Ava Aashna Chopra: “Svijet je igralište. Sve opcije su otvorene, a ako imate sreće možete naići na nešto zaista posebno”

Ava Aashna Chopra, singapurska manekenka i glumica, osvaja modni svijet svojom jedinstvenom pojavom. Prvi je i jedini model iz jugoistočne Azije koji je bio na naslovnici L’Officiela u Europi, a pojavila se i na naslovnici Cosmopolitan Malaysia za njihovo inauguracijsko izdanje za parove s indonezijskom superzvijezdom, Millerom Khanom.

Njezina priča o ulasku u svijet modelinga započinje potpuno spontano, još u djetinjstvu. Kao klinka koja se razlikovala od “tipičnog izgleda” Singapurca, privukla je pažnju agenata na ulici. Brzo je potpisala ugovor kao dječji model, surađujući s brendovima poput Disney Channel Asia i Nikona.

“To se nastavilo do moje 12. godine, a onda sam nekako izgubila interes za to i usredotočila se na svoje druge hobije. Kasnije, u kasnim tinejdžerskim godinama, žena mi je prišla u restoranu i pitala me želim li potpisati ugovor s njom. U početku sam bila sumnjičava jer nisam bila sigurna tko je ona. Potražila sam je i vidjela da prvenstveno radi međunarodno i pomislila – zašto ne? Budući da je većina njezinih klijenata bila iz inozemstva, to mi je dalo priliku da putujem, što mi se činilo kao super način da istražim nove zemlje i vidim svijet”, govori nam Ava.

Ova odluka otvorila joj je vrata međunarodne scene, omogućavajući joj putovanje i upoznavanje različitih kultura, što Ava smatra najvećom prednosti manekenstva. Ava naglašava i važnost raznolikosti u modnoj industriji, ističući da i danas postoje izazovi, poput typecastinga i nedostatka istinske raznolikosti.

U početku sam rijetko viđala nekoga tko je izgledao kao ja te tko je radio stvari koje sam ja radila u svijetu mode. Azijate sam uglavnom viđala iza kamere, ali i to rijetko. Bilo je vrijeme kada sam vjerovala da postoji stakleni strop za ono što mogu postići, jer nisam poznavala ikoga, tko je došao odakle sam i ja, a da se uspeo na vrh. Ovih dana, iako je bolje, još uvijek dobivamo typecast ili se koristimo za popunjavanje neke kvote. Gdje je istinska raznolikost? To bi trebao biti standard, a ne marketinška tehnika za poslovanje. Dok postoje neki brendovi i dizajneri kojima je iskreno stalo do inkluzivnosti i zastupljenosti, drugi to slijede kao trend i profitiraju od toga, ali to nije iskreno ni autentično.

Osim manekenstva, Ava se ističe i u glumačkom svijetu, s ljubavlju prema kazalištu koju je razvijala još od školskih dana: “Mislim da mi se kod glume najviše sviđa činjenica da imate glas. Budući da sam veći dio svog života bila model, rekla bih da je jednako uzbudljivo biti u modnom svijetu. Nastupi su kraći i fluidniji od glumačkih, i iz tog razloga možete upoznati i raditi s toliko cool i zanimljivih ljudi iz cijelog svijeta. Najdraže mi je putovati i sklapati nova prijateljstva, a činjenica da mi je modna industrija omogućila upravo to je nešto na čemu sam zahvalna!”

Ava se često angažira i u humanitarnim projektima. Kao svoj “najponosniji” trenutak ističe suosnivanje tvrtke “Act for Hope”, koja je organizirala reviju za podršku Concern India Foundation, pomažući pritom mladim ženama koje su bile žrtve zlostavljanja.

Kroz razgovor o svojim ciljevima, Ava ističe svoju aktivaciju u organizacijama za dobrobit životinja, s posebnim naglaskom na organizacije poput “WildAida” i “Orangutan Alliance”. Aktivno se zalaže za očuvanje okoliša, posebno u jugoistočnoj Aziji, te se bori protiv predrasuda u modnoj industriji, pogotovo po pitanju dobi žena.

