Caralde, 36, has found an accepting work atmosphere in Milan.

"MILAN is the place to be for models,” Rollen Caralde states matter-of-factly. And if anyone would know, it would be her. Having spent the last six years in the beautiful country of Italy, Caralde is one of the painfully few, proudly Filipino international supermodels. “I’ve modeled in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Jakarta before moving to Italy,” she shares without reservation. “There is a demand there for Filipinas, I’ve established a niche that needs to be filled.”

Citing her classically Filipina features, from her tanned skin to her high cheekbones, for her success in the European fashion market, Caralde has finally found an accepting atmosphere. “I remember, when I was still modeling in Manila, I would get turned down because I’m too tall here. But there I’m just right.” Turning her disadvantages into advantages seems second nature to the 5’9” beauty who has spent her life transforming her career. “I came from a poor family, and it was the prize money that was advertised in Araneta that pushed me to join the Bb. Pilipinas pageant (she won the Bb. Pilipinas International plum) and Elite Look of the Year,” she ventures. The gamble paid off with her 1995 win for Elite and everything was set in motion toward the international fame that she enjoys today.

“I would take any job I could find when I was studying so I could finish school. Now I can even turn jobs down because of too much work,” she says. “In Milan, demand for models is year-round and plentiful, that’s where they concentrate.” From restaurant openings to trade fairs, models are a seen as the best form of advertising to Italians, which guarantees bookings even in between fashion seasons.

Apart from the ever-present employment opportunities, Caralde does not shy away from expounding on the other pros of living the Italian way. “Everything is organized, and models get good compensation. You have to get a license and that means that you are taken care of,” shares the card-carrying member of the POEA and first official OFW supermodel.

“Filipinas will thrive here, basta they are tall and professional. And willing to learn the language,” she asserts. While she admits to experiencing a bout of culture shock a few years ago, she now glows with the praise she sings of Milan. “The system is different here, I’m turning 36 in September and there is no pressure for me to retire or stop modeling.”

She also advises young models who are looking to broadening their horizons to take their early training seriously. “After winning [Bb. Pilipinas], we were trained by Joey Espino. Now models from different countries ask me how I know how to walk or pose because of my training. They are amazed.”

There is no denying the pull that the statuesque beauty has. While she grew up here, she has blossomed in one of the foremost fashion capitals of the world and now extends the invitation for others to join her.

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