Xanny Disjad was on time for our appointment. That sounds like something of an unremarkable opener, but this being Thailand, and this also being a glamour interview, I should tell you that this never happens. It was my first indicator that this bright light of the happening Thai fashion-and-furore arena knows how to do things differently to the rest.
We met up at the Skytrain station in Asok. My haphazard knowledge of this busy expat area of Bangkok began searching frantically for recall of a suitably-imposing five-star hotel lobby.
“We could head for the Grand Millennium”, I suggested. “That should be pretty quiet. Or the Westin Grand Sukhumvit?” This was the best my pollution-addled brain could manage on short notice. It was hot, too. “No, it’s okay,” she replied, “there’s a Macdonalds just here!”
It quickly dawned on me what an incredibly grounded person I was meeting. Subconsciously, your mind recollects the photos and remembers the famous pout, the attitude and the hardcore sexy cool; and so you naturally assume that any kind of appointment will be an exercise in prima-donna pretension. Yet, when I finally got to meet the young star, I was overwhelmed by what a refreshingly simple experience it would turn out to be.
In truth, I was anxious to just go anywhere, as we are attracting quite a crowd by now. This in itself is no mean feat, in an area of the city where even the men dressed as women look incredibly hot.
The Xanny Disjad marque has now gone truly global. The petite and exotic lady from the Southern province has taken Bangkok head-on and lived to tell the story. Such is the success of the Xanny enterprise, her Facebook fan pages now sports some 25,000 members, and this year, her first stateside shooting schedule beckons.
“I came to Bangkok looking to get away from the provincial troubles,” she explains, “and I began searching for modelling work later on. I found the cost of living was more expensive in Bangkok than in the South, plus the pace of everything; I hated it to begin with, but now I adore it.
I’ve always been very independent, but I have a personal manager to help me out now. I used to spend a lot of time at home, but these days I seem to always be going from one meeting to another. The process is very easy; the client likes me and then organises a meet with me directly.”
For those unacquainted with the Disjad brand, Xanny is the family-orientated entrepreneur from Narathiwat Province, and runs her modelling business mainly by herself.
She told me, “Work is so crazy; I need some full-time help this year. But my business is close to my heart, so it’s difficult to hand over the reigns to anyone else. I usually do my own make-up too, because I know exactly what I want, and I know how to give the client a shoot that will work for them. I also need it to be fun, or there is no point.”
“Before the project starts,” she continues, “I will always meet with the hiring agent and the photographer over a few drinks. I need that intimacy to be able to work to the camera properly.”
I offer her some of my Big Mac, noting that she has not ordered. “I’m lucky that I’m not a fast-food person!” she laughs. “I love fish, salad and Thai vegetables. I can handle extra-hot Thai food, so I don’t really watch what I eat in that respect. I can cook many Thai dishes; I used to spend time in the kitchen with my Grandmother when I was six years old, so I learnt from her.”
It does not take long to realise Xanny has an appreciably open outlook which she tends to apply to everything, from fashion, food, travel and relaxation. She told me, “I’ve just got back from Hong Kong, although it was for vacation not work. I enjoy the shopping there; it can be cheaper than Bangkok for some things. I like Singapore too. I’ve been there a few times. I like the clean air and the city planning; it’s like England! I love the organisation of everything. Some people find it off-putting, but I really enjoy it; it’s so different to here! I miss Bangkok when I leave though; you become addicted to the madness of it all.”
“I’ve been to Kuala Lumpur too. I love Malaysian food. Because I come from the South, it’s quite similar in style to Southern Thai food. I need to spend more time there, to get to know the people and to understand the city.”
“Next year, my big plan is to go to America; Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, maybe. I’m hoping to find some long-term project work. I’ve never been, but I’m prepared for it to be a crazy experience. I want to travel more too, so I’ve set aside a month just to do that next year.”
“You’re gonna hate Los Angeles,” I tell her. “It’s horrible.” Xanny replied, “That’s okay. I just have a hunger to experience anything new. There’s opportunity everywhere. In five years time, I will still be in Thailand, but I hope to travel more. My life is complex; I just need to find a way to accommodate it all! It excites me that when I look at what I’m doing; the Xanny brand is International. It makes me really happy.”
