SHE was never one of the "cool kids". In fact, her unique looks - a result of her mixed ethnicity, her father is Tamil and mother Chinese - and height saw her perpetually teased during her school days, making her shy and withdrawn.

All that changed on the evening of May 28, when Povaneswari Shanmugam was named the Ford Supermodel of the World Singapore 2011. Suddenly, the same features that got her teased as a child - her 1.78m-tall slender frame, her defined facial features - were good enough to help her beat 10 other contestants to win the title, which has got her many modelling assignments already.

The win also gives her the opportunity to represent her country at the Ford Supermodel of the World contest in New York next month. The winner of this contest will walk away with a US$250,000 contract with Ford Models.

All this is a far cry from Povaneswari's - she is fondly called Puvana by her friends and family - days as a braces-wearing teenager in the Singapore Sports School.

Having joined the school for her netball talent, Puvana recalls being called "scrap" by some boys. The reason? They considered her "scrap metal", she recalls, with a wry grin.

Now, thanks to this win, she's no longer "scrap". In fact, she's literally glowing. "Boys who would use mean words on me because of how I looked now acknowledge that I have won," she shares with tabla!, adding: "I never imagined myself in this position... it's new and exciting."

The 19-year-old beauty, who is part of the under-21 national netball squad, didn't plan a trip into the world of glamour when she graduated from Temasek Polytechnic this year with a diploma in biomedical science.

Even a foray into acting - she did a short stint on Vasantham show Vaanavil - didn't signal the arrival of fame.

However, that role did get her noticed by Ms Colleen Francisca, the national director of the Ford Supermodel of the World contest. And it took a lot of convincing by Ms Francisca, a former The New Paper New Face and Miss Singapore World 2006 winner, to get Puvana to sign up for this year's Ford Supermodel contest.

Now that she's won it, Puvana's having to make adjustments to her rapidly evolving life, part of which is casting sessions for events such as Audi Fashion Festival and ScreenSingapore 2011. And one of the toughest is watching her diet; especially since it means giving up her grandmother's chicken biryani.

"She cooks a wide range of Indian dishes and my other favourite meal is naan with paneer masala," reveals Puvana, adding that she's even staying away from the kitchen when her grandmother whips up delicious Indian meals.

The other big adjustment is heels. Blessed with her height, Puvana has been traipsing through life in flats... till now.

Suddenly, now that she's a "supermodel" and plans to devote the next two years to modelling before she pursues a degree in biomedical science, she's learning how to walk in heels.

"Focus and discipline will hopefully help me become an internationally-recognised face," she says.

Sharing Puvana's sporting flair is Petrina Ann Harriette, who finished first runner-up in the Ford Supermodel contest. Also of mixed parentage, her father is Punjabi while her mother is Portugese-Dutch, the 18-year-old was a gymnast and a dancer during her secondary school days at CHIJ Toa Payoh.

"My experience in such athletic activities lends me poise, which definitely is an advantage in this field," claims Petrina, who has been a freelance model since she was 15 but maintains that she is constantly learning. "Modelling is not something one can pick up instantly," she adds.

Calling her catwalk performance "raw", due to her sub-conscious hunching, Petrina says she has learnt from each modelling experience. So much so that she has even sashayed away from her daily dose of fast food.

"MacDonalds after school every day," she says, with a guilty smile. That said, just don't expect her to pass up on her guiltiest pleasure: Butter chicken.

Passionate about fashion, Petrina is fascinated by the vast variety of Indian garments that range from traditional to fashion-forward styles and hopes to pursue a long-term career in high-fashion.

As for Puvana, she just wants to do Singapore proud at the Ford Supermodel of the World contest. After that she's going to reward herself with a big helping of her grandmother's chicken biryani!