Singapore Model Eng Ke Qing Made Her Runway Debut At The Dries Van Noten Show
It was a fashion coup for this 21-year-old model who made her debut on the Paris Fashion Week runway for one of fashion's well-loved houses.
One familiar Singaporean face made an appearance on the Spring Summer 2024 runway of Belgian designer Dries van Noten at Paris Fashion Week recently. Her name: Eng Ke Qing, a model who is signed to Mannequin Studio here and had once graced the cover of FEMALE for the December 2021 edition.
The art school-trained 21-year-old with the cool elfin features and signature tousled mullet has been modelling full-time for two years now and is also a talented illustrator on the side. Ahead, she tells us about her experience modelling for one of fashion's well-loved brands and where she is headed next.
Eng Ke Qing on the cover of FEMALE's December 2021 edition
Star sign: Scorpio
How she got discovered: "I'd sent an application to my mother agency Mannequin Studio in 2021 for fun and it signed me on. I've been with it ever since."
On her current modelling status: "I'm a full-time model now and have been in Europe since February this year after my mother agency placed me here with Elite Amsterdam. I'm currently shuttling between different cities in Europe indefinitely as both my agencies have some plans for me here."
What she did prior to modelling: "I was studying art at Temasek Polytechnic's School of Design."
What she was doing when she got the news that she had booked the Dries van Noten show: "I was on the Paris metro, on the way back to my apartment, when I received the news. Naturally, I felt excited, a little nervous and very grateful to them. Big thank you to the Elite Paris team and (casting director) Piergiorgio Del Moro of DM Casting for the opportunity."
The first thing she did when she got the news: "I told my family and friends the good news as well as my mother agency."
How she prepped for the show: "I bought myself a pizza, did some skincare while I called my friends and went to sleep early."
Eng wore Look 49 for the Dries van Noten Spring Summer 2024 collection, which comprised a bolero and dress embroidered with teardrop-shaped paillettes.
On whether she plans to do more runway: "To be very honest, runway is still quite new to me. Mannequin Studio and Elite have trained me well but there is definitely still some room for improvement. That being said, I've yet to develop a walking style but I hope it will be cool.
How she describes her walk: "A work in progress."
Model idol: "Sora Choi. (The Korean model) is everything that I want to be. Androgynous, beautiful, strong and cool."
Eng Ke Qing was part of the diverse model cast for the Dries van Noten show
Model with the best walk: "I personally really like Sofia Steinberg's walk (she's the Russian model with the black bob who is known for her stomp and stone-cold glare on the runway). It's so unique and cool, nobody else does it like her."
Dream show to walk for: "Miu Miu. I love the brand a lot and I feel like I could be a Miu Miu girl."