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'Asia's Next Top Model' returns for sixth season
Modeling competition slash reality show Asia’s Next Top Model (ASNTM) returns with its sixth season.
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Iko Bustomi, one of the participants from Indonesia at the sixth 'Asia's Next Stop Model'. (asntm.com/File)
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odeling competition slash reality show Asia’s Next Top Model (ASNTM) returns with its sixth season, bringing glamour and “smizing” back to TV screens across the region.
Thai-American supermodel Cindy Bishop reprises her role from the previous two seasons as host, while fashion photographer Yu Tsai returns as a mentor as well as the season’s new creative director.
Joining the duo are several ASNTM alumni who have become notable fixtures in the industry, such as Monika Stanta Maria from Season 3 and Season 5’s Shikin Gomez and Nguyen Minh Tu.
ASNTM is based on supermodel Tyra Banks’ wildly successful America’s Next Top Model, which has spawned over 30 international versions and propelled numerous new models into the competitive industry.
The show follows the pattern set by the original series, with each episode featuring a modeling challenge, typically in the form of a photo shoot. The contestants’ best photos are up for judging at the end of the episode, when the worst performing contestant is eliminated.
Refinery Media’s ASNTM executive producer and showrunner Karen Seah promises a sixth season that is even more exciting than previous seasons because of its storyline.
“This season, we included a new element into the show that would give viewers a more intimate showcase on the contestants’ journey, as well as providing a new dimension for upcoming seasons,” Seah said, and that the show was set in the picturesque hustle-and-bustle of Bangkok, Thailand.
Premiering Aug. 22 on FOX Life, the show gathers 14 female contestants from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand, the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore to vie for the Asia’s Next Top Model title, as well as the lucrative gigs that entails.
The Season 6 contestants were selected after an extensive online search that required applicants to be a national of any Asian country or of Asian descent, at least 16 years of age and a minimum height of 168 centimeters.
Representing Indonesia in the show are two up-and-coming models Iko Bustomi and Jesslyn Lim.
Born Rizkho Maulida Bustomi, Iko started modeling on runways and in glossy editorials to help out her large family financially.
The 23-year-old has some industry experience under her belt as a GoGirl! Look 2012 finalist and the icon of the Jakarta Fashion Week 2018.
Iko says a professional model “stays true to themselves” and doesn’t try to be somebody they aren’t.
Meanwhile, Jesslyn is comparably a more senior model. The 26-year-old emerged in the public eye as the representative of Jakarta 4 in the 2018 Putri Indonesia pageant.
Described as a feisty go-getter who works hard to get what she wants, Jesslyn is not afraid to express her opinions and is excited to be up against younger models. She believes that her maturity, age and experience will help her come out on top.
If modeling doesn’t work out for them, Iko is interested in pursuing a career as a journalist or news anchor, while Jesslyn intends pursue a master’s degree toward a job as a TV presenter or another role in the creative media industry.
Other notable models who have represented Indonesia previously include Season 3 winner Ayu Gani and Season 4 runner-up Patricia Gunawan.
Meanwhile, Indonesia’s veteran models Nadya Hutagalung and Kelly Tandiono have also taken part in ASNTM, the former hosting Seasons 1 and 2, and the latter as a mentor in the show’s fourth season.
