Amber Chia: From Tawau to Global Supermodel
Who is Amber Chia and how is she linked to Sabah?
Amber Chia is a Malaysian supermodel who grew up in Tawau, Sabah, from age seven. In 2004 she became the first Asian to win the Guess! Timeless Beauty Model Search, going on to a long international career and founding her own modelling academy.
Amber Chia at a glance
Among the most internationally recognised faces with Sabahan roots is Amber Chia Wei Ling. Born in Ipoh, she moved to Tawau, on Sabah's east coast, at the age of seven and spent her formative years there (Focus Malaysia, checked 7 October 2026).
Chia broke through in 2004 as the first Asian to win the Guess! Timeless Beauty Model Search, a result that opened the door to a global modelling career. She has since worked across fashion, television and business, becoming one of Malaysia's best-known models.
First Asian to win Guess! Timeless Beauty (2004); international spokesperson for Guess Watches; founder of the Amber Chia Academy (2010).
Growing up in Tawau
Amber Chia was born in Ipoh and moved to Tawau at the age of seven, and the east-coast Sabahan town became the backdrop to her upbringing (Focus Malaysia, checked 7 October 2026).
At 18 she flew from Tawau to Kuala Lumpur with RM300 in her pocket to chase her dream of modelling (The Nut Graph, checked 7 October 2026). Her Tawau years make her one of the best-known faces in fashion with Sabahan roots.
Winning Guess! Timeless Beauty in 2004
The turning point of Chia's career came in 2004, when she entered the Guess Watches Timeless Beauty International Model Search. She won the Asian round, went on to the international final in Switzerland and became the first Asian to take the title (Focus Malaysia, checked 7 October 2026). The win instantly raised her profile far beyond Malaysia.
For an aspiring model from Tawau, success on a global stage was a remarkable achievement, and it set the tone for the busy, internationally focused career that followed.
An international modelling career
After her Guess win, Chia became an international spokesperson for Guess Watches and built a career that spanned runways and campaigns across Asia and beyond.
Her commercial appeal made her a sought-after brand ambassador. Over the years she has represented international brands such as Sony, L'Oréal and Mitsubishi. She has also acted in Chinese films such as Possessed and made guest appearances in sitcoms and TV shows in Taiwan and China (The Nut Graph, checked 7 October 2026).
Building a business and a school
Beyond modelling, Chia turned her experience into a business. She started her own company, Amber Creations, in mid-2009 and founded the Amber Chia Academy, a modelling school, in August 2010 (The Nut Graph, checked 7 October 2026). The school trains aspiring models, passing on the practical knowledge she gained from her own career.
The academy reflects a wider shift from being in front of the camera to building something lasting in the industry, and it has helped keep her a prominent figure in Malaysian fashion long after her competition win. For Sabah, she remains a source of pride as a familiar face who grew up in Tawau.
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