Anna Bayle

[Lil_Flip246]

Anna Bayle


The runway stunner is now teaching future models
By Adrian Carlo Velasco
GIVING birth to a child is the fulfillment of womanhood. It marks the start of a new life. Anna Bayle couldn’t agree more, as the Filipino supermodel reminisces an incredible moment in her life. “It’s the birth of my son, Callum,” Anna calmly speaks.
The former runway star is raising her seven-year-old child in New York. “I love this city. When you walk along the streets, you could hear 15 languages. You’ll realize how much knowledge you gained, through people you’ve bumped into. It is a melting pot of so many cultures, so many things to see—film, music, opera, the arts. Everything I need for Callum is in New York,” she says in her youthful voice. Anna never lost her sense of commitment, since she first arrived in the US 25 years ago, to try the international circuit. “I worked the hardest. I gave them what they wanted,” she firmly says. According to her, a model must provide an ideal impression for consumers, from face, look, to body and style.

Model of the ’80s
“They were all blonde when I came,” she talks about the demand for Caucasian models in 1979. But the 5’10 stunner never doubted her capabilities. Eventually, she learned that Paris was a more promising scene for such “exotic” looks as Asians and Africans. With her remarkable confidence and professionalism, Anna Bayle became one of Europe’s top 10 models in two years time, being dubbed as the “Model of the ’80s.” She became a muse to important designers like Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Chanel, Gianni Versace, and Givenchy, among others.
As soon as her name was established, she flew back to New York. “I went to an agency, but was told to come back, until the manager saw me leaving. He shouted at the assistant: ‘Are you out of your mind? You’re sending away the biggest model in Europe!’” she shares. Anna was no ordinary model. Out of the “Big Five” in New York fashion, she would get four in a season, including Calvin Klein. She had nine shows a day, while most pros would have one at the most. And since her schedule had been fully booked, producers would pay for a whole day’s work just to get her in a show. “So I was always running. I’d be in and out of the car. If the traffic’s too heavy, I’d go with the girls and ride the train,” Anna adds. What’s more, she graced the catwalks for as long as she wanted. It was only in 1994 when the Filipino supermodel decided to retire from the seemingly endless runway career. “Asians don’t age like the whites do. I was even called a ‘miracle,’ still doing shows at 34.” she modestly shares.

From QC to HK
Anna’s focus in life took her to the world’s richest cities, from her student days in Quezon City. She was a scholar at the Philippine Science High School and finished Bachelor of Science in Pre-medicine at UP Diliman. “I was part of a basketball team. My teammates convinced me to join the Miss Republic of the Philippines, when we saw the pageant ad in 1975. I wasn’t even prepared,” Anna says. Although she didn’t get the title, fashion designers like Auggie Cordero saw her potential as a runway model. “He was the most supportive and trained me when I was only 16. Auggie would teach me fashion.” It was the famous designer who planted her the seed, telling Anna that she could do it. Several months later Anna moved to Hong Kong. There was an incident when she was asked to replace Billie Blair, a “star” import model at the Hong Kong Trade Fashion Show, due to an accident. Fortunately Anna knew how to walk. She danced the way shows were done. The next day, the Hong Kong Standard’s headline was: “The Filipina that Saved the Show.” Anna Bayle broke into the international scene since then.

Retired and refreshed
Currently, she launched her Anna Bayle Lipstick line in New York, catering to Asian women. “Rumors say that the first Asian woman will be on the cover of Vogue in 2006,” she says. She believes that it is the time of Asians. That is why she plans to put up an agency and school for Asian models. “I would like to help them succeed.”
“There are a lot of beautiful Filipinas. It’s a matter of training, takes a lot of fortitude. I was shaped by wise people, like Ruben Nazareth and Petusa Lopez. They were makeup artists in Europe, who changed Philippine fashion. I listened to them, because I was willing to learn. Now it’s my turn to teach new girls how to break into (sic) the real global scene.” she adds. The former supermodel is now preparing for a series of seminars in the Philippines sometime in May. “If I was able to ‘baby sit’ younger models like Tyra Banks and Naomi (Campbell), then I can surely help any girl from the Philippines. It would be like having a new child.” That reminds her of a long-time goal—”to make my son an incredible person. Now he’s getting a 95 percentile in IQ.” Anna intends to train Filipino girls with that same dedication.

