WELCOME TO MY BLOG!

Hi everyone, it's me MIU!

Half-Japanese and half-Thai, I'm a free-lance semi-professional MODEL and ARTISTE based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I have lived in the UK for 12 years previous to that, where my modelling career was born in 2008.

Apart from working all over the UK and Holland, assignments have taken me to Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Sweden, Ireland and, of course, my hometown Japan!

I started as a life model posing nude for artists in the late 90s and eventually put myself in front of the cameras as a glamour model and became involved in car shows and hostessing parties and events in the UK. Easily bored with the same old routine I like to vary my work. Today, much of my work lie with nude, fetish, alternative, and erotic art.

For more information, you can also find me on: http://www.minimiumodel.com/

I love to document all my shoots and events to reflect what a great time I'm having and meeting all sorts of people. Some entries may be delayed since the shoot due to waiting for edited images or just being "busy". But I do my best!

HOPE YOU ENJOY READING!!

Monday 27 September 2010

Commercial Shoot Debut with Unzipped


So here I'm sitting in our beautiful Amsterdam apartment resting after weeks of insane working and travelling. Weeks of back to back shoots when I'm not visiting mum in London or tending our Horsham home. It's raining here again outside so what to do apart from going to the local gym and playing with Facebook? Updating my blog!!!

Well I figured that whilst I'm out here I may as well tell you about my very first commercial shoot. Out in Amsterdam! There is this wonderful shop called UNZIPPED on Centuurbaan in centre of Amsterdam selling all these hot sexy club wear as well as swimwear which my husband had discovered and introduced me to some time ago. And boy, was that a mistake for him...cuz since then...I've been a regular customer!

The shop is jointly run by Anja and Arthur both who are wonderful people with really awesome ideas for designing outfits. They look good on almost anyone even for the more vertically challenged like myself! The clubwear include good quality stretch PVC in red and black (pink has unfortunately been discontinued) and some sheer garments including those in my favourite pattern, animal print. Then there is also the hot sexy and skimpy swimwear collection in all colours of the spectrum including day-glo pink, green and yellow. You can mix and match the various tops to the bottoms which come to the ultimate skimpiest of thongs! Anja has also been showing me the different ways to wear and tie a simple bikini top...

It was my husband who initially coaxed me to try getting some modeling work with Unzipped for publicity stunts such as their website and posters. However as predicted it proved impossible because tall lean and leggy girls were the look they were after as typical in the fashion world. Besides, the outfits are skimpy and tight they may be well suited for the "better endowed". I further seem to recall they were contracted with an agency for their publicity so it wasn't up to them to choose. Still no hard feelings, as I continued frequenting their shop to stock up on all the hot outfits the photographers would love to see me in! And not to forget feeling sexy strutting around in all the barely-there bikinis by the poolside!

Then one day, that fateful spring day when I was trying on some outfits at their shop, a poster popped out in the changing room. A photographer was searching for models for portfolio enhancement. Initially reluctant to question it after being "turned down" the first time, I just casually asked Anja what that poster was all about and she told me I was very lucky today because the photographer in question happened to be in the shop so I could have a word with him! Enter Bart Sluiter... he had just returned to Holland after living in Curacao for some time and was looking for work and hence models to enhance his portfolio. I suppose Unzipped was also looking for some fresh faces and even ethnic diversity to appeal to "normal" women like myself.

With co-manager/owner Arthur there too, I had a chat with Bart. What an easy going friendly fella he was! Must be all the sun and carefree lifestyle he adopted in Curacao. And he was very keen to work with me given my experience in modeling, positive attitude and enthusiasm. Keeping in mind the reluctance by management to use petite models, I asked if my height was going to be a problem but he kindly responded that with the right angle and some help of photoshop, I could appear taller in photos. Sounds obvious but I often wonder why a lot of fashion photographers don't think of that! After a brief chat, we kept in touch and set up a shooting date for the next time I was there, that is 13 June 2010. I couldn't wait!

The shoot took place at Bart's apartment in Amsterdam, where I was also greeted by his assistant, Claire, a very sweet and lively Scottish "lass" who also helps at the shop. All the clothes were provided from Unzipped which included a pvc red mini skirt with zippers on the sides and matching red bikini top, another red pvc outfit but a skimpy two-piece "swimsuit" with a collar attached and a cute sheer leopard skin top & bottom with matching "gloves". In addition, Bart asked me to bring a black bikini and ankle boots. We also did a shoot where I was to be lying down in a bikini pretending to be sunbathing in a boat from which Bart would superimpose a scenery from a busy Amsterdam canal!

In all the shoot went very well and we had so much fun! We all clicked and gelled together immediately. Am also pleased to make another new friend that day. Claire is from Scotland where my husband is also from and recently moved to Holland. She's also a pole-dancer and is keen to give lessons to the girls whilst out here so now I got someone to practise with and have a good laugh! And who knows maybe if I become good enough she might let me have a go at one of her gigs...

In August, I was featured in the summer advertising campaign that was e-mailed to everyone on the mailing list. Further, three of my photos appeared in the website in the mail-order section.... the two red PVC outfits. How cool is that! I hope I have further opportunities to do this again. Well fingers crossed.... Anja expressed how happy she was and even complimented me on my healthy complexion and "good skin" so I must be doing something right! Thank you everyone for giving me this chance and thanks, Bart, for believing in me... that even shorter models can be given a chance to do some fashion, especially in a hot happening label like unzipped! Will be dropping by more often now...

Log onto http://www.unzipped.nl to check out this hot and happening Dutch clothing line...

1 comment:

  1. Hallo Miu. What a great write-up - thanks. You are not just good in front of the camera but also a good writter. My compliments! Hope to see you in the shop soon. Really think we need to make some more - new appointments. Yes!! Anja & Athur xxx

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