Friday, October 31, 2008

Du Juan & Hye Park Ad Campaign for GAP, Spring/Summer 2008

Models: Du Juan, Hye Park & other models
Ad Campaign: GAP The Art of Color, Spring/Summer 2008
Photographer: Unknown

Source: tFs

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Ein Tan Magazine Cover for Bond Magazine Issue Zero, Fall 2008

Ein Tan is on one of the premier covers of this new alternative bridal/wedding magazine called Bond, Issue Zero. Glad to see her still booking jobs in the US.

There are some amazing editorials inside the magazine including one with an Asian model. But I'm not sure if it is Ein Tan in the editorial or someone else. Will do some research and post the photos here.

Model: Ein Tan
Magazine: Bond Magazine Issue Zero, Fall 2008
Photographer: James White
Stylist: Rene Garzia

Source: Elite Models

Halloween Make-Up 2008

I promise this is the LAST Halloween post I'm going to do this year. In case any of you still have not thought of what you want to be , I thought I'd give you one last idea- just go with the crazy make-up. People would be so busy admiring your eyes that they won't have time to care about the rest of your outfit!
Besides Galliano, my two other favourite crazy make-up looks are from Dior (left) and the Lacroix haute couture (right) show. Both redefines the upper and lower part of the eyes making their eyes look HUGE. They are in essence however, the opposite of each other. While Dior uses a sharp white base, Lacroix uses a smokey black base. Either way, I'm loving both of them. Go for the Dior look if you want to look feline and the Lacroix look for something a bit darker. A bit more subtly, we have the smokey eyes of the Chanel haute couture (left) and the Balenciaga (right) show. Just go heavy with the eye liner and the smudging. If you do have a costume, these would be more subtle looks for you. You don't want to take away too much from the outfit now do you?

And as for some simple DIY ideas: You can be forks/knives/spoon with alumninium, a piece of steak and ketchup/mustard to go with that. You can be Tetris pieces. Pacman and the ghost. Or a Twister board- just wear white and stick colored dots on yourself and carry the spinning thing!

Happy Halloween everyone!

Image Source: Style.com

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Ling Tan Editorial

I found this interesting photo of Ling Tan, photographed by Uli Weber. Does anyone know where this is from?

Model: Ling Tan
Editorial: Unknown
Magazine: Unknown
Photographer: Uli Weber

Source: Uli Weber

Hyoni Kang Editorial for New York Times' Style Magazine, Fall 2008

Hyoni Kang, who won the Supermodel of the World competition in January 2008, has had quite year (with 3 more months to go) so far. After signing with the competition sponsor Ford Models, her career took off like a race horse out of the gates. She quickly scored a magazine cover on Korea Vogue for April 2008 (with Hye Park) followed by numerous editorial work in catalogs and magazines in New York and South Korea.

Hyoni Kang's most significant success to date, undoubtedly is on the runway where she booked more shows than most runway veterans at the recent New York Fashion Week. All in all, she walked in 17 shows including top labels like Michael Kors, DKNY and 3.1 Philip Lim. She also opened two shows (Chris Han and Travolta) and closed one (Nanette Lapore), which was a huge coup for a new girl in New York.

This editorial, for New York Times' Style Magazine, Fall 2008, is one of her best so far, in my opinion. The energy of the models is amazing and the styling is top-notch. Despite having to share the pages with other models, Hyoni Kang really shines here. I especially love her poses in Photos #1, 2 and 4.

Model: Hyoni Kang & other models
Editorial: Great Lines At Even Greater Prices
Magazine: New York Times Style Magazine, Fall 2008
Photographer: Robert Wyatt

Source: NYTimes

Eugenia Mandzhieva, Du Juan & Hye Park Editorial for Time Magazine's Style & Design Issue, Fall 2008

Time Magazine recently released its annual Style & Design issue and included in this year's compilation is an article on the emergence Asian models in the international fashion scene. An editorial (actually, it's just one photo) that accompanied the article features Eugenia Mandzhieva, Du Juan and Hye Park in white dresses and gold sandals. There is also a compendium video on Time Magazine's website, Time Video, which has better photos/images than the one published in the magazine.

