Hong Kong models

[Kimkhuu]

Those girls are terribly boring they lack the "coolness" factor of Ai and Devon.

 

[zzz]

Taiwanese model

Taiwanese model

 

[Luxy]

ZZZ,

do you post on FashionGuide as well??
if you do, we've talked in one of the threads like a month ago about school programs (statisitcs and act. sci).. but I have different user name so you probably don't know who I am ~

 

[zzz]

hi luxy... I do recognize your name from fashionguide

 

[jaijai]

models like Maggie Q and Rosemary are only well known in HK for their association with famous people, they are not consider top models by people in the HK fashion industry.
If you go to see some HK fashion shows, you'll see most models are around 5'10- 5'11 and most are from mainland China. I think the criteria for models are the same wherever you are, but the criteria for beauty in the eyes of the teens in Asia is a little different. They tends to admire the western culture more than their own, hence girls with mixes features becomes instantly more attractive to this age group. As for modelling I think anyone with mixes or eurasian features has very little chance of being a sucessful model outside Asia. Most top fashion houses will only hire asia models with strong chinese/oriental features, which is understandable if you think about it.

 

[czilla]

"As for modelling I think anyone with mixes or eurasian features has very little chance of being a sucessful model outside Asia. Most top fashion houses will only hire asia models with strong chinese/oriental features, which is understandable if you think about it."

Yeah, i totally agree jaijai. It may just be the girls presented, but from what I've seen in the Taiwanese bazaar, or singapore fashion pulps, the mixed girls in the editorials tend to have a very soft featured look. It seems more appropriate for print ads than runway work. Tiffany looks very commercial, but not high fashion... Ai and Devon look edgy mostly bc their look is so strong -- Ai's skyhigh cheekbones, Devon's pouty teensy lips. I'm not surprised that's a thing the fashion houses choose to import, even if they are just making a token nod to having an Asian model in the lineup.

 

[Bluestar07]

There are a lot of beautiful Asian women but it seems that you have to be very "cute" (like you said same expression: big eyed omg I'm so precious) to get into magazines. And western models are more edgy/sexy than cute/uber girly. Anyway that's just my opinion.

I SO TOTALLY AGREE!!!. In HK, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia eurasian models get the best jobs but those with pure asian looks only get bookings if you look innocent, angelic, fair and cutesy wutsy which I find incredibly annoying.

 

[czilla]

That soft look isn't reserved for the eurasians though -- it's across the board with models featured in Asian magazines. Just skimming the magazine rack at Kinokuniya, everyone is doe eyed, dewy skinned, w/ their hair softly waved.
Cutesy wutsy is big over there.. i mean, think about the popularity of personal glamour shots in HK, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia... all soft focus lens, pastels. It's a different aesthetic, and one that seems to not change too much depending on the season? Maybe I'm wrong on that note, and please correct me if so. ^^

 

[creamyqueen]

Galie again~

 

[Bluestar07]

That soft look isn't reserved for the eurasians though -- it's across the board with models featured in Asian magazines. Just skimming the magazine rack at Kinokuniya, everyone is doe eyed, dewy skinned, w/ their hair softly waved.
Cutesy wutsy is big over there.. i mean, think about the popularity of personal glamour shots in HK, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia... all soft focus lens, pastels. It's a different aesthetic, and one that seems to not change too much depending on the season? Maybe I'm wrong on that note, and please correct me if so. ^^

You are spot on! And it's not just personal glamour shots .... it includes bridal photography as well. b-o-r-i-n-g.

 

[Etherus]

Interstingly at the Hong Kong Fashion Festival in July this year a lot of the models were either Russian speaking or some US girls. There were a few of the designers coming out of Korea so they had bought along Korean models. In discussing with one of the designers there there is a tendancy for Asians to favour a more western look whereas I as a western male find Asian models to be generally very attractive. I shoot their photos in the shows and put up some closeups at www.amatas.com. We will be going to Hong Kong ( after Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta) in January for the next fashion festival there and will have all the shows available shortly afterwards.

 

[pris]

do you find that only fair asian models are pretty? there is alot fo focus in HK to be white and fair, if they are famous they are fair -its so stupid because people who are fair want to be tanned, people always want what they cant have. Alot of asian women are tanned naturally but use many whitening products. Comments?

 

[marqueemoon]

do you find that only fair asian models are pretty? there is alot fo focus in HK to be white and fair, if they are famous they are fair -its so stupid because people who are fair want to be tanned, people always want what they cant have. Alot of asian women are tanned naturally but use many whitening products. Comments?

