Mary, Mary, Quite Extraordinary

At 17 And Having Completed Her Gce O Levels Only Last Year (She Signed With Local Modelling Agency Basic Models Management In Late 2022), The Singapore-raised, Indian-arab Model Mary Rose Jacob Is Just Getting Her Career Started. Already, Though, She Has Become One Of Our Favourite Subjects Who Has Appeared On The Cover Of Female Four Times (Twice Solo, Twice As Part Of A Group), Winning Us Over With Her Combination Of Natural Grace And Playfulness; A Perceptiveness That's Beyond Her Years; And A Drive To Succeed Not Just As A Model, But Also A Role Model. In Her First In-depth Interview With A Magazine, She Reveals To Keng Yang Shuen Her Observations About An Industry That's Constantly Navigating The Topics Of Race, Diversity And Beauty, And Her Aspirations As A Youth.

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Hi, Mary! What have been some things about the modelling industry that has surprised you since becoming a part of it?

"I didn't know there'd be so much prep work for example, having to take care of one's skin and body, and learning to be. comfortable in front of the camera and what poses would look good even before the shooting starts. I also thought that the industry would be very traditional in the sense that one has to work for small brands before being able to clinch jobs with larger brands, but I've met many people who've had very different paths, yet we all ended up on the same set."

You shared in your first interview with us nine months ago that the main reason you wanted to be a model was so that there would be more representation of people who look like you. It's a topic you often speak about while on set too. Tell us about your fondest memory of seeing models of colour in fashion.

"I love that you guys remember what I've said on set - I feel really appreciated! My first memory of identifying with a POC model was seeing Nora Attal in Loewe's Spring Summer 2019 campaign. She's British-Moroccan and so far, I've had seven casting directors tell me I look a lot like her. What do you think? Another memorable instance of feeling represented is actually an interview Female did with Singapore-based model/mixed-media artist Manasi Nair (in November 2021), in which she shared about how Onam (Kerala's annual Hindu harvest festival) is an important event to her. Onam is an event that's only celebrated in the state of Kerala (where Jacob's family is from), so I always thought I was one of the few who knew about it. Hearing Nair talk about it in a magazine was a surprise in the best way possible and I'll remember that exchange forever."