in PERSONAS

– sarina thai –

is an inspiring person, and also a fashion model, emerging gown designer, and activist for LGBT community. To show Sarina's inner beauty, the beauty and uniqueness that not everyone may forsee at first, I captured her in the video introduction below as a multi-dimensional person, who wants to take off her masks for people to see her for who she is, not what they think she is. We've shot this video in my room, the only light we used was Takashi's cellphone flashlight (and bluish evening light that came from the window). Makeup and hair were done by my favorite and super talented Takashi Azhizawa.

I met Sarina at a casting call, a few years ago. She walked into a room with immense presence: a tall and striking young woman with long dark hair, full lips, and an erected posture. Although she was thin, one could feel her strength in the air. And then, she spoke. Her raspy voice, which vibrated from low to deeper sounds, had silent everyone in the room; sudden whispers stormed throughout every corner, “Is she a...?”

Sarina was born as a boy; Nijshanaaj “JubJang” Sudlarphaar is her birth name. Ever since her childhood, Sarina knew she was trapped into a wrong body. When she was at her high school in Vajiravudh, Thailand, she saw her first catwalk show at one of the art festivals. This is when she decided that modeling would be her career. Over the years, female fashion models, such as Gisele Bündchen and Rojjana Phetkanha kept inspiring her and when the time was right, Sarina lay under a surgical knife to change her gender. After, still back at home in Thailand, she attended the modeling school and later on moved to New York to follow her dream.

In the Big Apple, she faced many unexpected obstacles. Just like many other aspiring models, Sarina stumbled upon "pervert photographers," scammers, and felt the high rent. So, she worked at a Thai restaurant at night and during the day rushed to casting call. Her determination paid off. During New York Fashion Weeks, she strode at Chromat, Maria Ke Fisherman, Malan Breton, Dom Streater and Adolfo Sanchez runway shows. She appeared in publications such as InStyle Magazine (Thailand), Harper’s Bazaar (Thailand) and many others. Currently, Sarina resides back in Thailand where she co-founded an elegant evening gown line THANYA SARINA.