Business is good for Thailand’s number one glamour export. Xanny’s diary is so full-on right now, it seemed almost pointless asking about her favourite type of shoot, but I elected to anyway. “Anything glamour,” she replied. “Anything where the client goes away thinking that they got what they were looking for in terms of the shoot concept.”
This accommodating attitude is probably the reason why she’s being approached for TV work. But Xanny is businesswoman before anything else, and she is prepared to take things day by day. It is a lesson her peers often seem unable to grasp.
This self-motivated professional life does not appear to leave any time for personal relationships; “I’m single!” she declares. “I’m very into business and knowing what I’m focused on, but I still haven’t met any guy that understands my lifestyle! I need someone who can chill with me and accept my busy life, as I can’t be with my man all the time. I have to manage work, family, time for myself, friends, socialising, so . . . not yet!”
I stop my MP3 recorder for a moment because my french fries are getting cold. Chatting to Xanny is a very interactive experience; she is as interested in my Bangkok story as I am quizzical about her life. As a part-time freelancer myself, I’m particularly interested to know how she picks up on new work.
“I use a web site called Model Mayhem. This site is terrific because it connects everyone in the industry; models, photographers, make-up artists and clients. It works internationally too, as hiring agents who are coming to Thailand for a short period of time can look on there and do a local search. Model Mayhem is great when I go overseas too, because I can let people know where I’m going, and they can get in touch if they wish to book me while I’m there.”
“I used to spend a great deal of time on Facebook, like ten hours a day. It’s not all social though; I use it primarily for work. I’ve picked up jobs directly from there, and I have several fan pages which I administer myself. “
I notice Xanny constantly refers to herself as “the brand”, and I also note she refers to her Facebook fans as friends. She elaborates, “My personality is important, and the way I am looked upon, which includes the way I interact with people on social networking sites. I’m friendly, and I try to reply to people who take the time to contact me. It’s a bitchy industry at times, and I work hard at not being like that. For example, I never use bad language on Facebook, because it’s important that people perceive me in a certain way.”
This warm, self-motivated world view permeates every aspect of Xanny’s operation, even down to the complexities of the working day itself. She says, “If it’s just in Bangkok, I always get myself to the shoot. I can do my own hair and make-up, and I have regular photographers that I use. Many are international though, so we have to hook up each other’s diaries! I love to work with the same people, but if I’m working with a new photographer, we will have the same attitude; “let’s get this moving, let’s make it fun.” This is the kind of person I need to be working with. Sometimes, I will see locations that I would like to shoot in, and occasionally, we even shoot on the roof of my condo!”
“If I was not modelling, I would still be doing something in media. I’ve done some presenting for public relations clients, but singing is my biggest love, and has been for as long as I can remember. I will do this full-on one day, definitely! I would not give up modelling; I can fit the two together. I don’t like any full-time thing that keeps me fixed to one place. I love the flexibility of my work, so I would consider anything that can slot into my life in this way.”
At the reasonably tender age of 24, I wondered if Xanny had any advice for young girls looking to get started in glamour modelling. She said, “Model Mayhem is the first step for a new model, and it supports your career as you develop. It’s the premier modelling site in the world.” She jokes, “Maybe if I keep plugging them, I can be their international face! But seriously, in a few years, I will eventually open my own modelling agency. That would be something close to my heart, personally.”
Pitfalls? “I sometimes have guys hitting on me. I guess this is to be expected in this business! Funnily enough, they are not usually photographers, but hiring agents!” Xanny takes a sip from her orange juice. “They are not interested in me particularly, they are just after anyone. It’s important that models new to the business understand this is a big risk; new entrants are easily exploited, so it’s quite a dangerous job in that respect. You do meet a few bad guys, but generally speaking, at this level, everyone is very professional, very proper.”
I’ve noticed that our section of the restaurant seems to have become very popular; the Sukhumvit road end is virtually empty. I swear the guy behind me is recording us on his iPhone.
“There are other threats to your business also. For example, I find my picture in many magazines without my permission. It’s difficult to personally police all this!”
This is probably the only time I’ve ever had an exciting meal in Macdonalds.
I thank Xanny Disjad for her time, and tell her that I probably have enough material now for three back-to-back specials, to which she replies, “You’re sure?! Ha! Email me if you’ve forgotten anything, or just give me a call.”
Might just do that.
Copyright © 2012 Xanny Disjad.