It seems like the tan look is going out of fashion in general the last couple of years. The latest crop of models are very fresh and fair-skinned. Personally I find very tanned skin to be cheap/trashy unless it's completely natural and goes along with very dark coloring.

 

[Etherus]

I think you will find that there is a general beauty desire by Asian women to be fair, the grass is greener sort of thing. I was in Vietnam a couple of months ago and noticed that all the younger women riding or passengers on motorbikes, the predominant way to travel, wore long gloves so as to keep the sun away from them. even the women who work in the fields are completely covered head to toe so as to not get tanned.

Completely the opposite European decendants who want to look brown

 

[CChristina]

That soft look isn't reserved for the eurasians though -- it's across the board with models featured in Asian magazines. Just skimming the magazine rack at Kinokuniya, everyone is doe eyed, dewy skinned, w/ their hair softly waved.
Cutesy wutsy is big over there.. i mean, think about the popularity of personal glamour shots in HK, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia... all soft focus lens, pastels. It's a different aesthetic, and one that seems to not change too much depending on the season? Maybe I'm wrong on that note, and please correct me if so. ^^

personally..I find europeans/americans to be more attracted to my own version of the "typical" asian look: slanty eyes, sharp features, straight black hair, etc... For myself I find that sooo boring..I mean it's interesting to see certain models like evo photographed because her face is catching but her face overall isn't that attractive to me. I like chinese actresses/models because they do have that cute look that last longer than some of these other girls with the look that at 1st catches your eye but overtime their face gets boring and annoying.

also Etherus in vietnam being fair is associated with being wealthy..not necessarily the want to look like the europeans...thats why vietnamese people favor fair skinned and somewhat round women heh

 

[funkalicious]

Man they all look the same to me.

All the girls are 'cute'. UgH. They're ten a penny. I have never yet seen a classical asian beauty.

I have to agree with you. Hong Kong, Taiwan models bore me to the core. They all look the same and I can never tell the difference between them. They are actually considered classical asian beauty in the terms of the market here. I don't get the cute look at all. I prefer them with more cool and an edge. Like Ai Tominaga, Hye Park, Du Juan and An Watanabe.

I love asian models, just not those that are working in Asia. Those in New York/Paris are the ones I like.

 

[Etherus]

I understand that about it being a sign of wealth. I live on an island in Thailand and have a Japanese wife so I see everyday the desire to be paler. You only need go into the supermarket and look at the range of cosmetics on the shelf and see the enormous range of products to make you look paler.

 

[funkalicious]

Anyway, I see no hotness in Maggie Q whatsoever, i don't get what the hype is and if u match her off next to some international model such as kate moss.. Maggie Q is so pedestrian... And I can't believe she's LV's new spokesperson in Asia

I also totally don't get the hype about taiwanese SUPER model LIN CHI LING(she really is super, she is always on the news in taiwan nowadays)

Maggie Q is the spokesperson?! As in doing ads? I want to see! I think she's gorgeous!

Chiling Lin is SUPER boring. She's 30+ and always cute. I don't like Taiwan's celebrities even though I have them chucked into my face everyday. (I'm in Singapore, many of the girls are OBSESSED with them) I find they all looks the same and tries too hard. Sorry everyone from Taiwan!!

 

[tortoisie]

I Elyse Sewell, if only she is counted as a "Hong Kong" model.

 

[xxdakenxx]

personally..I find europeans/americans to be more attracted to my own version of the "typical" asian look: slanty eyes, sharp features, straight black hair, etc... For myself I find that sooo boring..I mean it's interesting to see certain models like evo photographed because her face is catching but her face overall isn't that attractive to me. I like chinese actresses/models because they do have that cute look that last longer than some of these other girls with the look that at 1st catches your eye but overtime their face gets boring and annoying.

Totally agree. The fact that Westerner tend to favour the typical Asian look (e.g. Lucy Lui, no disrepect) is seen as cliche from the eyes of Asians.

The most well-known models in HK such as Maggie Q got the commercial aka boring look because THEY ARE very commercial models. They are like models for Sports Illustrated or VS, or like Paris Hilton 'model' for Guess, so you wouldn't expect them to have the edgy aka interesting look. There are some hi-fashion models but the local hi-fashion design scene is not that big compare to most of the other big cities in the West so the crowd is relatively small and not very well-known by people.

But it is not like HK people are not interested in the more edgy look at all. Couple of years ago, Japanese top model Asami Imajuku was pretty big in HK, around the time she did the campaign for local brand 2%. She is very much the herorin chic type with that no make-up, drug-addict like look being her signiture look.

Asami Imajuku