A look at the careers of former ANTM cast members may lend us some foresight into the careers of Asia’s Next Top Model contestants

Text: Denise Ngo

If you’ve ever wondered what America’s Next Top Model would look like with a more diverse lineup, wonder no more: Asia’s Next Top Model features a cast of Pan-Asian models ready to duke it out for the pride of their country and for the career of a lifetime.

At the press conference earlier this month, we got a peek at the 14 contestants, who hail from Thailand, Vietnam, The Philippines, China, Korea, and Singapore, among other countries. Interestingly, about half of the contestants were of mixed race, thus reinforcing the industry’s preference for Caucasian-looking women.

Still, if the subsequent successes (and failures) of past America’s Next Top Model contestants are any indication, these contestants need all the help they can get. Winning the contest does not guarantee a place in the fashion world. The initial publicity is one thing, but it can’t replace the connections, hard work, talent, and good luck vital to the success of traditional models.

One can argue that the landscape here in Asia is different than the one in the West, so there’s no telling what will help or hurt the contestants as they forge careers in fashion. But looking back at the lives of their American counterparts can lend us some foresight into what they can expect.

Click through our gallery to see where some of the most prominent America’s Next Top Model contestants and winners are today.

Asia’s Next Top Model debut this Sunday, November 25, at 8:55 pm on Star World.