As we race towards a new decade, Men’s Folio Model Of The Year 2021 Winner, Harvinder Singh reflects on his journey and reveals his hopes for the future.
Congratulations on winning the Men’s Folio Model Of The Year 2021 competition. Have you had time to process your success since the announcement last year?
I was on a FaceTime call with a friend of mine whom I had met through the competition. When the Instagram post announcing my win went up, I remember jumping up and down in my room and screaming with my friend through the phone. It was an incredibly surreal experience, realising that I was a step closer to having my hopes and dreams materialised.
I was also really flabbergasted with myself — I was someone who had no background in this industry, no idea how it worked at all and yet, I managed to clinch such a coveted position. It was only after a month or two when the realisation I had won settled in. It was also then when I managed to answer my own question: How did I win?
It wasn’t through charisma or innate talent, it was grit. It was pure grit and determination to be the best version of myself. Every single hardship I had faced during the competition was only but a stepping stone towards the path of success I was paving for myself.
Can you let the readers in on yourself?
I’m a Media and Communications student who loves watching films — especially the ones from the French New Wave and Taiwan New Wave film movements. I’m a big fan of the films made by the notable auteur Wong Kar Wai, some of my favourites include Chungking Express and Fallen Angels. The cinematography of these films will leave you on the edge of the seat, the colours and imagery of these films a visual treat.
Apart from my creative interests, I’m an outspoken person who never fails to say what’s on my mind. I don’t mince my words, and I say it like how it truly is. I’m resilient; having gone through many various situations in my life that shattered the rose-tinted glasses I wore. It fuels my determination to become the best possible version of myself and strive to achieve everything I deserve.
Alexander McQueen Wool jacket; Harvinder’s own Metal earrings
What has changed about you since modelling?
I’ve begun to understand modelling and myself more. Truth be told, I’ve been chasing after modelling for years. I never knew how to dip my feet into the scene, so I stood by as I watched countless waltz into an industry I dreamed to enter. Then MOTY happened, and I was plunged into the scene. I went from someone who had no background in the modelling industry to be the winner of an illustrious competition.
Being a model has made me realise that it’s not as simple as it looks. You need to be able to work and move with your body, having mastery over every single one of your limbs so that you’re able to move them separately for each shot. Your eyes need to be able to showcase different emotions at a moment’s notice.
Everything is fast-paced, and as a model, you’re expected to keep up and deliver. It was tough at first as even before being a model, I struggled to be comfortable in my own body. But the many shoots I’ve attended has helped me become one with myself. After becoming a full-time model, I feel more in tune with my body and myself — I know what works and what doesn’t, and how to control my body to portray certain emotions or expressions.
Like everything else, it’s still a work in progress!
You’ve mentioned on set that being a model has been a bittersweet journey, sharing that when you grew up you never truly had anyone to look up to. Could you tell us more about that?
Sure! To put it simply, I was somewhat of an outcast. I was treated the way I was because I could never fit in. Be it the way I looked, the way I acted, the way I spoke — someone always seemed to have a problem with that. It was quite difficult for me when I was younger, especially when I was told that I would never excel in life because of who I am as a person.
Even when I turned to media, it was really hard to find someone I could connect with and relate to. I was desperately looking for something or someone that I could look up to so that I could say, “Ah! They’re just like me, and they’ve succeeded!”
It’s really important to have role models as when times get tough, you’ll always have someone to spur you on and give you the motivation to be authentically you. For me, that moment never came, but one silver lining was that it did make me a lot more independent as a person. I guess I became the role model I was desperately looking for as a kid.
Sadly, I’m not the only one in this boat; there are many others who can flip open a magazine or turn on the television, and not find anyone who looks or acts like them.
Balenciaga Cotton twill overcoat, Crocs rubber boots; Fendi Jeans; Harvinder’s own Metal hoop earrings
What do you think of the modelling scene in Singapore?
I think the modelling scene in Singapore is in dire need of more representation and inclusivity. Representation does not equate to the same minority model being hallmarked as the sole mascot of an extremely diverse and vibrant ethnic community present in Singapore.
There are still many minority models trying their best to be acknowledged, but they are often overlooked for more conventional faces. Minority models are always held to a higher standard than their majority race counterparts.
