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Asian fashion model1/17/2024 ![]() Many wonder if Asian models are really being celebrated for their individuality – or used to represent an Orientalised "other". "In celebrating a few exceptional editorials, I think we can become complacent to the racial and economic asymmetries that organise the fashion industry at large." The lion's share of jobs still go to white models, she pointed out. Pham, who will be appointed Assistant Professor at Cornell University this autumn, and one of the self-proclaimed "clotheshorse academics" behind the Threadbared blog exploring the politics of fashion. "It's not that the increasing visibility of Asian models doesn't matter, it's just that it doesn't matter enough," added Minh-Ha T. "I would love to and I think people would buy it – but I have low expectations," she said. It doesn't seem to be a cultural shift, but a market shift – and maybe a cultural shift will come from that."ĭodai Stewart of, who has written about the lack of diversity among models, does not expect to see an Asian model on the cover of Vogue's all-powerful US edition any time soon. Yet this February, – which has tallied the model count at shows for several years – reported the whitest New York fashion week since 2008.īlogger Jenny Zhang, who has written about fashion's representations of east Asian women, said: "I don't think this is just a fad because Asia is such a big luxury market. In 2008 Vogue Italia ran an issue using only black models, amid a bout of fashion industry introspection about its woeful lack of diversity. This gives some encouragement to those who hope east Asian models will continue to be used, despite the industry's history of showing a fleeting interest in, say, larger models or black women. ![]() Similarly, Estée Lauder's decision to hire Liu Wen is less surprising given China's multi-billion-pound skincare and cosmetics industry. Louis Vuitton's decision to hire Godfrey Gao was not only a testament to his razor-like cheekbones, but to the increasing clout of Chinese luxury consumers, more than half of whom are male. McKinsey predicts that by 2015 it will be worth $27bn. As a consumer market it has grown and grown," she said.Ĭonsultancy firm Bain & Co reported recently that China would this year become the world's second largest luxury-goods market, with 25% growth taking it to $17bn-worth of sales. "Because of the economic problems elsewhere, China became the only shining spot. But, she concedes, there is another reason why Chinese models are in fashion: money. Yet New York magazine described Sui He's Ralph Lauren appearance as "the most surprising casting of the season", saying more about the persistent whiteness of the fashion industry than about its new-found diversity.Ĭheung is proud to say that Vogue China played a part in the rise of Chinese models by flying in big-name international photographers for fashion spreads: "We pretty much launched career by having Patrick Demarchelier shoot her," she said. More recently, Du Juan became the first Asian model on the cover of French Vogue and has walked for Valentino and Yves Saint Laurent. Liu Wen has declared of her compatriots: "We are making history every day."Ī handful of models of Asian origin have been celebrated in the west before, such as Tina Chow. Yet these days others are making bold claims for the significance of these new faces the US Vogue spread announced that the models were "redefining traditional concepts of beauty" (traditional, that is, in the west). Sui He confesses that when she was growing up she thought of models as "flower vases" – a Chinese idiom indicating beauty but emptiness. "Even in the last two or three years it was pretty much about Du Juan: she was the only one going big. ![]() "In the last couple of seasons you have seen a sudden increase," said Angelica Cheung, editor of Vogue China. Lest the boys feel left out, Louis Vuitton recently hired Taiwanese-Canadian Godfrey Gao for a moody advertising campaign. ![]() Feifei Sun, Emma Pei and Ming Xi have all walked for top designers. Liu Wen was the first Asian model to appear in a Victoria's Secret show and became Estée Lauder's first Asian "spokesmodel" last year Maybelline has hired another Chinese model, Shu Pei. ![]() "They had six Chinese models in the show – it was just by accident that I was the one who opened it," she said.ĭecember's US Vogue featured eight east Asian models – Chinese, Korean and Japanese – in an "Asia Major" shoot. Designers are equally enthusiastic: Sui He became the first Asian model ever to open for Ralph Lauren, the high priest of Wasp style, at New York fashion week.īut Sui He points out that she is not alone. "Editorial look and natural poise all the way," gushed one fashion blogger "a delicate air that shifts to hard edge in a blink," raved another. ![]()
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