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From walking the high fashion runways to getting you glued on that TV screen, Channel [V]’s latest screen siren Lisa S opens up to us about her likes and her dual personality.

Since the past few years, it has been like a sort of trend for models to foray into different career paths. In Asia, many fashion models are known to have taken TV screens by storm. Think of the gorgeous yet ultra-sensuous MTV alums like Indonesian beauties Nadya Hutagalung and Sarah Sechan, Sonya Couling from Thailand as well the mixed-blooded Thai vixen from Channel [V], Cindy Burbridge who recently made her grand comeback to the runway. For the uninitiated, MTV screen princess Denise Keller too was a fashion model before being roped in to host the cult MTV shows.

Recently, Channel [V] Asia has proudly presented another screen siren for its viewer’s viewing pleasure. Meet Lisa Selesner or simply known to her ever-growing fan base as Miss Lisa S. Born in Monaco and raised in New York, Lisa’s modelling career began before she was signed to her first agency. Being slender and tall, this exotic beauty of mixed parentage got her unofficial modelling stints as a child at local malls. But thanks to a photograph taken by a family friend while riding a horse, her fate started to change as she got signed to a modelling agency in New York. Apart from that, she managed to land roles in two Hong Kong movies.

Now calling Hong Kong her home, Lisa has added another profession under her wings and it is called VJ for one of Asia’s favourite music video channel – Channel [V]. Exclusive to Oxygen, we got Lisa open up about her life as a supermodel and a Channel [V] VJ.

You started modelling at the age of 14. How did it happen?Actually I was riding horses, I used to ride show horses and a family friend of mine, which is a photographer, came along and just snapped the photo of me. She sent the picture to an agency in New York and when they first called me a couple of time, I thought it was a prank by the kids call so I hung up. Finally she got on hold with my mother and I end up talking to the agency that summer and started my modelling career.

Were you nervous doing your first runway assignment at that time?
Yeah. Actually runway is easier for me but it was the photographer side of it that got me so nervous because I wasn’t confident enough with my body, to be able to pose naturally. I was still gawky and being fourteen, I was very aware about my physique as a child. The runway was okay but I was very nervous.

Being a model and a constant globe trotter requires an immediate familiarization with the new surroundings. How long does it takes for you to adapt to a new environment?
Within a week I’m golden. I think that’s because I’ve been travelling for so long that I know the steps you need to take to make yourself comfortable quickly. In the beginning I never felt comfortable on going places because I was so young and alone; I even travelled by myself when I was 14 and 15. The latter is when I made my travelling mostly without any supervision so sometimes it would take months and later years. When you go to a new place you bring your favourite stuff and make yourself at home first, then you get a map and walk around the area and in a week I know where everything is.

You even had your legs insured for US$1 million dollars by Lloyds for a modelling stint! Is that true?
It was an ad campaign that I did for Schick razors years ago. The advertisement says “this woman’s legs are insured for a million dollars”. So in order to escape having false advertising issues and stigma, they started this whole campaign and got my legs insured for a million dollars.

Of all the designers you have worked with, whom do you consider as the ultimate and unparalleled favourite?
That’s a horrible one because I each designer that I worked with for years, I only could find one piece in every collection that I adore and every season it changes. I love Alexander McQueen, especially when he first started back in the 90’s, and he was like my God. And then a few seasons later it was John Galliano, followed by Armani, Donna Karan, Karl Lagerfeld and these are the masters and granddaddies of fashion. But on the other hand, I love young designers like Zac Posen, Philip Lim, Jeffrey Chow and many more. I also love Jeffrey Bean and I used to work with him when he was alive. Right now I’m into American Apparel (laughs) because as the older I get, I began to appreciate comfort.

We also heard that you have two sets of personality or alter egos. Care to share it with us?
One is the extremely professional to the point, almost to a fault where I get irritated when people aren’t really professional. I’m almost an extremist when it comes to professionalism like being on time, punctuality, is my anal retentive quirk. It’s almost OCD (obsessive Compulsive Disorder) and I cannot be late. If late even like two minutes I start sweating, nauseous, get dizzy and it’s horrible. On the other side I am extremely goofy, have kind of a sick sense of humour, I appreciate all types of sense of humour and I laugh to love. I kind to regress to a fifteen year old; my other side is very immature.

Besides modelling, you also forayed into the silver screen with two called Rob-B-Hood and Silver Hawk. How different is acting compared to modelling?
The first one I did was Silver Hawk, which was four years ago with Michelle Yeoh. To me it’s a lot more pressure because I’m not fantastic in acting. Unlike modelling, which I know when it starts and when it done, I felt like a child with bright wide eyes when I was on the set. When I did my acting, which took me 18 hours a day, I did not get tired a single second and I think it was because I was so excited. Anyway, modelling got me beaten down and tired so acting gave me new experience and they are kind of similar because we also act on the runway, as well as during the photo shoot. The other difference though is that you speak when you acting and I could really hear my voice (laughs).

Modelling and acting aside, now let’s move to your new gig as a Channel [V] VJ. Question: Did you find them or did they found you?
I tried out like everybody else and since my girlfriend used to work with TV production, she has a friend at Star TV. She was asked if she wanted to come and give a try out as a DJ. She doesn’t want to have makeup slapped on her face and she wants to be behind the scene. The first person she though of was me so she called me immediately and gave me the number for me to call. I did two castings for them and after the second casting they told me I got the job.

