Why does Vogue feature so few Asian models

[mishahoi]

also. case in point, i saw there is a new magazine in print....called `Rushh`....it is a magazine talking only about the TRENDS of (western) models.

good god!!

im less bothered about the fact that it is mostly white girls than the whole thing being dedicated to what they say is cool!

 

[writergal28]

Er...I think the Japanese are more into following the big labels such as Chanel and Dior instead of having a unique 'look'. Same goes for HK.

Of course, anyone can negate that opinion.

The label thing is totally true in my experience. My mom is from Hong Kong and is all about names. She's more familiar with brands that are lesser-known in HK though. Also, last week, I was shopping and two middle aged Cantonese speaking women loudly said something in the lines of "she's not that well known, so it isn't worth it" in Cantonese, referring to Tory Burch.

 

[yellow-submarine]

The label thing is totally true in my experience. My mom is from Hong Kong and is all about names. She's more familiar with brands that are lesser-known in HK though. Also, last week, I was shopping and two middle aged Cantonese speaking women loudly said something in the lines of "she's not that well known, so it isn't worth it" in Cantonese, referring to Tory Burch.

On a visit to Hong Kong I've noticed that that there are a lot of designer-obsessed people (after playing "count the gucci bags" I got 58 on an afternoon) but that^ is simply terrible

And I think the Caucasian look simply appeals to Asians. There is a LOT of surgery to look more caucasian: people get double eyelids, slimmer noses.

 

[min-SH]

^instead of "designer-obsessed", i'd say "brand/logo- obsessed". lol

 

[yellow-submarine]

^ Oh yeah. That makes sense

 

[mkd1187]

Why does Vogue Paris feature so few french models?
Why does Vogue US feature so few US models?
Why does Vogue Espana feature so few Spanish models?
Why does Vogue Germany feature so few german models?

This is such an inapt statement. This is not an issue unique to this magazine. Its an issue of white privilege on a global level. You mentioned US, France, etc. but pretty much all those models are white.

Maybe the US does not feature many American models, or France - not many French models... but they are pretty much all white models.

The issue here is not that Vogue Nippon does feature many Japanese models - its that they feature hardly any Asian models (or non-white for that matter).

Not to take this too general, but the fact that Japanese women can't buy a fashion mag with women who look like them in it portrays an impartial idea of beauty.

Compare it to a person of color going into a drugstore and not being able to buy a band-aid that matches their skin color.

 

[bluedolphin]

i think vogue china use a lots of Asian models!

 

[mkd1187]

^Yes it does. But Vogue Nippon does not - hardly any.

 

[sheisadreamer]

im probably repeating something that has already been said but...

vogue nippon is targeting those who are into western fashion in japan since vouge is a western thing anyway. thus, they use the models who are popular in the "western" fashion industry. that fashion industry lacks diversity (cough) anddd there arnt much popular japanese models in the western fashion industry besides ai tominaga and devon aoki. well at least that i can think of. sooo...yea. plus, vogue nippon isnt popular nationwide in japan. its more aimed at subculture for people who enjoy western fashion. its things like popular japanese fashion magazines such as glamourous, vivi, jj which the fashionable kids would buy and all the fashionable moms would rather buy domani and voce over vogue. well my mom does anyway. and that is where you will see all the lovely japanese models.

with that said
japan's fashion industry is very different. they have all types of different models for different fashion subcultures. so since vogue is a western thing, they will use the western models. another example, egg, a popular fashion magazine aimed towards the popular "gal/gyaru" subculture, will use alot of tanned japanese import model looking women. same with woofin' gal who will use many mixed black japanese models. and girly magazines such as vivi and jj will use pretty girly japanese models. o and those models gain alot of popularity in japan such as jun hasegawa, lena fuji and meisa kuroki. just to name a few.

