Canadian-born, New York-based model and designer Coco Rocha is everything you’d think she would be. Effortless in her come-hither stare, quick-witted, very opinionated, and always busy. Right after her short stint here in the Philippines as global ambassador of Johnny Walker together with Raymond Gutierrez, she’s off to India, sneaking in Facetime sessions in between to talk to her daughter.
Touching down in Manila for the well-traveled beauty isn’t anything new to Coco, finding even a second home in our country. “I actually ate a lot of Filipino food when I was young. I used to eat a lot of fried banana and lumpia. My mom is a flight attendant so she traveled a lot so I lived with many Filipinas,” she says recalling some childhood experiences. “I used to know a little bit of Tagalog, I could understand it but I don’t remember it anymore.”
In the short six minutes we got to stand before the Queen of Pose, Preen was able to ask a few questions that give us a very candid glimpse of the supermodel.
Which celebrities, dead or alive, would you love to have scotch with?
Liza Minelli, Elizabeth Taylor, Julie Andrews, and Bette Midler. All of them in one room. Wouldn’t that be a great day? That would be an amazing day if all of them just hung out together. I would just watch.
If you were a cocktail, what would you be?
I have to say tonight’s cocktail. I love a ginger whisky but this new drink that they made for tonight. I don’t know what it’s called yet.
What’s a piece of advice you have for young women?
It’s nice to be important and it’s important to be nice. I think anyone in any career and in any field should always live by that. [You need to] think that even if you are made to think you are important, you’re not. But if you really think that you are, it’s important to be nice to every other person out there.
Who is another model you’d love to exchange lives with?
Exchange lives? I don’t know about exchange but ones that I absolutely admire Iman and Cindy Crawford. Those two women that have been very smart with their career and also as moms and [are] just kind human beings. And that’s what I like to surround myself with—just nice people.
What’s one thing you love about being on a plane?
I guess [being able] to sleep. [When] you’re a mom, you don’t get to sleep much. So the plane makes you sleep.
Which rockstar would you exchange wardrobes with?
David Bowie
Lace or leather?
Oh, both. Why does it have to be one or the other?
Cat eye or red lip?
I always love a good cat eye.
What’s the weirdest fan mail you’ve received?
Too weird. I couldn’t even. I can’t even talk about it. (Laughs)
Who do you channel when you are in front of the camera?
I just think of playing a character and to be silly. I think it is very important to realize that I am not playing me today so I have fun with it and I play a character. If it’s about romance [or if it’s about something else] like today it was about rock and roll.
Photos by RG Medestomas