This story is also on ZCOOP, Zalora’s fashion, beauty, and lifestyle content site.

Video by: CTV

A few months ago, 21-year-old Zamantha Dy was just another model among thousands competing in the inaugural Make Me A Zalora Model (MMAZM) competition.

Today, she’s a professional model signed under Upfront Models Singapore and has done photoshoots and TV commercials for international brands such as Shiseido.

Zamantha has booked several jobs with international brands after winning the Make Me A Zalora Model competition. Photo courtesy of: Zamantha Dy

Attributing her growing success to winning the MMAZM competition, the 1.7m tall model said: “I didn’t really have a big career; I was still starting out. The competition was a great avenue for models like me that are just starting (their modeling career).”

Besides kick-starting her career, Dy feels that the competition has helped her grow as an individual. Having “a lot of self-doubt and insecurities”, her lack of confidence was always something she constantly struggled with as a model.

She said: “I’m very thankful for this competition for helping me boost a bit of my confidence and prove to myself that I can achieve something.”

While there remain times where she doubts herself, the up-and-coming model has drawn strength from the faith her agents, friends and family have in her. She has also learnt to not take criticism personally and instead use it as a source of motivation to work harder towards her goal of becoming an international model.

Her advice to aspiring models?

“Don’t be discouraged, you can do it. If you have insecurities, always remember that everyone has insecurities, so don’t beat yourself up too much.”