London - Sami Rahman
I\'ve always thought that Asian women are seriously under-represented in the mainstream modelling industry so when I see an Asian face pop up on the catwalk or an ad campaign it really excites me. Years ago most fashion brands, like Victoria\'s Secret, would usually use Caucasian blonde models for their hotly anticipated annual runway show, but now when you tune in there are so many different ethnicities and cultures. Most recently I spotted Shanina Shaik who\'s part Pakistani (her mother is Lithuanian and Australian and her father is Arab and Pakistani) She may not be full Asian but I still feel that in some way she represents Asian and darker skinned girls which is a great achievement. I\'ve picked out some quotes from her interview with NY Mag\'s The Cut on her beauty secrets: On walking at the Victoria\'s Secret show... \"When you work out and feel confident about your body, it’s nothing much. It’s more about your inner self and bringing that out, which you have to be confident when you go in there. Just show your personality; they love that. I think that’s why everybody loves the Victoria\'s Secret show because you can be yourself and you can put your hands on your hips, and blow kisses.\" On health and fitness... \"I do … [Laughs] Zumba. I like doing Zumba. I only do it like, once a week. If I did it more often, I would be very skinny. It’s like intense cardio with the dancing. I actually prefer to do stuff outside the gym, like running on the West Side Highway, and jump rope. I do love my food; don’t get me wrong. I’m a big dessert fan. I love chocolate and chocolate cake. But my diet regime is a lot of chicken and fish. I mix it with vegetables. And then, I love pasta, but only every now and then. I stopped drinking soda three years ago and I never drink coffee.\"