Eugenia Mandzhieva, one of my favorite Asian models, is actually of Russian nationality. Despite her amazing cat-like look, her career has not matched those of other top Asian models. I believe this is, in part due to the fact that Eugenia does not have China Vogue or Korea Vogue backing her career like those of Du Juan and Hye Park respectively. Du Juan is a regular on China Vogue and Hye Park is on almost every issue of Korea Vogue. The support and media exposure they get from those magazines helped push their careers up to the next level. In contrast, Eugenia Mandzhieva has only appeared on the cover of Russian Vogue once and that was in June 2007.

Eugenia Mandzhieva's most significant exposure has been on the runways of New York, Milan and Paris. Unfortunately, it has not translated to major success in terms of editorial pages or/and ad campaigns. Most of her print work has been for foreign publications like China Vogue (March 2008) and Korea Vogue (??). Lately, she has also been doing a lot of catalog shoots and appearing in ad campaigns in the US, specifically for SimplyVera by Vera Wang (Fall 2007) and Uniqlo (Fall 2008).

N.B.: The full text of the Time Magazine article is posted on this companion blog, Fashion Intellect.

Models: Eugenia Mandzhieva, Du Juan & Hye Park
Editorial: Color Lines on the Catwalk
Magazine: Time Magazine, Style & Design Issue, Fall 2008
Photographer: George Lange

Source: George Lange Photo

Xiaoyi Dai Test Shots for Elite Models, Fall 2008

Xiaoyi Dai is undoubtedly my favorite new model of the season. Okay, she isn't new-new because she was signed with NEXT Models in 2007 and that relationship went nowhere. But since Elite Models took her under their wings a couple months ago, she's starting to book more jobs here in the US and in Asia. She even has a profile on New York Magazine's model list.

Xiaoyi Dai has a new cover in the October 2008 issue of Singapore Style and I'm hunting high and low for a good quality scan of the photo. Does anyone know someone who knows someone else who has a copy of that magazine?

Here are some AMAZING test shots of Xiaoyi Dai done a couple months ago for Elite Models. She looks spectacular!! Did I say, she's my favorite new model this season? Oh yeah, I did.

Model: Xiaoyi Dai
Photographer: Unknown

Source: Elite

Han Jin Editorial for Another Magazine, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Han Jin from South Korea has been the dominant Asian model on the runways of New York, Milan and Paris since her debut in Fall 2006/Winter 2007. She usually averaged over 50 shows per season (excluding the extra shows she does during couture and resort weeks), which translates to over 100 shows per year. During the Fall 2007/Winter 2008 season alone, she appeared in 64 shows. That is quite a feat for any model, not just for an Asian girl. [Note: Liu Wen of China did more shows than Han Jin this season.]

Han Jin's superstar status on the runways, however has not gained her much editorial work or ad campaign in New York, Paris or Milan. She is, nonetheless extremely popular in South Korea where she appears regularly in Korea Vogue and Korea Harper's Bazaar. Outside of South Korea, her work is harder to come by.

In the last seven seasons since her ascension to the top of the modeling world, Han Jin has booked only three international ad campaigns. The first was a solo effort for Anna Molinari in Fall 2006/Winter 2007 shot by Craig McDean. That ad campaign was hideous and a disaster; it almost destroyed her career. The following season, Han Jin booked an ad campaign with Italian mass retailer, Benetton shot by David Sims. In the ad, she was covered from head to toe in a giant hooded parka that obscured her face and concealed her identity. Her final international ad campaign was for Moschino in Fall 2007/Spring 2008 shot by Peter Lindberg. Although the campaign was beautifully done, it rarely appeared in magazines. Furthermore, there were six other Asian models in that single shot campaign.

