Runsi Patro achieved a New Face first on Saturday. At 14, she became the youngest girl ever to make it through to Round 2 of the modelling competition.

This year, The New Paper New Face lowered the entry age to 14.

A total of 85 girls managed to advance to the next stage out of the nearly 300 who turned up for the walk-in audition at Suntec Tropics Atrium on Saturday afternoon.

Round 2 will see the group being whittled down to 25.

Runsi, a student at United World College, went for the audition with her parents and two younger siblings.

Although it is her first attempt at auditioning for a modelling competition, the 1.65m-tall teenager did not feel nervous.

She said: "I was mentally trying to get myself together before going on stage, but I knew I just had to smile and be confident."

Runsi, whose parents are from India, might not even have gone to the audition if not for her mother Mrs Reela Patro, who spotted the advertisement for it in The New Paper that morning.

The 42-year-old housewife said: "She's very keen to be a model and I thought we should try it if she really loves it."

Mrs Patro added she was proud of her daughter for getting through and is happy to let her continue in the competition as long as she focuses on her studies as well.

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