Make Me Jenny Shimizu

Jenny Shimizu entered the modeling world in1993 after being discovered riding her Triumph motorcycle by Kelly and Calvin Klein. Once settled in New York, she quickly scored work on the runway, walking in shows for Donna Karan, Yohji Yamamoto, Versace, Prada, and Jean Paul Gaultier. Shimizu went on to model in numerous ad campaigns and countless editorials. She has worked with some of the industry’s top photographers, including Richard Avedon, Patrick Demarchelier, Gilles Bensimon, and Mario Testino. Shimizu has appeared in a number of television shows, including America’s Next Top Model, E!’s Sexiest Top Models, and is currently a series regular on Dante’s Cove. Shimizu is an incredible mechanic and can be found restoring Bentleys, Rolls Royces and Cadillacs from the 1940’s, 50’s 60’s. She is also an avid motorcycle rider with an affinity and love for Ducati’s.

ASIANCE: How did you become a judge on Bravo TV’s Make Me a Supermodel

Jenny: Wow. It’s pretty basic. I received a phone call. They asked me to do a screen test for “A show”, a competition show. They didn’t tell me what it was for. I basically shot a screen test in Los Angeles and three weeks later they asked me if I would be a judge on Bravo’s Make Me a Supermodel. Quick standard nothing exciting!

ASIANCE: What do you think are some differences in the modeling industry today and when you were really doing it?

Jenny: The major difference is that all the girls and agents have cell phones. It’s like an invisible leash on all the young girls. I hung around with a few models from the ‘90’s and we thought, god it would never be quite like it was in the ‘90’s (modeling industry). It was very different than what it is now. We were sitting around talking about it and we came to the conclusion that it is cell phones now. It’s definitely better for the agencies and the girls working. It’s good for discipline. They know where you are.

ASIANCE: Are the models more disciplined now you think?

Jenny: Oh definitely. I went out with a couple of the Victoria Secret girls. They all go to the gym. Eat really well. Go to all their auditions. They are just a really different breed. I think people just started being more professional at an earlier age, whereas back then we were all just kids, big city, traveling together, and doing all sorts of things.

ASIANCE: Well you were one of the supermodels of the ‘90s. Do you think they just let you get away with it?

Jenny: It was the cell phone thing because they literally they would have to psychically chase us. They had to chase us. We were all hiding in our hotel rooms not answering the door. It was the time back when personality perservered and people loved that about the girls. I think now, it’s just a different breed of models. Nothing good or bad, it’s just the nature of the business. They are fickle so they change frequently about what types of girls they like and what types of girls are popular. It’s kind of interesting today and it’s kind of nice that it’s going back to this kind of girls with personalities. Not saying the girls don’t have personalities but they don’t feature them as much as they used to in the ‘90s.

ASIANCE: Do you have a particular favorite model today? Not on your show though.

Jenny: I’m trying to think. I love to keep up with fashion. I don’t necessarily keep up with the models. I guess the one right now that they’re writing a lot about is Agyness Deyn. She’s a prime example of a flashback to the girls of the 90s because not necessarily the girl who’s the most prettiest, she’s not necessarily the girl with the best body but she has the personality. She’s very popular. I see lots of beautiful girls. I don’t really know their names or where they are from.

ASIANCE: Do you know if you will be coming back next season?

Jenny: We have no idea. We don’t even know if there is going to be a next season. I would definitely love to do another season. I realized you are working with people that have the talent and you want to grow with the talent. And it’s nice to see the models get an education instead of just being thrown into the world. It’s kind of nice to be a mentor and you can really pass on information to these models that they really don’t know that you couldn’t do without the show.

ASIANCE: I’m sure they’re excited to see you because they probably haven’t seen you in awhile?

Jenny: Yes it’s nice to come back to New York. I feel like I did a lot of work here as a model so there’s a lot of history here. So it was like a homecoming here. Seeing everyone who I haven’t seen in a while. Stopping on the streets and seeing people I haven’t seen doing so well is great. To see fashion actually changing due to these shows. It’s actually hitting a wider market. It’s going out there to people who wouldn’t have otherwise been fans of fashion.

ASIANCE: Now there are Asian supermodels!

Jenny: I know it’s great. I was at this restaurant and I saw this Asian woman..and I thought, “I know her from somewhere?” Then I realized it was actually modeling. That’s where I see her. So it’s actually nice to come back and the ethnicity in the city is so interesting.

ASIANCE: Do you know Kevin Stea, the dancer?

Jenny: He was one of Madonna’s dancer.

ASIANCE: Yes! He said back then, people wouldn’t even look at his book because he was Asian and today he’s not Asian enough..(Kevin is half white, half Asian)

Jenny: I have mixed feelings about that. I do film and film is changing a lot more slowly for Asian Americans. I think with all the reality shows. It’s basically this small tiny world of show business that is basically being projected into the Midwest and other places where people don’t normally see people of different colors and being successful and being honored for being of color. It’s a very different time. I love being alive in this era. There’s a lot of change.

ASIANCE: Yes at fashion week this year there were I think, like 6 Asian models walking one show. I don’t think you would ever see that in the 90’s.

Jenny: It’s great. Catherine Malandrino who’s also a judge on the show was telling me how this season she wanted to cast all black models, but she said, “I can’t even find enough to cast all black models.” It’s a different climate. I don’t know if it’s the recession or what. There’s a lot of personality going on. People want to celebrate different types of people.

ASIANCE: What bit of advice would you give aspiring models today?

