1. You won the Social Media Award in the Supermodelme.tv contest. Were you already very familiar with social networking media? What gave you the edge over the competition? What or who helped you? I was certainly familiar with social networking media but I never understood the power it had before I starting using it for the show. I did a lot of research on the different ways and techniques to use social media which I think really helped me. I read a lot of blogs, visited various websites, spoke to people in the industry and used everything I learnt, together with everything I already knew to keep one step ahead of the other girls. I think the combination of having my own website, facebook fanpage, twitter, myspace & model mayhem profiles and constantly keeping these up to date is was what ultimately gave me the edge over the competition.

2. Work, play, home: What are the different tech gadgets which you need for these different facets of your life? Why are they essential? At home and work I am content with my desktop, phone and laptop when I don’t feel like being restricted by sitting at my desk. For when I’m on the go my mobile and camera are a must and when I’m not close to a computer I rely a lot on my laptop too. I see them as essential because they allow me to keep in touch, keep up to date with the news and friends and also keep others up to date with what’s going on with me via blogs, photos, emails & messages.

3. What gadgets do you carry with you when you leave the house?

I have to have my phone (Nokia E71) with me where ever I go and being equipped with 3G allows me to do almost everything I want to do online. Depending on where I am or what I am doing I usually have my camera on hand also but if not I can always take a few snaps using my mobile and I always carry a thumb drive in my purse because you never know you’ll need it.

4. As a model, you get to do a fair bit of travelling. What gadgets do you bring when you travel? And what technology do you use to stay in touch? When I travel I’ve become extremely attached to my Macbook Pro. With both my laptop and phone I feel I can keep in touch with the world easily no matter where I am. When I’m away from friends and family facebook, twitter, email, Skype and messaging are the main ways I keep in touch. Being a model I of course carry my camera with me the majority of the time too, I recently lost my digital camera and feel quite lost without it.

5. What gadget(s) is/are on your wish list? TiVo, Blackberry Bold, Leica M8.2 [Camera], A waterproof digital camera, Sony Bravia 55″ XBR Series LCD, Blu-Ray Player and since seeing and playing with the new Samsung ST550 2View camera that has definitely been added to my wish list and I’m considering getting this to replace my lost Panasonic Lumix.

6. Would you be worried if your computer or mobile phone was stolen? What kind of stuff do you have on it? I would be devastated if either my phone or computer was stolen, not because I would be worried about confidential info or pictures being released but simply because they have become my lifeline. They hold everything that attaches me to the outside world, I store all my photos, music, contacts and documents on them but of course I backup all my data because I unfortunately learnt the hard way how important backing up is when I had a [hard drive] crash on me before and lost everything I had.

7. Which social networking sites are you connected to? What do you use them for? Currently I am on facebook for personal networking and staying in touch with friends. For modeling I use my facebook fanpage, myspace, modelmayhem, Istudio and twitter profiles to network with like minded people in the industry, to meet photographers and interact with fans.

8. Have you actually met face-to-face, the people you’ve spoken to with online, be it people you’ve met on a social networking site or through your blog? Why or why not? What was the outcome if you have met them? Generally I haven’t met with people face to face that I interact with online, simply because there is no real need. Almost everything can be communicated & exchanged digitally these days. The only exceptions have been where I have collaborated with photographers, makeup artists, stylists and fellow models I’ve met through social networks to work with on projects.

9. How often do you update your Facebook/Myspace/Twitter? What kind of stuff do you post on it? Facebook I generally use for my own personal networking so it’s more specific updates on what’s happening in my personal life and interaction with friends which I update weekly. More recently I have been using my facebook fanpage, twitter and myspace to keep fans and friends/family up to date with what’s been happening with modeling and I tend to update a couple of times a week  or whenever something of interest comes up. My modeling updates are usually about what I’m currently involved in or what is coming up for me.

10. Did you start your blog, fionathomas.com.au, for the Supermodelme contest or do you already blog? What is your blog about and what kind of stuff do you blog about? I had always intended to get a website up and running but never got around to doing it so I think once I was involved in the show I had a reason to stop putting it off and just get it done. I wanted somewhere where people could go to view my full modeling portfolio and get in contact with me outside of the modeling networking sites I was already using. I have been blogging for a while but more for my personal reference but I have used my website to blog about reviews on beauty products I have used and recommend, my supermodelme.tv journey, beauty tips and tricks, advice to aspiring models and anything else I think that would be of interest to people involved in fashion, design, modeling or beauty in general. I am constantly jotting down ideas I come up with that I think will be interesting to blog about.

11. Do you tweet regularly? What do you tweet about? Do you follow anyone or any celebrity? I have recently become addicted to tweeting, my tweets vary from quotes that I have heard, photos on twitpic, links to interesting/funny articles or video clips, replies to friends, updates on my life or what I happen to be feeling at the time. I follow a few celebrities, Ashton Kutcher of course simply because he seems to be the twitter King so I figure I can learn from him and I also follow celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Tyra Banks, Miley Cyrus, Lauren Conrad, Dwight Howard – because I’m interested in what they have to say and what I can learn from them. I like twitter because it is a direct link between fans and celebrities cutting out the need for media to a certain extent and it’s a great way for celebrities to verify/deny rumours that the media has spread. I find twitter has filled that void, bridging the gap between fans and celebrities that really we have never seen before. But I guess that isn’t always a good thing, my boyfriend showed me this NBA player called Stephon Marbury who has absolutely broken down online … for everyone to see, hear and read.

