Mia Kang has been modeling since the tender age of 13. The multinational model was born in Hong Kong and has been travelling ever since. She has set the modeling world on fire by appearing in the magazine, Sports Illustrated in 2016. Mia is a lady of many talents.
She’s got a master’s degree in finance, knows her way around a basketball court, and is an ace at catching waves on her surfboard. One look at her voluminous lips, sharp brown eyes, ink black hair, and professionally sculpted body on several of the world’s best beaches will surely make you want to know more about this half-Korean and half-British beauty.
Below are the excerpts from the conversation between Supermodel In-the-making Mia Kang and Namita Nayyar, President – Women Fitness.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You began modeling at the young age of 13. You have modeled for major brands like Chanel and Smoky Roses. You’ve also appeared on the covers of Elle and Harper’s Bazaar. You got your big break when you were named as one of six models in the Sports Illustrated Model Search competition. Tell us something about this fairy tale journey?
Ms. Mia Kang: I am very lucky with the way my career has gone, but I think it’s far from a fairy tale. I’ve worked hard for half my life in this industry and definitely paid my dues. I’ve dealt with a lot of rejection and taken a lot of risks. I’ve quit and started again. I’ve travelled around the world trying to find my market and my place in the industry. I never thought I would be where I am today. I encourage everyone to pursue their dreams because being in Sports Illustrated was a dream come true that I never thought was achievable.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You grew up in Hong Kong and are half-Korean and half-British. You completed your studies from the Bristol University and the School of Oriental and African Studies. We’ve also heard you are a huge basketball lover and also love to do surfing. So would you like to share with us any special moments from your childhood?
Ms. Mia Kang: I had a lot of blessings in my childhood. My father and my siblings love adventure and love to travel so I was exposed to a lot as a child, and I was raised to be fearless and brave. I love sports, I love to travel, I love the outdoors, I love trying and learning new things. My parents value academics and education very highly, and I’m grateful I have that installed in me. I almost postponed by studies due to success in my career but I am thankful my father made me work hard and get it under my belt when I was younger. When I was working from age 13 my parents taught me the value of a dollar and responsibility. I was allowed to work so long as I supported myself and maintained A grades in school. I learnt time management and how to manage myself as a working person. My childhood definitely wasn’t all fun and games but I wouldn’t change a thing because it made me who I am today.
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2016 Women Fitness
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You are a world leading Media Personality, Fashion Model and a Style Icon. How do you manage such a remarkable multi-dimensional lifestyle?
Ms. Mia Kang: Thank you, I take that as a real compliment, and I appreciate it. On the one hand, I’ve been in this industry for so long I am used to handling myself accordingly. On the other hand, I am just myself. I am down to earth and make a point to stay genuine and stay grounded. I grew up as an overweight bullied kid, and never thought I would be a model, so I do not take it for granted. I will always be true to myself, so this lifestyle almost requires no effort. I love what I do and I’m passionate about it. I appreciate when people support me (when I’m booked for a job, when I’m interviewed, when a fan writes to me) and that’s what keeps a big smile on myself. I enjoy the press, I enjoy my job, I enjoy reading and replying to supporters, I enjoy this interview! If people take time to support me I will always give 110% back.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine which you may wish to share?
Ms. Mia Kang: I train Thai Boxing/Muay Thai. I spend as much time as I can training in Thailand at my gym Yodyut in Koh Samui. We train hard, twice a day, in the heat. We train technique, cardio, strength and resistance, and HIIT.
I love learning and mastering things – whether it be surfing, hiking, boxing, martial arts, scuba diving, skateboarding, I love trying things and working towards a goal. I am not the kind of person who can just run on a treadmill for hours day after day. I love the outdoors. I get bored easily so I like to do a mixture of things and change my workouts. When I don’t have access to the outdoors I’ll do anything from yoga, Pilates, barre, spinning, boxing, running. I think we should do different things so we work different muscle groups and your body doesn’t take one specific form.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Mia Kang: I believe in listening to your body. If you crave certain things it’s because your body needs something and is trying to let you know. I love food, I grew up in a very culinary family. When I need to watch it, I watch it. When I’m training hard, I eat accordingly. I like to stay active so I can enjoy my food. I have cheat days. I have days I just eat salads. Listen to your body, everything in moderation. I definitely avoid highly processed and packaged foods. I avoid a lot of salt and sugar, and I enjoy eating clean. I am not a picky eater though.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Do you take some kind of skin treatment to keep it young and glowing and secondly what you do to your hair to make them look so stunning?
