Seven-year old Sophia Ferrer Ladaran is not your ordinary young girl.
The daughter of US-based nurses from Davao City is making waves in the world of fashion. She is an image model for top brands in the US starting a career at a very young age of three.
Sophia is the daughter of Joanna Ferrer and Ryan Ladaran who both work as nurses in New Jersey.
Among the brands Sophia modeled for were Gap, Skiphop, Nike, Levi’s, Hurley, Care.com, Disney, Nickelodeon, 3Brand, and High Sierra.
“Sophia works with a well-known agency in New York City,” says Joanna, who is from Davao City. “Brands contact the agency directly if they want to work with Sophia.”
Sophia always loved fashion even as a toddler, according to her mother.
“One day, someone suggested that I submit her to a modeling agency,” Joanna recalled. “I just did it on a whim and was not expecting to hear back. I actually ended up forgetting that I even submitted.”
Surprisingly, she received an e-mail from the three agencies asking to meet Sophia. “We met with them individually, they offered to represent her and we picked one that was the best fit for her,” Joanna said. “We have been with the same one since and we love them!”
The Ladarans were very much happy that their daughter would become a model. Her first modelling stint was with Gap, which was like a dream job for most child models. “Our daughter got it as her first gig, which was exciting,” she said. (The Gap originally targeted the younger generation when it first opened, with its name referring to the “generation gap of the time.”)
At seven, Sophia manages to keep a good balance between school and modelling.
“Sophia knows that modelling is more of a hobby and she understands that school is very important,” Joanna said. “She maintains her grades and actually does very well in school despite having to miss some days for modelling.”
As mother to a young model, Joanna doesn’t handpick which brand or brands her daughter would model. “I actually don’t have any that I can think of,” she said. “Our goal is to make sure she has fun, make friends, and make the most out of the experience while she is in it.”
Luckily, Sophia enjoys modelling a lot so it always translates to those photos taken of her. An ad of a brand could take anywhere from one hour to six hours to do.
More often than not, an adult accompanies Sophia when an ad is being taken. “There always has to be a trusted adult with Sophia at all times when she models,” Joanna said. “It is usually myself or my husband.”
Sophia is not only in modelling but in acting as well. “We have an exclusive contract with the agency for both modeling and acting,” Joanna said.
Parents are always proud of their children and the Ladarans are not an exception. “It always feels very surreal to see your kid in an ad or a website,” Joanna said. “You think to yourself, wow that’s my kid! I am always in awe watching her model, as well. She knows exactly what to do and what movements to make. There’s a sense of confidence that she has while she does it, like she’s not only 7 but an older person knowing exactly what the photographer needs. We are all very proud of her.”
Joanna is the daughter of Dr. Rey Ferrer (the twin brother of Dr. Roy Ferrer). The Ferrers came to the United States in 2000. As fate would have it, Joanna met Ryan. “He worked in the same nursing home my mom worked at,” she remembered. “We met there when I volunteered for school, we became friends and stayed that way for a few years and the rest is history.”
The couple has three children and Sophia is the eldest. The two others are boys: Camden and Roman.
What are her future plans for Sophia and her other two kids?
“Whatever they would like to do,” she pointed out. “I want my kids to figure out what they like and what they don’t like and have the opportunity to excel in it or to fail. Failure is a part of life and that is how they learn.
“One of the points I drive though, is commitment. Once you sign up for something, you have to see it through to the end and then you can give it up if you don’t like it but definitely try and give it your all before you just quit.
“For example, Sophia loves to model and she understands that sometimes she has to wake up super early for a job. She can’t just be like ‘no it’s too early I won’t go’ because she committed to modelling and that is part of the job. The same applies to both our boys, as well.”
