Free From Fear

Alicia Amin doesn't shrink back from adversity-she is resilient and courageous enough to face challenges head on and keep going after them

- John Ng

I first met Alicia Amin a few years ago. That was our only meeting. As such, when I arrived in the studio at 9 o’clock in the morning and noticed her in the makeup chair, I figured I should reintroduce myself to her just in case. “We met before John,” she chuckled. Yes, that’s the Alicia I recalled meeting, I thought to myself. Direct and straightforward but emanating tremendous warmth and genuineness whenever she cracks a smile. I excused myself to enable the hair and makeup team to perform their magic, and Alicia almost instantly collapsed back into the chair and stopped chatting — and then the caffeine from her hot oatmilk matcha set in. “For fashion shows, I always take my oatmilk matcha and duffel bag to the quietest corner and make it my home,” she later shared with me, and added, “For photoshoots, once my coffee or matcha kicks in — as you saw today [laughs], I start singing and dancing and keep my energy up throughout the shoot,” And no, she wasn’t exaggerating since that’s exactly what she did.

What is the most important lesson you’ve learnt about yourself through your modelling career?

I’ve learnt that I’ve got incredibly thick skin and that I’m a lot more flexible, both physically and mentally, than I ever thought I could be. I’ve been constantly surprised and forced to adapt to many situations, and if I could show my 15-year-old self what I have pulled off, I think she would be amazed.

Do you feel that you have achieved what you want as a model yet?

My answers to these questions seem to change daily [laughs]. Lately, I find myself on the fence between graciously stepping down and focusing on my acting career or giving the international circuit one last shot.