Thursday January 22, 2009
Christy Yow's southern exposure
By RIZAL JOHAN
Thanks to a rather saucy photoshoot recently, model Christy Yow has been turning heads everywhere she goes. Christy Yow is standing on the cusp of popularity right now. And it’s only just begun to happen for Yow these last couple of months when she made the cover of FHM Singapore’s December issue. The 22-year-old Malaysian model, who was a complete unknown before appearing on the FHM cover, raised enough eyebrows and interest after appearing in the said men’s magazine that she’s become the talk of the town (in Singapore at least).
Yow seems to stand out, whether in magazines or real life, and it has much to do with her looks as well as her personality. The Ipoh-born girl has short cropped hair, alluring eyes, luscious lips, long legs and curves in the right places as well as a positive and bubbly attitude. It was hard to miss Yow at The Carat Club, in Pavilion, Kuala Lumpur where this interview had been scheduled.
Yow was dressed to impress in black: jet black hair, black spaghetti top, black hot pants, black watch and black gladiator wedges. She was friendly at the get go when we met, still very much the small-town girl and indifferent to the exposure she’s been getting in Singapore. As we walked to the Carat Club, she said that she had just returned to Malaysia from Singapore where she appeared on the TVB variety show, Super Trio Supreme.
“It’s like a reality show hosted by Hong Kong actor Eric Tsang,” explained Yow about the TV show. “It’s fun being on the show because they make you do stuff and I’m up for anything.”
Although Yow began modelling part-time when she was 19, it wasn’t a path she initially intended to travel on. Being a student at the time and studying broadcasting at TAR College, Kuala Lumpur, Yow jumped at the chance to do some modelling work as a means of extra income.
“Some of my friends asked me if I would be interested to do some modelling. So I thought, ‘Why not?’, being a student it was a way to earn extra pocket money. But I honestly never thought I would end up being a model full-time. I always thought I would do more behind-the-scenes type of work since I majored in broadcasting.”
Yow graduated early last year and soon after was signed on as menswear Crocodile’s spokesperson. She had been attached to Crocodile since she began her part-time modelling almost four years ago but it was only last year that she became the brand’s official spokesperson.
“I think I’m the only female model for Crocodile,” laughed Yow.
This led her to international photoshoots in London, Vietnam, Bangkok and Singapore to promote the brand. As it happens, the new face of Crocodile caught the attention of the FHM Singapore team. So Yow found herself off to another photoshoot, this time for FHM Singapore, and the destination was Bali, Indonesia.
Right after she had done a risque shoot in Bali, Yow showed it to all her friends on the Internet and received very promising response.
“I posted the pictures on Facebook. So my friends had all seen my pictures and they were really impressed because they were amazed that my modelling career was really taking off. They have always been very supportive of me and this was a big opportunity for me,” said Yow.
Christy Yow: "I honestly never thought I would end up being a model full-time." – AZMAN GHANI / The Star People have been taking notice as Yow has been the subject of discussion on Singapore radio stations and her saucy FHM pictures have appeared in the local tabloids as well. There is however, a downside to the attention Yow is receiving.
“I did a radio station interview and they asked me about my FHM cover picture (which featured Yow in a two-piece bikini) and they asked if these are the types of clothes I wear and I told them, ‘No, I don’t dress like this at all.’ I’m a casual dresser most of the time,” said Yow.
And the tabloids have given a naughty nickname. “My (FHM) pictures seem to be cropping up in the (Singapore Chinese daily) tabloids ... And they’ve given me a nickname which sort of translates as 36C Christy. So now the whole of Singapore knows I’m a size 36C,” said Yow as she rolled her eyes.
Funnily enough, Yow was completely unaware of FHM Singapore’s notorious photoshoots which usually (if not always) had girls posing in either lingerie or bikini. (In Yow’s case, she appeared in both).
“I really had no idea what FHM was about because I read women’s magazines, I never bothered with men’s magazines.”
Yow, however, is not totally depending on her sexy image. She jumped at the opportunity to do a duet with Hagen Tan for the Singapore film, The Wedding Game, singing the film’s theme song, Our Love. And she is interested in a singing career but not right now.
“In the future I would like to release my own album but I’d have to take lessons and work really hard at it,” said Yow.
And now that Yow has received enough attention and is appearing on television, she has plans to take it a step further by trying her hand in the film industry. Word has it that Yow may have a co-starring role opposite Jay Chou.
“We’re just negotiating right now ... nothing has been confirmed,” said Yow.
Whatever the future holds for Yow, it does seem bright and Malaysians will probably be seeing a lot more of Yow in time to come.
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