As such, instead of embracing their natural features, I see minority models changing their appearances drastically to fit beauty standards that discriminate against them. This is why I hope my win as a minority with unconventional features brings forth a change in the scene, as well as opens the doors of it to models who bear features similar to mine.
Givenchy Wool jacket; Harvinder’s own Metal hoop earrings
“Representation does not equate to the same minority model being hallmarked as the sole mascot of an extremely diverse and vibrant ethnic community present in Singapore.
There are still many minority models trying their best to be acknowledged, but they are often overlooked for more conventional faces.”
Gucci Silk chiffon blouse, latex binder; Celine Jeans
What do you think can change?
One thing that can be changed is our acceptance of ideas of diversity and the range of appearances that accompany it. Models should not be shoe-boxed into the rigid requirements of conventionality but rather be assessed on an individual basis.
Being more open to the diversity of the facial compositions of each and every model paves the way to a much more whole idea of true representation. Multiple faces of small communities being showcased help to truly show the vibrancy of the minority groups in Singapore.
On a microscopic level, this entails accepting different nose shapes, different cheekbone placements or different forehead sizes. The scene still has a long way to go when it comes to embracing these differences.
There are no more than just a handful of brown models in Singapore’s microscopic modelling scene. What do you think that means to you, and what are your thoughts?
I think it’s a clear indicator that there is a glaring problem that is not being addressed. I haven’t had the faintest clue on why it’s not brought up more often, especially on an industry level. It’s not easy, and the hoops set out by the industry for minority models to jump through doesn’t make things better.
On a personal level, I’ve experienced situations where I’ve been looked over due to my race. I try not to be dishearten by occurrences like these but instead look at them as barriers that I need to smash through in order to show that I have what it takes to prosper in an industry that doesn’t want to put me on the frontlines. It also has helped build up the resilience and determination in me. On a larger scale, this shouldn’t be the status quo.
I had the privilege of being platformed by a large, influential magazine in Singapore. Such privileges are rare for other minority models, which makes whatever I’ve experienced a hundred times tougher for them. Race shouldn’t be a factor that discriminates someone from artistic expression.
Celine Silk satin diamentè embellished shirt, jeans, leather boots; Stylist’s own headguard
Do you think tokenism is apparent in Singapore when it comes to the use of minority models? What are your thoughts?
In my eyes, tokenism in the modelling industry is the hard-selling of extremely dark-skinned models. For example, the usage of dark-skinned Indian models is heavily utilised to showcase diversity or inclusivity.
This representation for darker-skinned models is good as it gives them the broadcasting that their beauty rightly deserves, but it also unnecessarily segregates lighter-skinned Indians from darker-skinned ones. A warped perception of minority communities is also created — that they are only of a certain colour or stature.
Tokenism within the modelling scene has left minority models questioning if they’re good enough because they don’t meet the standards that have been set by the majority who have a misconstrued understanding of what it means to look like a part of a certain racial group. Tokenism is basically [creating] a caricature of certain racial groups, and what instead we should be doing instead is embracing the variety of appearances that exist within a certain racial group.
Essentially, tokenism is something that needs to be done away with because it’s often under the guise of representation, when all it perpetuates is racial standards created by the majority based on their generalised perception of a minority group.
Have you gathered some goals now that you’re a signed model with Mannequin Studio?
To keep appearing in more spreads with interesting creative direction like this! It was extremely fun to work on this project, and I can only hope that I create more opportunities for myself to work on shoots like these in the future. Apart from that, I aim to showcase real representation in the modelling industry.
With the platforms I have, my goal is to show that brown, minority models come in different shapes, colours, stature and size. There’s no one look to us — we’re all uniquely different. I plan to keep hustling and improving on myself and my abilities as a model. There’s a lot I’ve yet to learn and experience — and I truly am excited for that!
Photography Zantz Han
Creative Direction & Styling Izwan Abdullah
Interview Manfred Lu
Photography Assistants Joel Fong & Jaron Tay
Grooming Sha Shamsi | Makeupartist.inc using Boy De Chanel
Hair Fadli Rahman | Makeupartist.inc using Keune Haircosmetics
Model Harvinder Singh | Mannequin Studio
Once you’re done reading about our Model Of The Year 2021 winner, Harvinder Singh, click here to catch up with our March 2022 cover stars, BTS!
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