Demographics in The Woodlands changing

THE WOODLANDS, Texas—The face of The Woodlands is changing. The evolution to a community rich in ethnic diversity is best exemplified by Alva Sim - model, songwriter, singer, and performing artist.

A local resident who works with First Models and Talent Agency in The Woodlands, Sim has witnessed the evolution first hand, in respect to her modeling career.

“Although the majority of my modeling assignments are for commercial modeling, editorial modeling is my preference,” Sim said.

Editorial modeling is the artistic side of fashion modeling; a unique look, but one that reflects a global society, and with an emphasis on creativity as seen on the pages of Vogue magazine. Commercial modeling assignments are more plentiful and encompass more than fashion or glamour, for instance, catalogs and trade magazines.

“In just the past couple of years, there have been more opportunities for ‘editorial’ modeling assignments, as opposed to a few years ago when I started my modeling career,” said Sim. “It seems that the ethnicity in the community has become more diverse in the past two years, and the local fashion industry is attuned to that.”

Sim’s beautiful, exotic look comes from her Jamaican ancestry, but her accent is decidedly from where she was raised in Coventry, England, a area that is quite racially diverse, but where all ethnicities speak regionally with the same accent.

The ‘new’ Woodlands could eventually become a place where many different cultures reside. The ethnic diversity in large part can be attributed to the influx of transplants from Mexico that The Woodlands has embraced, significantly increasing the community’s Latino population. But many global corporations are relocating their world headquarters in South Montgomery and North Harris counties to include most recently ExxonMobil and Clariant Oil Services. Other global corporations with a presence in The Woodlands include: Anadarko, Baker Hughes, Chevron Phillips, Huntsman, and Maersk Line. The face of The Woodlands now takes on a more international look; although it remains to be seen if the ‘new’ arrivals will all eventually adopt a Texas twang.

Faces like Alva Sim’s will have broad appeal as this evolution continues to take place. Capitalizing on this transformation, Sim decided to put her face out there, modeling at every opportunity.

“I didn’t want to look back at my life and say, what if?” said Sim.

Sim has two daughters who have matured into beautiful women. Both are following in their mother’s footsteps as singers, dancers, and aspiring to become models. Like their mother, both are musicians. Sim plays both the guitar and the flute. When not modeling, Sim is performing her fusion of folk, jazz, and soul music at local clubs. Sim will be performing on October 18, at Genuwine in Magnolia, with guitarist, Adam McFarland of McFarland Music. Look for more of Sim at other ‘open mic’ nights throughout the area, and also on the fashion scene.