an achievement that she considers to be her biggest so far.

An interesting thing to note is that student-models are, technically, working students. Both Ocampo and Cowper, who were blockmates during their first year, have to come up with class schedules with their work in mind. If worse comes to worst, they end up foregoing a class for a project. In the former’s case, she adapts to this hectic schedule by simply doing assignments and school works in advance, even weeks before a scheduled event.

Now, as if the dual title of “student-model” isn’t enough, Ocampo and Cowper exhibit—perhaps unfairly—polymathic tendencies. When she’s not busy with school and modeling, Ocampo writes for Candy and plays volleyball competitively; in fact, she was the team captain for her high school volleyball team and actually briefly considered joining the try outs for the Lady Spikers. Cowper, on the other hand, finds solace in writing poetry and painting.

Young, scrappy, and hungry

What makes these two figures so fascinating is that they don’t rest on their laurels. Appearing on TV thanks to a panning shot by the cameraman would suffice for some but not them. Given their relative successes in the field, especially when one takes into account the fact that they haven’t been signed by any major modeling agency yet, they continue to rummage for the golden ticket that’ll propel them on a one-way ride to the stratosphere.

When asked whether they have any plans of branching out from modeling they both answered with a resounding no. And why would they? They’ve both earned formidable incomes despite their works being part-time. The breadth of what they can accomplish is as wide as it can possibly be. Cowper, for instance, once listed walking for the New York Fashion Walk, shooting for Victoria’s Secret, and being on the cover of Vogue as her long-term goals.

A sizeable chunk of one’s success in the industry is genetic. It’s a standoffish claim but that doesn’t make it any less true. Add that to the fact that the very medium that the field relies on is impermanent and Ocampo and Cowper suddenly become Hamiltonian figures. They’re young, scrappy, and hungry for triumph in a highly competitive industry. Surely, they will go up against various other aspirants with the same dreams as theirs. But if anything is assured of them, it’s that they won’t throw away their shots.