Source: http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:yS25Va_E4ngJ:www.manilastandardtoday.com/%3Fpage%3DgoodLife01_jan05_2006+anna+bayle&hl=en&gl=ca&ct=clnk&cd=6

 

[gius]

Another Asian supermodel is Ai Tominaga She is Japanese.

 

[Lil_Flip246]

Yeah, but I never knew the world's first asian supermodel was a filipina!! l)

 

[Lil_Flip246]

The New Face of the Supermodel

Asian faces in high fashion are few and far between. APA examines the lack of diversity in the world of modeling along with the increasing demand for some color amidst the omnipresent black and white. See who has penetrated the iron gates surrounding high fashion, and meet the bright young faces who seek to redefine classical notions of beauty.

For as long as we can remember, the fashion world has painted a black and white picture of what the ideal woman should look like -- literally. When most people hear the word model, they think of Caucasian beauties like Kate Moss and Heidi Klum, or African-American seductresses like Tyra Banks and Naomi Campbell. In the late 1990s, we saw the rise of the Brazilian bombshells (a la Gisele Bundchen and Isabeli Fontana), but these women’s physical features are often indistinguishable from the European staples. So where have Asians fallen in the mix, you might ask?

The answer, to be blunt, is close to nonexistent. The renowned faces in high fashion are predominantly white. There is a significant number of black models who have become household names, but for the most part, the industry is still dominated by Caucasians. On Style.com, the online home of Vogue and W Magazines and a leading news source for high-end fashion and beauty, about 90% of the current ‘it’ models are white. On Models.com, a leading source for information about runway models, 48 of the top 50 models are white. On the hit reality TV show America’s Next Top Model, hosted by Tyra Banks, we do see African-American and Latina models, but in the five season span of the show, there have been only two contestants of Asian descent. Now if you thought there was a serious lack of Asian designers, I wouldn’t know what to call the number of Asian models.

In a way, the lack of diversity in the face of high fashion used to make sense. After all, the vast majority of high-end designer clientele was Caucasian. The exorbitantly priced merchandise was also only available in the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe and America. With the penetration of African-American faces in the mass media eventually came the arrival of the first black faces in fashion -- namely, Iman and Pat Cleveland in the 1970s. Until very recently, Asian faces were an anomaly on the runways, let alone magazine editorials and designers’ advertisements.

The growing popularity of high fashion and the rise of Asian economies have created a demand for models to whom Asians can relate. The astonishing growth of Japan’s economy in the latter part of the 20th century made it the first Asian country that could boast high-end designer merchandise. In spite of this, and the fact that the first successful Asian designers were Japanese, the black and white picture persisted. Perhaps the development of Shanghai is the best example of the new demand for diversity -- the nouveau riche are running rampant, so every prominent design house is scrambling to build a boutique. Black and white faces alone aren’t going to satisfy this large and ever-increasing new class of consumers. Adding to the buzz, Vogue China was launched this past September, making this the third Asian country, next to Japan and Korea, with its own version of the premier fashion magazine. Asian designers like Anna Sui and Peter Som have a hand in this as well; their runway shows often feature an ethnically diverse set of models.

Why has the rise of Asians in the sphere of modeling been so slow compared to that in fashion design or entertainment? A logical argument would be that the traditional Asian facial features defy the Western standards of beauty. Many Asians lack the large eyes and sharp noses that are so highly esteemed in Western culture; small eyes and less prominent nose bridges are devalued. Of the black models who have succeeded, several appear simply as darker-skinned Europeans, and many struggling to penetrate the industry attempt to make themselves look more ‘white’ in photographs. Magazines, perhaps the most important medium in the fashion industry, face the dilemma of whether non-Asian audiences would be receptive to an Asian cover model.
The models of Asian descent who have risen to stardom in the fashion world can almost be counted on one hand. There was Anna Bayle, the legendary Filipina who was said to share supermodel status in the 1980s with household names like Cindy Crawford and Linda Evangelista. She is often deemed the first Asian supermodel, and may well have been the first consistent Asian face in fashion magazine editorials. Kimora Lee, better known as the wife of music mogul Russell Simmons and the designer of Baby Phat, started her career as a model at the age of 13. Kimora, who is half Korean and half black, was chosen by Karl Lagerfeld himself to grace the Chanel haute couture runway.

