Lucie Petit
FIVE MINUTES WITH
Nicole Slater meets the Founder of HK Model Camp and role model at Inspiring Girls After originally moving to Hong Kong on a three month modeling contract, Lucie Petit fell in love with the city and has now been here for over eight years, “Hong Kong has a great mix of Western and Asian culture, allowing it to be an international business hub with a diverse network that can lead to a lot of opportunities.” While Petit spends most of her time as a full-time model, having worked with high end fashion brands including Calvin Klein and Victoria’s Secret, she also founded her own Hong Kong-based model camp guiding aspiring models through the modeling process and helping them become the best version of themselves. “I was a very shy kid growing up. Having to relocate and change schools many times often made me feel like an outsider, lowering my confidence and self-esteem. I chose to become the mentor who could have helped me accept myself and boost selfconfidence, to others.” Through online and in-person workshops, Petit’s sessions include honest discussions about the modeling industry, body positivity, self-acceptance and how posture can affect confidence. “From my experience in working with teens in Hong Kong, I know many are confused about their future and making the right decisions in life. They feel the pressure to conform, to be beautiful and “perfect” in a world where social media often portray distorted and unrealistic standards.” Petit believes that having a role model who understands the industry can help them overcome challenges and avoid mistakes. She herself was mentored by supermodel and successful entrepreneur Coco Rocha in New York and online last year. Alongside her model camp, she is also a role model for the femalefocus organisation, Inspiring Girls. While Petit’s calendar has been pretty full recently, last year came with many challenges, “the past year taught me the need to adapt in ways that I’d never
thought of before, including falling down and getting back up on a regular basis. Learning to know when to take a break and reassessing boundaries between yourself and those around you is extremely important and I’m grateful to have these skills now.” Over the next few months she hopes to continue to inspire and empower women across the city and internationally through her camp as well as supporting more people in the industry. “Creatives are often offered unpaid work. Through this network, I hope to turn this around by creating employment opportunities that reward creatives what they’re worth. One day, I would love to offer HKMC services in Europe which would also enable me to reconnect with my home country and visit my family more often in France.”
hongkongliving.com | 13
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21/12/2021 5:26 PM