Ms. Mia Kang: Thank you! Keep your skin hydrated. I do a lot of face masks and carry facial mist spray. Try not to wear makeup when you don’t have to, let your skin breathe. Working out and sweat is also great for your skin. I take multivitamins every day which I believe helps your hair. My hair gets damaged a lot at work so I make sure I take them, and sometimes do double doses when I need a boost.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have to travel a lot across the world such as London, Tokyo, Hamburg, Seoul, Los Angeles, Milan, Dubai, Singapore, Miami and many more for your professional career. For a model adjusting to new countries with their own cultures it must be difficult and then to adjust with the modeling career in a new foreign land, what advice can you give to fellow models in a similar situation?
Ms. Mia Kang: Just be yourself! Enjoy it and embrace it. Modelling is a career that is short lived, so appreciate it while you have it. We are lucky to travel the world and see new places we would never normally go, so keep your eyes and your mind open. It gets exhausting, it gets very lonely, and the world thinks we live a glamourous life. But we can spend days alone on planes, in cars and in empty hotel rooms in a strange city where you know no one, sleep deprived and jet lagged and under pressure to look good. It’s not all glitz and glamour, but it’s important to count your blessings and enjoy the different cities and cultures of the world.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Tell us about your Top 3 Fashion must-haves?
Ms. Mia Kang: 1) Maxi dresses. So great for day to night transitions. Appropriate to wear almost anywhere. And great for when you’re feeling bloated haha.
2) Classic black high heel pumps. Mine are ‘Kate’ Christian Louboutins. They match everything and can take an outfit from 0 to 100 real quick!
3) Invest in a great purse. You can wear anything, even gym clothes, but a fab purse can make it a chic look. My bag of the moment right now is the Saint Laurent Sac De Jour.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What is it like to be a Sports Illustrated model? To work with such an iconic brand that instantly adds the oomph factor to your portfolio, would you like to share with us your experience?
Ms. Mia Kang: Honestly, it is nothing but a real pleasure. The team is phenomenal, amazing human beings. They are so easy to work with and make it so delightful. Before I shot with them I was so scared and intimidated, after all it’s sports illustrated! Such a huge name, an iconic establishment, an empire of a band, and every girls dream. But come the shoot day, it just flew by and was filled with laughs and smiles. Every single person I met was great and supportive, they made me feel so comfortable and welcomed me with open arms. Being in sports illustrated is a dream come true for any girl, but it means more than people think to me because I truly never ever thought I would be here. When I was overweight and bullied in school I had the Tyra Banks cover of sports illustrated hung on my bedroom wall. Today I grace those pages along side the most beautiful and inspiring women on the planet. A magazine that icons have passed through. I am walking proof that dreams actually do come true!
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Mia Kang On Womenfitness.net: Thank you for having me womenfitness.net! I wholeheartedly support fitness and striving to be the best we can be. Make it a Lifestyle!
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding fashion models, who all are your fans and shall like to know from you for their climb to the ladder of success in the field of modeling?
Ms. Mia Kang: Unfortunately modelling is an industry where our success is not up to us, our fate lies entirely in the hands of other people. All we can do is meet with those people, and be hopeful they like us and book us. You can work really hard, and sometimes not get there. Or you can not work at all and become an overnight success. My advice is to meet as many people as you can, just get yourself in the room. Find an agent or an agency who loves you and understands you and supports you. Handle it like a business and you are your own product you are trying to sell. You need the right market, the right clients, the right price etc.. The only reason I am where I am today is because my agent Sandra saw things in me I didn’t even see in myself.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have done bold photo shoots for Sports Illustrated, Chanel, Smoky Roses, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar. How are you so body confident and advice to your compatriots?
Ms. Mia Kang: I struggle with my body just like everyone else. But what I have learnt is that your insecurities do nothing but hold you back. I look at photos of myself from years ago and I remember how self conscious I felt that day, and now I think ‘damn if I looked like that now I would flaunt it!’. Always try to be the best you can be. Healthiness and happiness is most important. Falling in love with Muay Thai really helped me with my body confidence. I have never felt more healthy and strong, which makes me happy.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What do you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?
Ms. Mia Kang: Thank you for having me womenfitness.net! I wholeheartedly support fitness and striving to be the best we can be. Make it a lifestyle!
To know the latest about Mia Kang follow her on her social media networks:
https://twitter.com/missmiakang
https://www.instagram.com/miakang/
https://www.facebook.com/miakangmodel/
Women Fitness Team thanks Mia Kang for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her.
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All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2016 Women Fitness