12. What are your favourite websites and why? eBay, I am a self confessed eBay addict and working in an office during work hours limits the time I can dedicate to shopping but eBay allows me to shop wherever and whenever for basically anything I desire. Apart from twitter, facebook and myspace I also frequently visit YouTube to check out the latest video clips or episodes and Wikipedia for a quick reference on anything and everything.

13. Now that the Supermodelme.tv contest has ended, what’s next? Well as you may or may not know [don't tell anyone] I’m an accountant by day, but this coming 12 months I’m planning to go overseas and pursue my modeling further. I will continue to use social media to help build a strong social profile and gain as much exposure as possible, of course you’ll be able to keep up to date via fionathomas.com.au as well as my twitter, facebook & myspace pages.

I‘m a contestant on Supermodelme.tv a reality show in Singapore attempting to find the next top Asian Supermodel – the more twitter followers, facebook fans, video views and votes on the website I receive the better chance I have of winning

To show your support please:

Follow me on Twitter

Become a facebook fan of Fiona Thomas

See videos, photos and episodes of the show at supermodelme.tv and vote me as your favourite model each week

1. What preconceptions about models have you found to be true? I had a lot of preconceptions about models coming into this competition (bitchy, judgmental, unfriendly, arrogant) but I think this experience has proved every one of them to be wrong. I think the idea of stereotyping and categorizing all models as the same is very difficult because we all come from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences. Models vary in personality, education and attitude as much as any given group of people.
2. Describe your experience doing the Her World “cover” shoot. I found the shoot to be quite challenging because being a headshot there was no room for error in the facial expressions. I wanted to achieve the desired “intelligently beautiful” look without making it too obvious in my face that I was trying so hard, the hardest part was coming across naturally I think.
3. Beauty, brains, wealth. Rank these in order of importance to you. Why?I would rank these as (1) brains (2) beauty (3) wealth. I think these are all very important in their own right but without brains I don’t think you can get very far in life and particularly in the modeling world it is too easy to be taken advantage of without a good head on your shoulders. Beauty is something that can provide a lot of perks and rewards in life and if used correctly can also get you quite far. Wealth I think is something that a person can live a happy and fulfilling life without and though it can definitely help you excel in life money can also corrupt a persons true self.
4. Who do you think is your strongest rival in the competition? I think my strongest rival in the competition would be Anna, , I think she has a very strong look and has a great catwalk.
5. What do you think are the responsibilities of a supermodel, if any? I think the title “supermodel” does carry certain responsibilities with it. In particular I think it’s important for a supermodel to portray a healthy image and represent something that girls can look up to and aspire to be.
6. If you could turn back time, how do you wish you could have better prepared for the competition? I would definitely do a lot more research on high fashion posing and would also have taken a few acting classes to help me loosen up and break out of my shell a little more.
7. Name one thing that you can’t live without, and have brought with you to the house in Bukit Timah.The one thing I can’t live without is my photographs – I find it’s the best way to capture memories of precious moments. I took photos of my loved ones with me into the house as a constant reminder of home.
8. Which to you is scarier, a spider or a snake? I am actually quite scared of both but I think snakes terrify me more than spiders do.
9. Will you do a photoshoot assignment that requires you to go naked? Why? I’ve always held the position that I would not do nude photo shoots but I think depending on the cause or situation (eg Miranda Kerr for Koalas, Celebrities against fur)  I may consider it if it is done in a tasteful manner. I certainly would never consider doing Playboy style nudes under any circumstances simply because that is not the modeling style I am working towards. My reasons for not doing nudes are mainly cultural, I don’t think it’s something my family as Asians would be comfortable with me doing and my naked body is something I would prefer to keep private and for the eyes of only those I choose. I think it’s possible to pursue a modeling career without having to do nudes.
10. Will you ever consider going under the knife to enhance your physical features? Why? At the moment I don’t think plastic surgery is something I would consider, not because I think I’m perfect the way I am – I have as many insecurities as the next girl and have a long list of things I wish were different about me physically but with age I’ve come to terms with the fact that I am the way I am and I have to work with what I’ve been given. I think the danger with plastic surgery is drawing the line at where to stop, for every one thing you change there will be 10 more changes you want to replace it. It may however be something I could consider in the future so I would never rule it out as circumstances always change.

Initially after leaving the supermodelme house, I was feeling quite despondent and it had really taken a toll on my confidence. But after it had sunk in that I had been eliminated I started to realise what an incredible journey it had been and I began to feel proud for making it as far as I did in the competition. I had learnt a lot from the whole experience and I had made some incredible contacts in the industry which I’m sure will benefit me greatly. I think i realised my leaving had anything to do with my potential but more a reflection on how I did in the challenges thus far, maybe supermodelme was not the right competition for me but something else might be. The whole experience made me realise how much I actually love modeling as a job and that its something I should start to view as a profession rather than a hobby. I’m lucky because I have the advantage of having already completed my bachelors degree and having that education under my belt means that I can pursue a modeling career and know in the back of my head that I have a professional degree to fall back on. Looking back I have a very positive view of supermodelme.tv and have no regrets and only high expectations for my modeling career.