MFW 2011 - To Friendships and Dreams

7.4.11

MFW 2011 - To Friendships and Dreams

The story of my Mens Fashion Week experience is not about glitz and glamor. Instead its closer to the story of the NS boy who had his maid carry his bag (and balls) for him. Five years ago, I was that boy. No, not a pussy. What I meant was that I was also a smelly NS boy that people would roll their eyes at when I enter a MRT carriage. I was earning 400 bucks a month and I had seriously f-up skin. So needless to say, when I told people I wanted to be an actor, they smile, turn around and roll their eyes, went home and laughed it up with their friends and family. It was a tough time and it didn't help that I sucked at being soldier.

It was difficult holding onto a dream when no one believes in you. Then, I met Corporal Noah. Aspiring fashion designer and also a lousy soldier (sorry Noah). I could tell he too wanted to make something of himself, and likewise no one around would bet on him. There was sometime different thou. Noah never seemed to be bother by that, he would keep going, all the while cheerful and carefree as ever. So we kinda hung out (those of you who knows Noah, no we did not date -_-), thats when I met Desmond Tan and Rebecca Lim. Back then Desmond was a student and Rebecca just finished Miss Universe and was starting a painful career called acting. Along the way I also bumped into Nat Ho, who was my senior and occasionally came in for reservist. He was then a Singapore Idol reject.

We all had something in common. We had dreams and we were working our asses trying to get there. And we were all at a pretty low point. Maybe thats why we clicked.

Fast forward to 2011 Mens Fashion Week. Desmond just finished his degree and is also an artiste with Media Corp, Rebecca just won ATV making her the best actress in Asia, I'm being offered so many projects that I had to reject work, Nat has moved on from Media Corp and performed his debut single on the international stage of MFW. Noah became a designer and created local brand ATZU with Desmond and their label is featured on the runway of the first ever Mens Fashion Week outside Paris and Milan.

Yup, all that happened in 5 years. So when Noah asked me to model for ATZU on the MFW runway, I said - Anything for you, bitch.

Desmond, Noah and I was involved in the show and Becca and Nat attended MFW. After walking the show, with hundreds of cameras flashing on us and seeing my few closest friends smiling in their personalized and ridiculously expensive outfits, I was filled with emotions (I didn't cry lah bitches). I realized how far we have all came from our $400 pay, but what really got to me was the fact that all 5 of us, despite all the difficulties, have not once given up on our dreams and we are still fighting to fulfill the only true obligation in life.

So this is to friendships and dreams.

Andie.