Jenny: The one thing I want to get across on the show is that this is a job. And this job is based on the outside. So what you really need to do is nurture the inside part of you. This job is a job where they say you don’t look right for the part. If you take everything really personally, you’re not going to do well. You have to treat it like any other job. If you don’t book Maybelline, then they aren’t looking for your type, not you specifically. You really need to make a separation of taking anything personally.

ASIANCE: Are you planning to do more movies?

Jenny: That’s what I’m doing here in New York. I’m meeting with new agents and people to represent me. At this point, I want to expand. I actually do a lot of developing shows and I want to be repped through a literary agent and then keep doing movies.

ASIANCE: Will you go back to your job as a mechanic?

Jenny: I’ve always been a mechanic. My first job was with Italian Vogue and I shot an 8 page spread and it was actually me in my backyard and my motorcycle and my truck. I’ve been a mechanic ever since I graduated from trade school as a teenager. I’m actually a very good mechanic. I work for car collectors. I can build motorcycles. It’s a big passion of mine. And what it does is balance out my life because I have two lives. One is very glamorous and the other keeps me grounded. There is another thing with models; you really need to get a hobby or something else that you are passionate about. Something that grounds you and keeps you centered.

ASIANCE: Is there an ultimate dream job for you?

Jenny: I would love to race cars. Or race MotoGP which is like the formula one of motorcycles. I’m a fan of engineering and racing.
I watch race shows. I’m actually sponsored by an Italian leather company that does motorcycle racing leathers. I’m just a fan. I even like soap box racing. Anything where people get together. It’s so interesting to see what people put together in their garages.

ASIANCE: Is there anything you indulge in?

Jenny: I love to put together motorcycle parts. I’m really obsessed with my Ducati. I’m sponsored by an Italian company. I love all those motorcycle gear and fabrics and futuristic types of fabrics that are like armor. I just think it’s so ..sort of like the modernity in fashion in gear.

ASIANCE: Do you have a Harley?

Jenny: No I have a Ducati. I have had 3 Harleys. I had 3 Triumphs. I had 2 Hondas. After I bought the Ducati it kind of changed my life.

ASIANCE: Did you ever go cross country?

Jenny: That’s one of my biggest dreams too. It is to buy a BMW and drive cross country. Take like 2 months and go over all of America. My girlfriend actually always wants me to get a bigger bike instead of a race bike so we can share that hobby together.

There are certain people that are born that way who like to do that. I heard about that with motorcycles and it’s very informative.

I read about some guys who drive motorcycles and ship it to another continent. The world is such a small place. How in my lifetime am I going to experience all of what the world has to offer? That distresses me a lot.

ASIANCE: Have you been watching what has been going on with the Miss USA pageant? Any feelings?

Jenny: Yeah I did. My opinion is when you take a vow to represent an organization, you need to represent the organization and not your own personal opinion. Our opinions are just our opinions. I don’t necessarily agree with Miss California but I also know that that is her opinion. And I respect her opinion, I just don’t necessarily agree with it.

ASIANCE: Do you have any specific beauty routines?

Jenny: You know what it is. Always moisturize. There is this incredible spray that I found. It’s this natural homeopathic spray. It’s kind of like a sea salt mixed with an aloe vera juice. I use it in the morning and at night. I really feel like it works. It’s NA-Pca. You can find it like any health food store.

ASIANCE: Who would you love to work with? Or be with? Any celebs?

Jenny: That’s a huge. Someone asked me that recently. It would be like someone like Jacques Cousteau. He was like one of the first people to ever start worrying about this planet. He was just so far forward and ahead of his time. He did so much to educate people on the planet. Just to be educated and be around people who think big. I’m really attracted to people who think big and they are almost like a freak because they think so much bigger than us in our apartment. They think globally and I just think people like that are amazing!

ASIANCE: Are you adopting the green attitude?

Jenny: I’ve always been surrounding by new age hippies. I grew up in California on the central coast. We were always aware of the environment. I’ve always seen those commercials, when I was little, about gas masks back, in the 70s that were terrifying when I was a kid. I grew up near this power plant that was actually an 1 hour away from where I live and there was a lot of protesting. I was privy to it really early in my life. Growing up in California too, we were always conserving electricity and we were always in drought. We were always conserving water. So it’s kind of been a natural progression to recycle and not throw away plastic. But I think it’s amazing. I go all over to these major cities and everyone is doing it. It’s imperative we adopt it into our lifestyle. If we don’t adopt it we might not be on the planet as long as we expect.

I grew up with people where we don’t do things unless there is some mysterious outcome. I just read an article on how we throw out 175 million coat hangers a year. To get people to recycle that, that’s pretty.

ASIANCE: Do you have any pets?

Jenny: No but one of my best friends. She has friends. I have a puggle. My girlfriend has a puggle, so I guess I have a puggle. He looks more like a pug and he has those really long legs. His name is Tyson. My best friend has a ferret. They’re one of the most incredible animals.

Did you know Smith Cho, a Korean actress? You should interview her. She’s on Knight Ridder. I love promoting my Asian friends. There are so many but they don’t get enough press. Justin Lin does a great job of promoting the Asian community. He hires Asian actors all the time. He’s awesome and like family almost. He’s having a kid any moment now.

ASIANCE: Yeah like Moon Bloodgood who’s in the new Terminator movie. She’s Dutch and Korean.

Jenny: I can’t wait to see the Terminator. I just saw Star Trek last night. I saw the Terminator poster and I thought, “Is that an Asian girl?” She’s beautiful! Thank god for action adventure films.

ASIANCE: Anything else you would like to add?

Jenny: Keep watching it keeps getting better and better!

ASIANCE: Maggie Rizer I love her!

Jenny: Yeah she said there is no crying in modeling.

Make Me a Supermodel finale airs Wednesday, June 3rd.