So what went wrong? How does a beautiful girl who ruled the runways ended up with so few major work outside of Korea? I think part of the problem is that Han Jin was not getting adequent representation (in my opinion) by her agency outside of Korea. If she had signed with better agencies like Elite or IMG, her career would have taken a more successful turn.

Despite the lack of international ad campaigns (that's where the money really is, folks), Han Jin is still doing extremely well, thank you very much. Her runway appearances alone probably earned her an estimated half a million US dollars per year for the last three years. She also has numerous projects (a reality TV show) and ad campaigns in South Korea that will keep her living well for a very long time.

Here is Han Jin in an untitled editorial for the British publication, Another Magazine (Fall/Winter 2008) shot by Craig McDean. This 24-page editorial stars 11 different models and Han Jin is on the first and only page. Unfortunately (AGAIN), she was plastered with so much make-up that it rendered her almost unrecognizable.

Model: Han Jin
Editorial: Untitled
Magazine: (British) Another Magazine, Fall 2008/Winter 2009
Photographer: Craig McDean
Stylist: Marie Amelie Sauve

Source: Alien Sex Fiend @ tFs

Xiaoyi Dai Magazine Covers

First off, I would like to say THANK YOU to Sabrina Dong from Beijing, China for e-mailing these high quality scans (the first three photos) of Xiaoyi Dai's magazine covers. Secondly, I will including the names of the designers/labels whose clothes are worn on the covers together with the other credits at the bottom of each photo.

Now let's talk about the magazine covers. I am so in love with the covers for (Singapore) Her World, September 2008 and (Hong Kong) Harper's Bazaar, February 2008. I even love the pink font used on the title of Her World magazine. The dress in Harper's Bazaar is awesome on Xiaoyi Dai. Does anyone know who is the designer of that red number?

The (Singapore) Style cover, on the other hand, is a little too polished and PhotoShopped for my taste. It isn't as original as the other covers, which is a surprise because (Singapore) Style is supposedly one of the best fashion magazines in Asia. I don't particularly like the (Singapore) Female magazine cover either. The girls were styled to resemble YSL's Fall 2008/Winter 2009 runway look while wearing (surprise!!) YSL -- how predictable is that?

I'm glad Xiaoyi Dai is getting the exposure she deserves. Let's hope the work in Asia will translate to bigger and better things out West.

Model: Xiaoyi Dai
Attire: Prada, Fall 2008/Winter 2009
Magazine: Singapore Her World, September 2008
Photographer: Unknown

Model: Xiaoyi Dai
Attire: Stefano Pilati for YSL, Fall 2008/Winter 2009
Magazine: Singapore Style, October 2008
Photographer: Unknown

Model: Xiaoyi Dai & Unknown Model
Attire: Stefano Pilati for YSL, Fall 2008/Winter 2009
Magazine: Singapore Female, September 2008
Photographer: Unknown

Model: Xiaoyi Dai
Attire: Marc Jacobs, Spring 2008?
Magazine: Hong Kong Harper's Bazaar, February 2008
Photographer: Unknown

Source: Photos 1-3 from Sabrina Dong and Photo 4 from Ryan Elite Models

Du Juan Editorial for Italian Vogue, September 2006

I found this beautiful editorial of Du Juan for Italian Vogue, September 2006 shot by Peter Lindbergh in Las Vegas. At first glance, I thought it was done by Laurie Bartley whose photos are always saturated with intense colors.

Du Juan looks amazing here, especially in Photo 1. She does that pout better than anyone else in the business. Being the #1 Asian model in the world, Du Juan has done it all...well, almost. She has appeared in ad campaigns for some of the best designers in the world. Her first major ad campaign was for YSL in Spring/Summer 2006 shot by Juergen Teller. That was followed the next season with three major ad campaigns for Louis Vuitton (shot by Mert & Marcus), Roberto Cavalli, and Swarovski. Along the way, she added more appearances to her coffers for mass retailers like GAP, JCrew and Benetton. Then in Fall 2008/Winter 2009, she scored another trifecta of campaigns with appearances in Giorgio Armani, David Yurman and H&M.

