KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian model Shikin Gomez failed in her bid to win the reality-based model search, Asia's Next Top Model (AsNTM) Cycle 5, but being the finals was enough to give her a sense of accomplishment.
The 24-year-old, who hails from Damansara in Petaling Jaya, nudged out Indonesia's Clara Tan in the Subaru Road Trip-themed photo shoot during last week's episode to secure her spot in the finals.
In the finals Maureen Wroblewitz from the Philippies edged Shikin and Vietnam's Minh Tu Nguyen.
Maureen will appear on a cover of Nylon Singapore and will be represented by Storm Model Management as part of her grand prize.
Shikin, who is of Malay and Indian heritage, had said she was ecstatic to have made it that far in the competition.
“Being part of the 14 girls is amazing. I am happy beyond words when my name was called out,” she said when contacted recently about reaching the finals.
“I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment there, no matter what happens next.”
Shikin, who named Victoria Beckham as her biggest modelling influence, had previously won the Malaysia Supermodel Search in 2015.
For the finals, Shikin, Maureen and Minh Tu, had to walk a fashion show in Singapore wearing X.Q. Zhang designs.
Prior to that they went through a photo shoot themed “Motherland” where they modelled traditional outfits from their respective countries.
The competition previously featured another Malaysian contestant, Alicia Amin, 22, who was of Malay-German ethnicity.
Unfortunately, the contestant, who has recently started working in Berlin, Germany, was eliminated.