A tu strast prema osnaživanju drugih žena usadila joj je njena majka, za koju kaže, da joj je najveći uzor.

Ne poznajem otporniju i inspirativniju ženu. Usadila mi je želju za rastom bez ikakvih prepreka i uvijek je govorila da je svijet moje igralište. To u biti znači da su sve opcije otvorene, a ako imate sreće možete naići na nešto zaista posebno.

U budućnosti, Ava planira koristiti svoju platformu kako bi podizala svijest o pitanjima koja joj leže na srcu. Izražava vjeru u odgovornost svakog pojedinca da čini dobro i nada se da će svojim glasom pridonijeti stvaranju pravednijeg svijeta.

 

ENGLISH VERSION

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Ava Aashna Chopra, a Singaporean model and actress is conquering the fashion world with her unique appearance. She is the first and only Southeast Asian model to grace the cover of L’Officiel in Europe and has also appeared on the cover of Cosmopolitan Malaysia for their inaugural couples issue featuring Indonesian superstar, Miller Khan.

Her story of entering the world of modeling begins completely spontaneously in her childhood. As a kid who differed from the “typical look” of a Singaporean, she attracted the attention of agents on the street. She quickly signed a contract as a child model, working with brands such as Disney Channel Asia and Nikon.

“That continued until I was 12 and then I kind of lost interest in it and focused on my other hobbies. Later, in my late teens, a woman came up to me in a restaurant and asked if I wanted to sign a contract with her. I was suspicious at first because I wasn’t sure who she was. I googled her and saw that she primarily works internationally and thought – why not? Since most of her clients were from abroad, it gave me the opportunity to travel, which felt like a great way to explore new countries”, Ava tells us.

This decision opened the door to the international scene, allowing her to travel and get to know different cultures, which Ava considers the biggest advantage of modeling. Ava also emphasizes the importance of diversity in the fashion industry, pointing out that there are still challenges today, such as typecasting and the lack of true diversity.

When I started, I very rarely saw someone who looked like me and did the things that I did in the world of fashion. I mostly saw Asians behind the camera, but rarely. There was a time when I believed that there was a glass ceiling for what I can achieve, because I didn’t know anyone who came from where I came from make it to the top. These days, even though things are getting better, we still get typecast or used to fill some quota. Where is the true diversity? It should be a standard, not a marketing technique for business. While there are some brands and designers who genuinely care about inclusivity and representation, others follow it as a trend and profit from it, but it’s not genuinely authentic.

In addition to modeling, Ava also stands out in the acting world, with a love for theater that she developed since her school days: “I think the thing I like most about acting would be the fact that you have a voice. Having pretty much modeled for most of my life, I would say that its also equally exciting being in the fashion world. The gigs are shorter and more fluid than acting ones, and for that reason, you get to meet and work with so many cool and interesting people from all over the world. My favorite thing to do is travel and make new friends, and I think the fact that the fashion industry has allowed me to do just that- is something im grateful for!”

Ava is often involved in humanitarian projects. As her “proudest” moment, she points out the co-founding of the company Act for Hope, which organized a fashion show in support of the Concern India Foundation, helping young women who were victims of abuse.

Talking about her goals, Ava highlights her support of animal welfare, with a particular focus on organizations like WildAid and the Orangutan Alliance. She actively advocates for the preservation of the environment, especially in Southeast Asia, and fights against prejudices in the fashion industry, especially regarding the age of women.

And that passion for empowering other women was instilled in her by her mother, whom she says is her biggest role model.

Is it cheesy to say that my mother is my biggest role model? I don’t know a more resilient and inspiring woman – she has instilled in me a desire to grow without any barriers and she always said that the world is my oyster. That basically means that everything is open to one, and if one is lucky they could encounter something special.

In the future, Ava plans to use her platform to raise awareness about issues close to her heart. She expresses her belief in the responsibility of each individual to do good and hopes to contribute to the creation of a more just world with her voice.