In terms of magazine covers, she is the first and only Asian model to have graced the cover of Paris Vogue (October 2005). On top of that, there are dozens of other covers for Vogue (China, Taiwan), Harper's Bazaar (Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia), Elle (Hong Kong, Singapore, China), L'Officiel (Hong Kong), Marie Claire (China), French Revue de Modes, French Jalouse and many more that I haven't documented here. What next? Will Anna Wintour have the guts to put Du Juan on the cover of US Vogue? Will Italian Vogue be doing an ALL ASIAN issue?

But with Liu Wen, the up-and-coming Chinese model nipping at her heels, Du Juan days as the top Chinese model may be numbered. But she has paved the way for many more Asian models to take her place.

Model: Du Juan
Editorial: One Night in Las Vegas
Magazine: Italian Vogue, September 2008
Photographer: Peter Lindbergh

Source: FotoDecadent

Jeanine Chin Editorial for (French) SOON Magazine #2, Summer 2007

I have always been a huge supporter of new models in the industry so I was super excited when I "discovered" Jeanine Chin. Jeanine Chin from Taiwan is signed with Angels Models Management in Paris and has been modeling for a couple of years, mostly in Asia and Europe. I first noticed her a couple months ago when she fronted this season's ad campaign for Vivienne Tam. I think it was her first appearance in the US.

Model: Jeanine Chin
Editorial: Vanish Flowers
Magazine: (French) SOON Magazine #2 (Summer 2007)
Photographer: Unknown

Source: Soon Magazine

Hyun Yi Lee Editorial for Korea Marie Claire, October 2008

Hyun Yi Lee, the latest model to come out of South Korea, is steadily climbing up the ranks of the international fashion scene. After signing with Major Model Management in the US earlier this year, she appeared in 9 shows (can someone confirm that?) during her first season in New York City. Last month during the Spring/Summer 2009 season, she walked in 14 shows including an important opening spot for NY-based designer, Koi Suwannagate. In addition, she scored a big coup when she was listed as one of the up-and-coming models of the season in L'Officiel France magazine in May 2008. Added to her expanding portfolio are two Korea Vogue covers (May 2008, July 2008) with Han Jin and Daul Kim and recently, a solo cover on Korea Marie Claire (Oct 2008).

A lot of comparisons have been made on the careers of Hyun Yi Lee and her compatriot, Hyoni Kang, who won the Ford Supermodel of the World competition in January 2008. Both girls came on to the international scene at the same time. With her title, Hyoni Kang received a one-year ($250,000) contract with Ford Models and has since been living in New York City with occasional trips to Korea for fashion shoots. Hyun Yi Lee, on the other hand, is still based in Seoul, Korea and only comes over to New York City and Europe for work purposes. Because of that, Hyoni Kang has appeared almost exclusively with NY-based publications while Hyun Yi Lee appears mostly in Korean magazines. [N.B.: I think Hyoni Kang's Supermodel of the World contract does not allow her to work (too much) outside of NYC except during fashion week because her agency won't get as much money if she booked jobs through other agencies in Europe and Asia.]

Aside from the different career paths, both girls also have very different looks. Hyun Yi Lee has a more distinctive look -- lean and tall with the most amazing neck in the modeling industry, in my opinion. Her face and body are more suited towards high fashion editorial work. Hyoni Kang, on the other hand, has that classic Teen Vogue and Elle Girl look that appeals more to mass retailers and will therefore, do well in that market.

The future trajectory of both models remains to be seen as the next season approaches. Hyoni Kang will be giving up her title as Supermodel of the World in January 2009 and may lose the solid representation of her agency. Ford Models will undoubted keep her on their roster but the agent who supervised her career will have a new girl to groom and push out onto the international scene. Will her new agent be as successful as the one currently managing her? Hyun Yi Lee will probably continue to be represented by Major Model Management (unless a bigger agency comes along and pouches her away) but to what end will Major Model put its resources to push her career to the next level. Only the future can tell.