In the early 1990s, Siberian model turned Mortal Kombat actress turned published author Irina Pantaeva came onto the scene. This multi-talented model was arguably the first consistent Asian face in mainstream clothing ads from Gap and Levis. The early '90s was also when Pakistani-German model Yasmeen Ghauri was discovered, working in a McDonald’s in Montreal no less. Though her strict Muslim father vehemently opposed a modeling career, she managed to land contracts with Versace, Givenchy, Hermes, and Victoria’s Secret. In the late '90s, Karl Lagerfeld made yet another young and remarkable choice for the face of Chanel: Devon Aoki. Aoki, daughter of Benihana owner and Olympic wrestler Rocky Aoki, is Japanese, German, and British, and stands at a mere 5’5” -- a height unheard of in the fashion world. This model turned actress (you might recognize her from 2 Fast 2 Furious or Sin City) was labeled as the new muse of the millennium, and became the face of Baby Phat and Lancome.

In this new millennium, three Asian models have managed to break the black and white runway boundaries. First off, there’s Ai Tominaga, who can be seen on the runways of everybody who’s anybody in fashion. This new mother also opened her own boutique in Tokyo, called Deep Sweet Easy, and was most recently the face of Banana Republic and Gucci fragrance. From Mumbai we have Ujjwala Raut, the first Indian woman ever to truly ‘make it’ in high fashion. Raut has appeared in Yves Saint Laurent and Dolce & Gabbana ads, and is widely praised for celebrating her distinctly Indian physical features rather than masking them. Within the past year, the catwalks witnessed the rise of Korean-American Hye Rim Park. She’s been spotted in ads for Roberto Cavalli, D&G, H&M, and MAC Cosmetics, but we like her for her resilience. During the Spring 2006 show for Christian Dior, her heel broke while she was walking down the runway, but she acted as if nothing happened and gracefully completed her turn, sans a four-inch heel!

So perhaps there is hope for Asians who desire a future in modeling. After all, the number of prominent Asians and Asian-Americans in the design and entertainment industries is steadily rising, so why not modeling? Penetration into the world of fashion and beauty is perhaps a little more difficult than the others. This is a field based almost solely on aesthetics, a field in which the average person’s career ends at the ripe age of 24. The realm of modeling has depended on predefined notions of beauty, and already has a consistent idea of what’s hot and what’s not. Any established industry is resistant to change, but the sort of change we’re discussing is one that would alter the very fabric of the modeling world. It’s no wonder that African and Asian models have gone to great lengths to look more Caucasian.

Though the number of Asians faces in high fashion has not increased much by any standards, there is some evidence of change. The numbers are still scarce, but never before have we seen the degree of diversity we have now on the runways, in magazines, and in advertisements. The October cover of Parisian Vogue featured Chinese model Du Juan alongside supermodel Gemma Ward -- and yes, that’s a big deal. Aside from that, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and Elle magazines are warming up to Asian faces. Slowly, but surely, ethnic features will not be devalued, and women will begin to emphasize their different skin tones, eye shapes, and bone structures. Who knows when it will happen, but in this case, sooner is better than later.


Other up-and-coming models worth mentioning: Juliana Imai, Liu Dan, Rila Fukushima, Anne Watanabe, Amber Chia, Aline Nakashima, Kyung-Ah Song, Du Juan

Source: http://www.asiaarts.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=33733

 

[cyberfruit]

Anyone have pictures of her?

 

[gius]

Yeah, but I never knew the world's first asian supermodel was a filipina!! l)

Oops I misread the title of the thread
I thought you meant "the first asian model" coming out now,
but I guess you mean she is the first of all time

 

[Lil_Flip246]

Yep. Many internet sites claim she is. I'm so proud as a flip that a filipino was the first asian to make it to the top internationally. There aren't any other flip fashion models I know, besides that flip who came in third for the supermodel of the world contest.

 

[phantasmagoric]

I'm surprised that I can't find any pictures of Anna Bayle despite the fact that she was "the world's first asian supermodel".

 

[noisychicken]

Whoa...

Funny, I'm from the Philippines and I only knew about that today. Cool.

 

[Sephora_Socialite]

In searching for some pics I found a article and at the bottom it read for more info go to thefashionspot.com...

Meeeh...still, no sucess in pics.

 

[indie]

google search?

geocities.com

 

[Lil_Flip246]

Cool!!!!!!

 

[MakeUpJunkie]

Indie, those pics dont work.

 

[smartarse]

not just the internet, but the fashion industry claims her to be. i posted her pix on the asian thread sometime ago.

she was also Oscar dela Renta's muse amongst other legendary designers...

Yep. Many internet sites claim she is. I'm so proud as a flip that a filipino was the first asian to make it to the top internationally. There aren't any other flip fashion models I know, besides that flip who came in third for the supermodel of the world contest.

