intheLOOK
intheLOOK
Devyn Abdullah
International Model
Single mother Devyn Abdullah is the winner of The Face, Naomi Campbell’s modeling competition. She took Digital Fashion Week (DFW) 2013 by storm by ripping the runway. Strong
and resilient, Devyn stands firmly by her beliefs and is not affected by what people think
about her. She also tells Weekendin of how her two-year-old daughter is her foundation and
pulls her through hard times.
Q: What are your impressions of Singapore?
A: I love it. It’s a whole culture shock for me. Being from New York, I’m used to everything being
fast-paced. I’m used to nothing but buildings,
nothing but taxis, just everything being fastpaced and packed and it’s the complete opposite here so it’s quite refreshing. I’m loving the
weather; it’s cold in New York right now so I love
the fact that I can wear all my summer clothes
again. And I’m just having a great time in Digital
Fashion Week.
Q: What shows have you walked in during
DFW 2013?
A: I walked in Thomas Wee yesterday and he’s
amazing. The whole collection was personally
my favourite. It’s great what he does and he’s
known really well in Asia for his designs and he
has been in the industry for so long, so for him
to tell me that he thinks I’m a warm soul and
he thinks that I’ll go far, was great. I had a great
time. And I’m going to be walking for a couple
more designers during DFW, so it’s not over yet.
Q: What outfits will you be wearing?
A: I’ll be wearing a lot of the collections from
designers here. I think it’s very important for me
to support them while I’m here. There are 32 designers so I’ve been seeing a lot of things that I
like. Personally, I like prints so I have been wearing a lot of prints lately. I have worn Rayson Tan;
it’s one of my favourites as well.
Yesterday, I wore my own clothing line called
American Outcast that I’m working on. I have
been running that for the last two years. It has
been a really great buzz in New York where we
started off at and I’m proud of it, so I decided to
show it off to Singapore and get some Singaporean fans. Google American Outcast!
Q: Seen anything you will like to buy?
A: I don’t know about buying, but I would wear
the designs. As I said I love prints and there’s a
lot of designers here who do really funky, cool
prints. A lot of them are casual clothes and also
red carpet clothes. I do tons of events so I definitely plan on making friends with the designWeekendin 70
ers. It’s not the last Singapore is going to see of that point. So I took a break off, had my daughme. That’s what I’m here for—Fashion.
ter and I had another 2 years off. Then I decided
okay I’m ready for it now, I’m ready to focus on it
Q: What do you think of DFW?
and be determind and take it seriously. I went for
A: I love the whole Digital Fashion Week con- The Face and here I am.
cept. Honestly, I feel like the internet is something that’s an asset now that a lot of people in Q: Tell us about your daughter.
the fashion industry didn’t have before. In the A: My little girl is 2 right now, and her name is
80s and 90s, you literally had to go to these cor- Bryse. I just skyped her right before this interporations and have a lookbook and it was all view. She’s getting so big and she has so much
about who you know. I feel like in terms of the personality and so much love. She’s a Sagittarius
internet, there’s iPad and the handphone so you that’s why, and I’m Aquarius so we’re the comcan literally watch DFW on the move—that’s plete opposite, but at the same time she’s fire
insane! It’s amazing for the designers because and I’m water so I can calm her down. But I love
they are going to be reaching out to so many how she is, I embrace it and I just want her to be
people and really expanding themselves and successful with whatever she wants to do in life.
not just becoming a designer in Singapore and That’s why I went on The Face in order to change
known for being in singapore but worldwide. I my life to give her that opportunity. That’s my
think it’s a great concept and I’m excited for next baby.
year; it’s only the 2nd year! It’s big already, Naomi Campbell was here which is insane. It was so Q: How is it like being a model and a mother?
nice seeing her again and being reunited with A: As a mother, a responsible mother I would
her. So i’m excited to see what DFW is going to say it’s very difficult because people judge a lot
come up with next year. Keeps us on our toes.
and I don’t care, I really don’t. It’s one of those
situations where being a mother is a part of me
Q: Prior to modeling, what kind of jobs did so you’re going to accept it or not. Sometimes, I
you do as a single mother?
don’t have anybody to watch her, or I just don’t
A: I worked in retail, in catering and in restau- feel like getting a babysitter for someone to
raunts.
watch her and I take her to photoshoots and
castings, and she loves it and I love it but some
Q: Was that where you got spotted?
people aren’t too fond of it. Sometimes it works
A: I was always noticed in every job. It was crazy to my advantage; it just depends whom I’m dealbecause I was good at all my jobs. People would ing with. There’s been plenty of times I’ve been
literaly walk into the restaurant, or walk into the to photoshoots and meetings and people fall
store and say, Oh, what are you doing here? You absolutely in love with her and it winds up being
should be a model.
a meeting where they want to shoot her too. So
we do a photoshoot with her or we do a motherQ: Why not (go into modelling) earlier?
daughter shoot so it just really matters that me
A: I did actually. I started when I was 16. I was being a proud mother is never going to change.
signed to Elite Model Management. I was at a It is what it is, I’m a model mommy.
gas station with my mom and a scout came
over to me and told me to go to Elite and they’ll
gave me a contract right there on the spot.
Yeah, it was great but being young and still in
highschool, it was hard balancing out the two.
Around my senior year, I just wanted to be a
senior, I just wanted to be a kid. I felt like the
modelling industry was too serious for me at
Photo by: DFW Creative PR
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