 

[mishahoi]

im probably repeating something that has already been said but...

vogue nippon is targeting those who are into western fashion in japan since vouge is a western thing anyway. thus, they use the models who are popular in the "western" fashion industry. that fashion industry lacks diversity (cough) anddd there arnt much popular japanese models in the western fashion industry besides ai tominaga and devon aoki. well at least that i can think of. sooo...yea. plus, vogue nippon isnt popular nationwide in japan. its more aimed at subculture for people who enjoy western fashion. its things like popular japanese fashion magazines such as glamourous, vivi, jj which the fashionable kids would buy and all the fashionable moms would rather buy domani and voce over vogue. well my mom does anyway. and that is where you will see all the lovely japanese models.

with that said
japan's fashion industry is very different. they have all types of different models for different fashion subcultures. so since vogue is a western thing, they will use the western models. another example, egg, a popular fashion magazine aimed towards the popular "gal/gyaru" subculture, will use alot of tanned japanese import model looking women. same with woofin' gal who will use many mixed black japanese models. and girly magazines such as vivi and jj will use pretty girly japanese models. o and those models gain alot of popularity in japan such as jun hasegawa, lena fuji and meisa kuroki. just to name a few.

EXACTLY. Could not have said it better myself.

If you want to see some of the top Japanese runway models, please look at Limi Feu's runway show. Most of them are not conventionally tall however, which may be why they don't hit it big internationally.

 

[jjbunny79]

i always though it would be sorta silly to buy vogue nippon in japan anyways, like vogue have a really that old, rich lady like appeal to me.... >.<

the japanese (translated into Chinese, lol) magazine i have (most of them is lost b/c i moved) is Pop-teen. The model typically dyes their hair, some is tanned and some is pale and they are around like 150-165+...
I am thinking of getting magazines like the Chinese version of Ray or ViVi but I dont what should i get! (I wont be getting it until the winter.)

 

[Rockpornstar]

i've bought APRIL,that cover is daria,she looks fab!!but the content is very boring.even if is very freshi.but, i cant even remember one of the pics in it.but the eds not bad.the style of this mag according with Japanese' taste very much.but compare with other countries' it looks so weak.such as VOGUE CHINA.it was founded in sep,2005,but now it develop rapid.come into frontage of the world.well.VOGUE CHINA should strive on the photo shoot.we all knows the eds' quality are not good-looking.

 

[yalil]

I was browsing around a japanese bookstore and all the comments above are true. There are, like 20 fashion magazines there, I would say, a good 70% of them feature japanese/asian models broken down into the following: 1. purely asian looking (cancan),
2. amerasian/eurasian looking (vivi) 3. asian looking but with with something else done to look more western- blondish hair, tinted contacts, etc (the others).
I saw Numero, Vogue and Elle with completely caucasian models.

 

[bluecandyboy]

Asian on the cover of Vogue???

I remember Du Juan on Vogue Paris but she is stategically hidden by Gemma's hair and she isn't solo on the cover?

Has there been an Asian model or celebrity who have been on the cover of US Vogue? Vogue Italia? British Vogue? yet?

And when I say Asian, i refer to every Asian whether it be Chinese, Japanese (Devon Aoki?), Korean, Indian, Filipino, Malaysian, Indonesian, and so on...

calling Hamish Bowles...

 

[oxymoron]

None that I am aware of. Not including the Asian Vogues:

Ling Tan had a Vogue German cover and Eugenia Mandzhieva had a cover for Vogue Russia. Audry Quock was on a supplemental cover for Vogue Italia.

 

[MON]

I'm asian, from the Philippines. But i'd rather buy a magazine who features a Blondey, Blue -eyed tall woman than a Filipina. I think it's because i'm used and bored seeing people like me. I'm fascinated and excited to see something new.

As for VOGUE not featuring Asians, I think it's weird but okay at the same time.

 

[xerq]

I'm asian, from the Philippines. But i'd rather buy a magazine who features a Blondey, Blue -eyed tall woman than a Filipina. I think it's because i'm used and bored seeing people like me. I'm fascinated and excited to see something new.

As for VOGUE not featuring Asians, I think it's weird but okay at the same time.

that's just sad.

 

[jeffandtheworld]

there was a Thai supermodel (and the first asian model) for Chanel adcampaign (fragrance) in 90s, but now she is in jail, so.. She was also on a cover of Vogue Singapore in 90s.

 

[bluecandyboy]

None that I am aware of. Not including the Asian Vogues:

Ling Tan had a Vogue German cover and Eugenia Mandzhieva had a cover for Vogue Russia. Audry Quock was on a supplemental cover for Vogue Italia.

so do you think, by far, du juan is the most successful in terms of being on the elusive vogue cover? (asian vogues aside)

btw, i used to really like audry quock when she wasnt modelling for VS yet...

 

[bluecandyboy]

from asianmodel blogspot
du juan on vogue paris

ling tan on german vogue

devon aoki on russian vogue

audrey quock on vogue italia