 

[smartarse]

only the Bazaar Italia is Anna Bayle the other 2 covers are not her.

google search?

geocities.com

 

[Lil_Flip246]

Can you please repost the pics of ANNA BAYLE? They don't work.


"*that Anna Bayle is known to be the greatest Filipina model alive, who defined Asian beauty and grace in the fashion capitals of the world? She, who belonged to the royalty of the mannequin world, alongside Iman and Cindy Crawford. She, who captivated all the important designers of our time: Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Givenchy, Chanel, Christian Lacroix, Valentino, Emmanuel Ungaro, Renato Ballestra, Pierre Cardin, Thierry Mugler, Karl Lagerfield, Gianni Versace, Issey Miyake, Calvin Klein, Oscar de la Renta, Donna Karan, Isaac Mizrahi, Vivienne Westwood... Anna who is now 40 (as of 1998) and standing at 5'10", retired from the glamour business when she was 37, and is residing in New York City with her husband Simon Spence and her five-month-old baby boy, Callum." Source: http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/7723/facts.html

The daily series was what made today’s fashion stalwarts, from Inno Sotto, Larrie Silva, Auggie Cordero to Joe Salazar, Rusty Lopez, Gang Gomez—their skills honed in the do-or-die competition and their grit formed by merciless reviews in the dailies. This era also produced the supermodel Anna Bayle and other top models like Bessie Badilla who knew how to parade in RTW and swimwear as well as in haute couture gowns.
From the ’80s to the ’90s there was also Imelda Cojuangco and PLDT who sponsored the prime fashion fare and major cultural concerts. Source: http://www.geocities.com/heimlich_20886/pageant_news_part3.html

BTW, Who is Bessie Badilla? ...... Beauty & modeling
After Anna Bayle, Bessie Badilla was probably the second Asian model to make a name abroad. From 1977 to 1985, she worked the catwalks of the USA, Asia and Europe, modeling in Paris, France for the signature label Balenciaga. She also did shows in Australia, the Middle East and Russia. SourcE: http://emanila.com/alternate-ads.html

 

[MakeUpJunkie]

They were hotlinked, thats why.



The website is down, so theres the thumbnail from the google search. Thats the only one thats her.

 

[Lil_Flip246]

“If I was able to ‘baby sit’ younger models like Tyra Banks and Naomi (Campbell), then I can surely help any girl from the Philippines. It would be like having a new child.”

What does she mean by this??? And aren't there already asian models on the cover of Vogue? i.e. Chinese VOGUE.

MORE...

Larger pic:

Anna Bayle was just another contestant in the Miss Republic of the Philippines contest in the 70's when designer Auggie Cordero introduced her to the glamorous world of modelling. First it was Manila & Hongkong, then New York, and eventually, Paris and Milan. The first Asian supermodel to ever break into a world dominated by fairskin-ned Americans and Europeans! Anna is a classic and a league of her own. Her catwalk has been described now as legendary and copied so many times. Now retired, Anna has recently launched her own cosmetic line. If she were to compete today, the 5'9" stunner with olive skin and long limbs can surely make any serious competitor think twice. What a loss to the world of Miss Philippines!

Another Filipina Supermodel!!!

Valerie Celis has slowly risen from unknown girl next door in the Philippines to Asian su- permodel status in just a few years. The cur-
rent face of Calvin Kelin's CK One perfume, Valerie, like Anna Bayle, has appeared in countless covers and shows in both sides of the Atlantic. Very Filipina in looks, the 5'8" model has the ethnic 'flavor' that makes her stand out from an industry partial to fair skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes! If she were to be-
come Miss Philippines, just think of where she might eventually end up.





Source: http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.geocities.com/heimlich_20886/anna_bayle03.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.geocities.com/heimlich_20886/pageant_news_part3.html&h=343&w=247&sz=24&tbnid=CnwkEbQwMwGqXM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=83&hl=en&start=1&prev=/images%3Fq%3Danna%2Bbayle%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DN

*Missing proper credit*

 

[Lil_Flip246]

MORE PICS.. BTW, She is signed with New York Management...


*Missing proper credits*


Valerie Celis
height: 5'8"
bust: 33
waist: 24
hips: 34
dress: 4 s
hoe: 9
hair: brown
eyes: brown

Source: Google Images

 

[MakeUpJunkie]

The pics in #18 arent working for me.