IN THE past 12 years he has been working, Arnold Echevarria has fiddled with various jobs. He has worked up the ranks in a manufacturing plant; as an accessories designer; a graphic artist; an environmental volunteer; a make-up artist, then a couple more in between. It might indicate indecisiveness, yet Arnold, who’s known as AJ among his peers, says he’s simply the type of person who seeks opportunities and does his best to make the most of them.
This year, AJ has a new venture to speak of, as he enters the modeling industry as co-founder and chief operating officer (COO) of the newly launched Prestige Modelling Agency. It was originally just something he and his friends planned, noting that he never imagined it would escalate to a full-scale enterprise. The agency was launched last October in Ayala Center Cebu. It currently has exclusive models coming from Cebu, Dumaguete, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga.
With this recent stint, AJ says everything is falling into place. For one he still gets to practice one of his passions, make-up artistry, and his prior experiences of interacting with different personalities and situations have now proven useful. An artistic fellow as well, he says he enjoys the creative activities the job entails. “Connecting my experiences before, I really believe that things happen for a reason,” he adds.
Born and raised in Butuan City, AJ moved to Cebu fresh from college, and since then has thrived in every industry he found himself in. As accessories designer, he was praised for his ingenuity, and was sent to Japan for a project. Then as make-up artist trained under MAC Cosmetics, he has done looks for private events, fashion editorials and look books.
A few years ago AJ partook in the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.’s Young Minds Academy, a nine-month leadership program, and was awarded the batch’s Bridging Leader. That led him to a year-long stint with a non-government organization, Soil and Water Conservation Foundation Inc.
A seemingly huge shift, yet AJ says he regrets nothing. Nowadays, his time is divided handling make-up gigs and managing the overall operations of Prestige, that includes closing deals, running the office, and making sure their models are well attended to.
The latter, he says, is one of the highlights of the agency. “We really invested for our models. We provided them with training from an international supemodel. We provide staff house, airfare etc., and we’re also transparent in handling their projects. We want them to be well represented. As our name connotes, we offer an extensive package.”
In exchange, the COO expects nothing short of utmost professionalism from them. “I want my models to respect their profession, and to be respectful of the people they work with, the photographers, designers, stylists etc.,” he says. Sticking to his word, he does not hesitate in weeding out those who do otherwise.
For AJ, it takes more than height and looks to become a model. He says, “I want my models to be role models, not just when posing for a camera, but also in their character and attitude. Even if they’re just at home or walking around the mall, they should always have poise. They should treat modeling as a way of life, and that way they will stand out and be recognized.”
AJ shares that there’s a lot in store for Prestige in the coming year, working hard to see it through. He says, “My plan is simple, that our models will realize their dreams through us. It’s great seeing them do what they love. If they will be discovered and reach what they aim for, it will also be an achievement for us.”
And given his track record, there’s little doubt he’s going to make all that come true.