Since you’re working with Alvey and Dom, the two heartthrobs of Channel [V], could you describe them in just three words?
(Laughs) Don’t forget Marian, she’s a heartthrob too! Alvey is big-hearted, hilarious and full of energy. Dom is hilarious too; he does incredible impressions to the point where I almost pee in my pants on the set and extremely good looking. Actually they’re both extremely good looking. Whenever I’m on set with them, I actually feel I’m the fugly one (laughs).

So far, as a Channel [V] VJ, how many top celebrities have you approached for interviews?
Well, not very many because I’m a newbie. But I have interviewed like four Canto pop stars in the first couple of weeks as a VJ at local concerts. That’s what I’ve done so far.

If you were given an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, who do you want to interview and why?
Music-wise I would say Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters because I really want to know about his days in Nirvana. Not to say because I want to ask him about Kurt Cobain, But I just want to know how it’s like to be a part of the biggest culture changing grunge band of my lifetime. I think they really changed the way we saw music as a whole and I wanted to pick his brain because he’s a super-intelligent guy. Acting wise, I kind of like to sit in a room with George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Don Cheadle. They are so much fun and they always seemed to have laughs. They always having jokes behind your back, the kind that you would see on the interviews and I would like to be part of that joke. Yeah.

Now, we move to the lighter side of life. What kind of music do you listen to?
Actually it’s really a wide spectrum. The only music I don’t listen to ever is country because I just don’t have any country and not my biggest passion. But I listen to everything, I really love hip from the golden age of hip hop, I love Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Purple Dead, and I also love the Top 40. When I drive in Hong Kong, I love singing in my car and I’m really a huge Ne-Yo fan right now. I have a big crush on Ne-Yo right now and I just love his grooves. I also love Katy Perry and when I’m at home I love classical music for relaxing in the bath; jazz when you’re seating with some friends having drinks. And for a number of years I have been following the psychedelic trance hippie trail so about two years I travel around the hippie trail.

How many books do you read in a year?
(Laughs) Unfortunately in the past few years I could only read on average of three books a year. In the past I used to read voraciously, I’m into murder mysteries. I read every Agatha Christie books, every Sherlock Holmes book there is. I used to read them back to back so during my modelling days I used to read like 20 books a year and I read quite fast.

How many pairs of shoes do you own inside your closet?
I probably have over a 100 pairs of shoes. We just moved into a new house where I had a really big shoe closet and I haven’t filled it all yet.

Describe your personal style.
I don’t have much of one. I’m dressed by people and I used to laugh when I read in magazines, “oh, she’s a style icon!” Actually no, she’s not. Her stylist is and people tend to forget that they don’t pick up the clothes themselves. And I am ashamed to say that when I go out to parties, usually because I borrowed an outfit, my daily uniform are Converse sneakers, jeans and a T-shirt. I like to be comfortable. Another thing is when I lived in New York I used to wear high heels everyday. Americans are tall. If I wear high heels in Hong Kong people run away from me like I’m Godzilla. So I just don’t do it.

Name three essential things in your handbag that you simply can’t leave without?
My cell phone, my concealer, and my house keys.

Most women are so obsessed by beauty treatments and facials. Are you one of them?
No, it’s just too boring for me. Honestly facials only last about twenty four hours and for me, I don’t have two hours to waste for 24 hour effect. If I were to find out a facial out there that would lift for a year or at least six months, I’ll be there. Though I do understand why facial is so important to other women but I don’t strangers to touch my skin a lot.

How do you pamper yourself after a day or a week of hard work?
I have a huge bathtub at home so I like to take really long baths. To pamper myself is not to leave the house, to not put on anything constricting and super comfortable, and lay around the couch with my dog and watch TV. To me that is pampering; but I guess on the beauty side is to do my laser treatment. Painful but pampering (laughs).

Of all the cities around the world that you have visited, which one deserves to win your ‘favourite city’ award?
That’s a two-way tie actually. My heart belongs in New York. I am a New Yorker at heart and New York is to me the centre of my world. I would do anything to be there now or in the future. Travelling wise, it would Tokyo. What a rocking city. I love the futuristic and fast vibe of the city with energetic aura and I really love the uniformity in these Japanese people. I just love how organized they are, how happy they are to be doing their job. You don’t run into that in many countries. Whether at the post office, McDonalds or CEO, they’re really serious about their work and I have a lot of respect for that. Everything works in that country.

What do you miss most when being away from home?
The food, my dog and my boyfriend.

What do you think of Malaysian designers?
I’m darn impressed! Really I have to say over the years I’ve been a little bit disappointed in the fashion scene over my home country. We have fantastic designers, really beautiful designers but there are some other designers that aren’t so great. But the aesthetic here, I feel like Malaysian designers are really paying much attention on what’s happening in the world of fashion. They’re not stuck in a bubble and the quality of the handiwork here is super high. It’s all done very professionally and I really like the style. Not too much, it’s very elegant, not too overtly sexy and you have really great dramatic dresses. Fashion to me should be a little bit drama and another I like about fashion here is, you guys have great music on your shows. So the whole aesthetic I’ve been really impressed with it and all the designers are really friendly.

In the near future do you have any intention to foray into fashion designing like Kimora Lee?
Gosh, I could only dream to be like Kimora Lee. That woman has been made! I would love to but I don’t have that talent for fashion. I like to design jewellery.