By Jennifer Leu-Yong
All photos are courtesy of Ms. Leovelyn Quiambao
On a normal Saturday afternoon, in their home in Milan, six-year-old Megan Chloe Quiambao would be holding coloring pencils, drawing on her sketchbook. At first glance, you may find nothing extraordinary. Megan is a kid like most any other: She goes to school, does gymnastics, and likes playing with her brother, Sean. But as you give her another look, you may get a feeling of déjà vu, like you’ve seen this little girl before. Well, you may be right. Perhaps you have.
Little do people know, this little tot is a big shot in the modelling scene. Megan has been the face of kid’s fashion in billboards all around the world. She modelled for famous brands like Gucci, Burberry, Moncler, and Roberto Cavalli, among many.
Born and raised in Milan, Italy to Filipino parents, Megan is a face your children may be able to identify with, and her family’s background story may be one that sounds much like your own. The Quiambao family had humble beginnings. The couple worked their way up by studying, juggling jobs to make sure their children will have a better future. The father, Augil, has his own studio in Milan and has become a known tattoo artist; and the mother, Leovelyn, is an entrepreneurial housewife. As for Megan, if anyone could be born a model, you may say she was born to be one. She was a natural.
“I love taking pictures especially selfies and Megan would pose in front of the camera with me. People who saw the pictures would always tell me that she looks so natural,” Leovelyn fondly recounts. Those selfies gave a glimpse of what the future holds for Megan. Her professional modelling career started at the age of four when she was discovered by a Milan-based photographer who was looking for an Asian-looking kid to model for a project. As a mother, Leovelyn tries her best to support her daughter in everything she wants to do but it wasn’t easy at the start. “I remember I had to pack and bring many things with her travelling to different locations, transferring trains and going back home the next day in time for school,” says Leovelyn. “But then Megan really enjoyed her first shoot that’s why her father and I decided to let her continue modelling.” After that inaugural shoot, she was casted in a lot of different projects. “I think they were searching for a specific profile and Megan has this unique beauty, Asian eye, and Filipino brown complexion.” She went on to model for many international brands and fashion house such as Off White, Chiara Ferragni, Emc, Calliope, YOOX, Palm Angels, and Luisa Via Roma, to name a few. But the one shoot which truly opened a lot of doors for Megan is her shoot with Terranova.
But what makes our little Ms. Megan stand out as an effective billboard advertising model, you ask? One may dare venture into saying that if Leonardo da Vinci has masterfully given Mona Lisa a mystic smile to captivate us, Megan has been blessed with very expressive eyes. “Aside from her complexion, the photographers and staff told me she has this distinct look in her eyes. She communicates well with her eyes,” Leovelyn said proudly.
With all of these billboard projects for the very young Megan, for those of us looking from the outside in, we may wonder how it is like for parents with children who have started embarking on a professional career very early in life. Concerns such as safety, stress, and missing out on the beauty of a simple childhood may come to mind. But these concerns seem to be non-existent in the case of Megan. According to Leovelyn, based on their experience, there was not one time that the kid models weren’t treated well. “They make sure they have everything on set for the comfort of the children, from toys, food, and drinks; and we have always been there.” Reveling on the accomplishments of her beloved daughter, Leovelyn amusingly declares: “Until now, I still couldn’t believe how she did all of those things. When she is in front of the camera, she becomes this different kid, playful, comfortable, and happy. It is weird to say this, but she looks like she belongs there. She has good friends now in the industry, they play together in between shoots, too.” And when it comes to work ethics, young as she is, Megan is very professional and listens to instructions well. “That is why it was easy for her on the set, and everyone is fond of her. She is good with the staff and works well with her co-models.”
Truly, Megan is poised for more good things to come. She started receiving offers for a Filipino TV series and a show on Italian TV. But no matter how phenomenal the trajectory of Megan’s modelling career may be, the Quiambao’s, as a family, still believe that Megan’s formal education should be their first priority. So now that Megan is in grade school, her parents choose projects which fit her school schedule. Megan is currently studying while doing modelling jobs on the side. And due to the pandemic, her mother has turned down some projects. “Her safety is most important to us. It is never about the money and the glamour of her job that make us say “yes” to projects. We can see that she is happy with what she’s doing, and as parents, that is very fulfilling. So, we just try our best to guide her,” says the teary-eyed mom.
Asked if she has worries, Leovelyn confides, “I think my worry is if she starts to maybe realize the power of money. I don’t like it when other people tell her that she can buy anything she wants simply because she is earning. As parents, we want her to appreciate even the little things in life, and for her to be humble, grateful and kind to everyone."
Every now and then, Megan’s mother would receive photos from friends all around the globe, those taken with Megan’s poster or billboard in the background. Indeed, our little Miss Philippines in Milan, Megan Chloe Quiambao, has made Filipinos, both young and old, very proud, and hopefully she inspires a lot of kids to be comfortable in their own skins and to celebrate their uniqueness.
Contributing writer, Jennifer Leu-Yong is the owner of Jennyralized, a digital-marketing and events planning company based in Switzerland focusing on Filipino cultural events. You can follow her on Facebook @jennyyongleu and on Instagram @jennyralized. Join her advocacy in supporting Global Filipino talents and share her stories.