Face of Allure: Gwen Zamora

MANILA, Philippines - When the members of the creative team tell her that she is a deadringer for a popular primetime actress, 5’4”-tall Gwenaelle Zamora simply smiles. “I get a lot of those comments,” she says while makeup is being applied on her mestiza facial features. Gwen, who has French, Italian, Vietnamese and Filipino blood, then becomes her own self — and not another celebrity look-alike — when she gets in front of the camera.

Gwen is the daughter of pastry chef Philippe and Therese Agnese. At 19, she has traveled the world over and has actually lived in various parts of the globe because of her dad’s postings in various five-star hotels. “I was born in Australia and lived there for six years. We moved to the Philippines until I was 14. After that, we also lived in Singapore, Thailand and China,” she laughs. The family then moved back to Melbourne, Australia. Now, they live in Manila. “Hopefully, we’ll stay here for good,” she says, adding that of all the countries she’s lived in, the Philippines strikes a special chord in her heart. “I grew up in Las Piñas and my childhood there was amazing. I got to experience a lot of things like running around the neighborhood and playing patintero. I think having grown up there made me stay grounded.” Her stay in Thailand was also one of her most memorable experiences. She says, “What amazes me about Thailand is how multicultural it is. You can look to your right and see a McDonald’s and then look to your left and see a temple.”

Gwen shares that it was tough being the new girl in town — over and over again. “I had to adapt to the different cultures. This experience, however, strengthened me in ways you cannot imagine. Having been ‘ping-ponged’ from one country to another made me very street smart. I can talk to different people and connect with them since my values and ideologies are multicultural,” she furthers.

To start a life in Manila, Gwen has enrolled in Digital Filmmaking at the College of St. Benilde. She explains that this course will help her express her creativity since it combines all her interests in drawing, acting, filmmaking, photography, singing and dancing. “I have so many ideas flowing in my brain. I want people to be able to see and witness them,” she gushes. “My interests may all sound far apart but you’d be amazed how I can combine all these in a two-minute clip.” She singles out James Cameron as her role model and declares, “Avatar explains why.”   — Jerni May H. Camposano

Photography by John Darilag • Styling by Ira Mata • Hair and makeup by Arman Mista • Orange top, black bondage skirt, lilac watercolor dress (worn as a top) and sequined skirt, all by Details, Power Plant Mall Rockwell • Accessories by eyecandybar.multiply.com