Maureen Wroblewitz: Model Mademoiselle

Most girls at 19 years old prefer going out with their girl friends to have a late night out, especially with the nightlife scenery in Metro Manila. But unlike most girls, Maureen Wroblewitz finds herself enjoying a fun night of staying in and having a good laugh with her closest friends.

In the last three weeks of uncovering different facets of Mau, we’ve seen her glammed up as a character straight out of Riverdale in a prim and preppy ensemble while talking about her beauty routine, a Rouged Rockabilly looking extra fierce with her plaid, cropped top and sharing a bit more about being half-Filipina and half-German, and a sophisticated Pin-Up looking every bit of the naturally captivating young woman that she is while looking back at the biggest challenges she’s had to face while competing in
Asia’s Next Top Model. We’ve also learned the true strength of her character despite her otherwise shy and soft-spoken ways.

This week’s final cover story shows Mau in one of her most compelling elements—a genuine Model Mademoiselle made to look like she was just pulled out of the golden age of TV in the 1950s, complete with a stunning ball gown and a fascinator made by New York-based designer and hat maker, Carmina de Dios. She reveals a little bit more about her dreams, being a fan girl herself, not getting used to the attention that people give, and what advice she can give to young girls aspiring to be a top model like herself.

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If modelling didn’t work out for you, what do you see yourself doing?

Acting.

Is there anything you simultaneously want to do outside of modelling? Like right now?

It’s acting. I really want to try acting.

What’s your dream photoshoot or campaign? Something that you haven’t done yet, but really want to do.

Vogue. I want to be on the cover of Vogue. I think it’s every model’s dream.

Who’s your biggest inspiration?

My mom. Always been and will always be my number one inspiration and motivation. Everything I do is to make her proud.

Who are your local and international role models?

I look up to Cara Delavigne. She’s just herself. She doesn’t care what other people think. It’s like, “Oh yeah. This is me. This is my thing.” When people judge her, it’s like, whatever. And then, I can say Pia Wurtzbach because she really fought for her spot. She’s very hard-working.

Who international designers would you like to walk for?

Prada. Gucci. (laughs) Lots of brands.

You’re the youngest contestant to win Asia’s Next Top Model Cycle 5, and that’s a huge accomplishment. But do you ever feel like you’re missing out on the normal things that girls your age are doing? Or is there anything that young women are doing that you’re not able to do because of work?

It’s funny because when you’re 18 or 19, that’s usually when you go out a lot. But I already did that at an early age. In Germany, I started going out early. So, it’s like, I’m good. Now, I just like staying in and hanging out with friends.

Where do you see yourself five years from now? Like what will you be doing?

I want to be somewhere abroad. I don’t know where yet. And I want to be travelling a lot for work. That’s my dream. I want to travel a lot.

How has your life changed since you won?

I’ve been a lot busier, and the thing with a lot of people recognizing me? It’s still weird. It’s like, “Why? How do you know me? Why do you want a photo with me?” (laughs) Because I also used to be the biggest fan girl, so now that the tables have turned, it’s so weird. I still try to spend time with the same people I hung out with before I won. It helps me stay grounded. I always want to be that. I want to be approachable. I don’t want people to think that I’m better than them; that I’m on another level. I want them to see that I’m also human.

What do you do to maintain your model-esque figure?

I don’t get to exercise that much. And I don’t have a diet. I eat only as much as I can. I try not to indulge. Like if I’m full, sometimes I’m like, “Aww, I want some dessert.” And I want this and that. But I just go for fruits or something healthier. It’s not really a diet. It’s a lifestyle. But yeah, that’s how I keep my figure because I can’t workout.

Okay, last question. What advice can you give young girls who are aspiring to be models?

I can just say that you really have to be physically and mentally prepared. Especially if you’re insecure about your body, modelling might not be like the best thing because people will always pick on that and say, “Ah, you maybe need to lose weight. Or change this, change that.” And then you see things that you haven’t seen before about yourself and your body. It can be a tiring job—especially if you have long shoots. You have to prepare. But it’s also fun. If it’s really your dream, you should fight for it. Don’t let other people bring you down and tell you that you’re not going to make it. Just take that as a motivation and really fight for your dreams. If it’s really meant for you, then it will happen.

Ending our last cover story on Maureen Wroblewitz is bittersweet, but we’re excited to share a couple of videos to get to know her more. Check out our Calyxta Conversations, where she shares what she’d like to dress up as for Halloween, and her Work It Challenge, where she had to pose with random objects and make it look fierce!