Meet Reshween Subramaniam in East Mesa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Reshween Subramaniam.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and I am the oldest of three, I migrated to the United States when I was 11 years old, I am now 27 years young. I have always loved taking pictures and getting my picture taken. My family and friends know me as the “Selfie Queen”. Photography is my outlet of escape from reality, where no judgment is allowed. It is an outlook for me to be able to express my creativity as a model and to inspire others to embrace their uniqueness because I do not look like a “typical” model, I was not always a swan in my story. I was the ugly duckling in my early years but once I reached womanhood, I transformed. I decided to take it a step further this year by modeling in the community doing trade work to expand my portfolio so I can later be able to submit my work to modeling agencies.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I wish everyone’s journey was a smooth one but unfortunately, without rain, there’s no flower and without pressure, there would be no diamonds. I had plenty of struggles when I first arrived to the United States back in 2003. English was not an easy language to learn because Malay was primarily used in my household growing up, so slang was a struggle to catch onto but over years, I mastered it. I am now able to utilize four languages, which are Malay, English, Hindi, and Spanish. I was different in all my classes; I was the minority. Due to the tragic event of 9/11, bullying was something I experienced due to my look. People always mistaken me for a Middle Eastern rather than East Indian. I am of the Sikh faith and people are unaware the difference between the two due to the use of turbans. I have dealt with lots of racism and unfortunately, that is just society. That did not stop me from embracing my culture and my identity. I use modeling to show my uniqueness off and to shed some light onto my culture.

When I was younger, I mentioned that I was an Ugly Duckling, I was overweight, short and did not have any “swagg”. Kids in school used to make fun of me due to not knowing how to dress because I was so used to conforming to uniforms in Malaysia. I was also not big on being a “girly girl”. I rarely did my makeup or hair back then, even now, I usually do it for my shoots. After years of injustice, I blossomed. I became taller, curvier and more confident. I managed to start catching people’s attention due to losing weight and upgrading my clothes. People always told me to pursue modeling because, amongst my peers, I was the selfie queen. I had thought about it on and off a few times but I never acted on it until July 2018. The first time I was given a trade shoot after multiple photographers turned me down. No one wanted to work with an inexperienced model, but one person did. His name is Joshua Barnes, who works for BYOH photography. After showing off my skills, I had multiple opportunity to pursue my modeling career. I had a great amount of opportunities after I joined an all women group called “Women Networking in Photography Phoenix”, which was created by Amanda De Leon.

I was married once before and was in a toxic marriage where I was unable to pursue a modeling career at all. I broke out of it and decided to do something I am passionate about. I never imagined my journey to have reached this far with my modeling career but I am thankful to God and all my loved ones for encouraging me and supporting my craft.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
I am a freelance model and my stage name is Ria Khosa. My real name is too hard for people to pronounce, so I was given the nickname Ria for short. I specialize in High Fashion, Boudoir, and Glamour shots. I just started in July of 2018 and had been experimenting my craft ever since. I mainly enjoy doing Indian Glamour shoots to show my culture to the world. I usually put a modern twist to it that is not the norm for my culture. I am blending Western culture with Asian Indian culture. I am from both worlds, so it only seems right for me.

My proudest moment in my career point is actually this interview and my first publication in an online magazine called “MMM Magazine”. I am not the typical model of society due to my look and size. I am not a size 2; I am more like a size 12. I use my modeling artwork to promote empowerment. I have flaws and I choose to embrace it at my natural state. I rarely use heavy make up and always chose to leave my hair naturally curly.

What sets me apart from others to me, is my desire to create a difference in society by changing how we view women. I eventually want to be a philanthropist later on in life, so I am able to change the lives of women who went through abuse. I want to educate women, create a safe haven for them and to help them rise above together. Women empowering women is something I hold close to me. There is nothing more beautiful to me than a woman helping another woman with their crown. I hope one day, the opportunity arises itself so we can progress together as a whole.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck, I only have been “lucky” a few times, other times, I went and created my own luck. I feel like you are only a product of circumstances if you allow yourself to be. I believe in creating your own destiny and that everything happens for a reason. You either grow from it or drown from it. The choice is yours. I chose to follow the path of becoming a model to show others that it is a possibility no matter what you have been through. I have had a bad past but it did not stop me from a bright future because a person has the choice to either be a victim or a leader. Things change when your perspective change. If I remained that insecure young woman all those years ago, I would not be getting interviewed by Phoenix Voyage today. I am a woman who decided to go for it. I am who I am today because I fought to become this person, not by luck but by faith.

Contact Info:

• Email: mzkhosa@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/mzkhosa
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ria.khosa.1 ; www.facebook.com/mzkhosaofficial

Image Credit:
Mo Vardak ( IG: @mvphotography11), Joshua Barnes (IG: BYOH_photography), Jessica (IG: @wildarizonaphotography), Rick Rob ( IG: @steelframe_designs), Chiokes (IG: @steelframe_designs), Kate Payne (IG: @katepayneportraits) and Mark Thompson (IG: @officialcabinet)

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.