Humans of SG Fashion: Anna Dutoit On The Modelling Industry
In this series of features from our August edition, 10 local industry insiders from across disciplines share their observations of and aspirations for style on this little red dot. Here, model Anna Dutoit speaks to us on her observations of the modelling trade today.
Anna Dutoit is a bit of an oddity in the modelling industry. The 20-year-old half-Dutch and Chinese model is just 160cm tall. She sports, rather than the changeable model's standard of long, straight hair, a buzz cut – at times in interesting colours. Right now, it's dyed yellow from a job.
That makes her a comfortable fit for the local modelling agency Misc Management – known for its alternative faces – where she's been signed to since 2020.
A shot of Anna Dutoit by fashion photographer Zantz Han, a regular collaborator of hers.
What is your take on Singapore's fashion identity today?
“Lacking, but I trust the youth to do a good job of making it stronger.”
What's the first word that comes to mind when we say 'Singapore fashion'?
“Homogenous.”
Is there anything about Singapore fashion that you're into lately?
“I consider tattooing fashion because of how it changes your bodily appearance. The scene, especially the hand poke one, is phenomenal. Currently, I really like @qowomo.”
Is Singapore a fashion city?
“Yes. There’s a lot available to us, whether that’s fast fashion or couture.”
What do you think we need to make Singapore a true fashion city?
“Ideas. There’s a big culture of copying, and if we borrowed ideas instead of straight up copying it’d be a lot better.”
Complete this sentence: In future, I hope that Singapore fashion...
“Thinks more imaginatively, pretends they’re in a Lord of the Rings film – complete fantasy. Even if your ideas sound outrageous someone will pick up on it, so the best thing is to put yourself in a fantasy zone.”
Photography Zantz Han Hair & Makeup Zoel Tee
“I’ve shaved my head four times in my life now and every time I’ve done so, a modelling job pops up. (At the point of writing) I sport a buzz cut dyed yellow from a previous job and shaved brows. It was easier to land jobs when I had long hair, but these days, I get them because of my bald head and the scope of work is different... Weirdly enough, the jobs I’ve been getting are commercial in nature. I guess having a bald girl in the cast is unique and clients want that now. The look almost expands past racial ambiguity (often favoured by the industry) and instead is about having a distinctively different feature regardless of race, in turn broadening the perception of what a model can look like. I prefer these jobs because I’m hired for being me.”
"I used to have a very stereotypical lens of modelling and thought it was very basic. I thought it was all about runway and having the height – I don’t have a conventional model’s height. But when I entered the scene, I realized it was more about the team’s visions. I’d never thought about my face being a modelling one, and it was interesting that someone could see it differently. I’ve seen how, in the modelling scene, the way you visualize a brand or object can very much be artsy. It’s quite an artistic endeavour."
"I went to a school where there wasn’t a creative scene going. It was an international school, so I wasn’t in touch with the local scene and didn’t know how to explore and expand my creative mind. Modelling makes you more social because the circle is so small, and once you get to know everybody it doesn’t feel that stressful. I’m inspired by China’s modelling scene, it’s phenomenal. Everyone knows one another, which is weird because it’s so much bigger there and you’d expect the opposite. I wish we could work like that here, in symbiosis without aesthetic clashes – where everything is accepted."
"I’m never actually worried about shoots because I trust the outcome. It comes from knowing the photographer and crew in time. The one I’ve worked with a lot is Zantz Han. We’ve gotten really close in the process and it’s come to the point where I can mould myself to the needs of his shoot. He’s taught me a lot, and that relationship helps a lot because it’s about trust and friendship. His vision is really amazing, and it helps that we can discuss things on set."
A version of this article first appeared in the August 2021 The Great SG Fashion Book edition of FEMALE