Now, let talk about the wonderful editorial below. I love the mood of the entire set here. Hyun Yi Lee did an excellent job conveying the darkness and the mystery of the clothes without losing herself in the photos. I mean, it's about the clothes after all but the model still needs to look like she's there in the photos. I have seen so many editorials where the crazy clothes and makeup eat up the model until there is nothing left of the girl to look at. [Example: see Han Jin's editorial for (British) Another Magazine, Fall 2008.] Conversely, the models can also be so distracting that nobody looks at the clothes anymore -- this happens a lot when magazines use Hollywood celebrities instead of professional models. Yes, Anna I'm talking about you.

That said, my favorite shots in the editorial have to be Photos #2 to #6. Hyun Yi Lee's facial structure is simply spectacular -- she can cut fabric with her cheeks and chin. I have to admit, I wasn't a huge fan of hers when she appeared on the scene during the Spring/Summer 2008 Fashion Week in New York City. The designers she walked for did not know how to use her body and height so she ended up looking like Big Bird on Sesame Street. But she definitely looked great on the runways this season. And she is one of my favorite new models right now. I'm really excited to see where her career goes from here on out.

Model: Hyun Yi Lee
Editorial: The Dark Knight
Magazine: Korea Marie Claire, October 2008
Photographer: Zo Sun Hee

Source: DCM Models

Halloween- The Galliano Way

On the topic of Halloween, we must not forget our favourite showman of all, John Galliano. When it comes to putting on a great statement, there is no one quite like him. Going through his FW08 runway, I've pegged the drama down to two elements: crazy hatwear/hair and crazy make-up.
So maybe there is no rationale behind most of these, but hey, it's time to be creative!
This could be the dead sea captain perhaps?
The show girl. And check out the amazing, vibrant make-up! Talk about drama. Not sure about the lump on her head (looks a bit like a tumor), but am loving the gold spikes!

Image Source: Style.com

Comme des Garçons for H&M, Fall 2008

Does anyone know the ID of this model in this Comme des Garçons for H&M Ad?

Model: Unknown
Ad Campaign: Comme des Garçons for H&M, Fall 2008
Photographer: Unknown

Source: Nitrolicious

Zhu Lin & Zhang Xu Chao Editorial

Here is IMG's latest acquisition from China -- Zhu Lin. The 5' 11.5" tall model was signed with the agency earlier this season but her first season in New York City was not very successful. Nonetheless, this editorial below shows how spectacular she looks. She reminds me a little of Mo Wandan but with a longer, leaner frame. [Mo Wandan also did a few closeup beauty editorials that looked somewhat like this.] The makeup and hair in the editorial are topnotch. The photography and editing here are also some of the best I've seen for a beauty ad. Can you imagine Lancôme or Estée Lauder using her in their beauty ads?

Photos #1 and #2 are my favorite of the bunch. It's so interesting to see how the cat eye makeup made her eyes larger than they really are. And look at the length of her neck!! Models with the best bodies usually have unusually long necks and legs, especially the calves (between the knees and ankles), and a short torso (high hips), like Han Jin, who was reported to have the best body in the industry.

Zhang Xu Chao in Photos #3 and #4 is a new Chinese model who recently shot a magazine cover with Singapore Style Magazine. She is definitely someone to look out for in the future.

Does anyone know where these photos are from? Is this a magazine editorial or a beauty ad? Who is the photographer? I want to provide as much information as possible so everyone can get credit for their wonderful work.

Model: Zhu Lin (Photos 1, 2 & left in 5 & 6) and Zhang Xu Chao (Photos 3, 4 and right in 5 & 6)
Editorial: Unknown
Magazine: Unknown
Photographer: Unknown

Source: tFs