MOST girls get their boyfriends teddy bears; Timur Gabriel got hers a modelling agency.
The 20-year-old, who is currently taking a double degree in psychology and business management, is also the creative director and co-owner of Runway Inc. Modelling, a small but rapidly growing agency that manages local as well as international models.
She could easily make the cut, too.
The young entrepreneur first came across the other half of Runway Inc.’s managing board when she met her yet-to-be-partner, Shayne Especkerman for a photoshoot – not for herself, but her Ukrainian boyfriend of two years, George Simak.
“George was jobless then, and I wanted him to be occupied with something. I thought that he could attempt modelling, since he’s got all there is to model, besides the skill. So, I pitched him to different agencies that all rejected him, due to a lack of experience, which is fair enough.”
Then, they chanced upon Runway Inc., back then merely an idea and a thrown-together studio, where Especkerman agreed to take Simak’s pictures.
“When I attended the shoot, it was such a disaster. I realised that Shayne had a great vision. He’s ambitious, he knows what he wants, he just didn’t have the right tools to achieve that,” she says. “I tried subtly to give him some tips in the background, hoping that he didn’t think I was opinionated, but he took what I had to say very seriously and valued my opinion.”
Eventually, Especkerman offered her a share of the company so she could be a supporting manager, and that was how Timur got officially involved with Runway Inc.
The two progressed surprisingly quickly, and have worked with big Malaysian designers such as Pearly Wong and Zaquan Anuar, who specifically chose Simak to model for him. But their models, who number around 300, are hardly neglected. Not only are the models given intensive catwalk and posing training, they’re also allowed to freelance for their own designers, and should one’s grade drop below a C average, their modelling stint is brought to a halt.
“We check their grades. If they don’t have at least a C average, then they won’t be able to model. If we notice or hear of them doing badly in school, we will just automatically assume that it’s because of modelling.”
But don’t think for a second that her success is due primarily to parentage – the low-profiled daughter of Zainal Abidin is all hard work and maybe, like, 5% luck. She chose her mother’s maiden name to avoid being associated with her father’s – popular Malaysian singer, of Hijau fame – success.
Juggling, not one, but two degrees, as well as a quickly expanding business, can’t be easy, but Timur manages to accomplish the hardest thing of all – staying real.
“As much as we hate to, we have to adapt to the materialistic world. It’s a superficial industry, unfortunately,” she says when asked what sort of girls they look for. “For example, if I wanted to be a model, it would never happen. It’s an unfortunate truth. But above all, it doesn’t matter if you look good; you have to be good. We don’t tolerate whining, or rudeness.
“It’s rare to be tall and beautiful, but it’s even rarer to be tall, beautiful and humble.”
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