Chinese Models Act As ‘Ambassadresses’ of Beauty

In the not too distant past, fashion modeling as we know it in the western world did not even exist in China. China only held its first fashion show in 1979 when Pierre Cardin presented a dozen French models to a crowd of Maoists at the Cultural Palace of Minorities in Beijing. But since that time, and especially in the last decade, the fashion industry in China has grown exponentially.

As Style.com reports, the growth in the fashion industry in the far East has propelled a group of Chinese models to fame and acclaim. Models such as Du Juan, Liu Wen, Xiao Wen Ju, and Xi Mengyao, to name a few, are challenging standards of beauty both at home in China and in the Western world.

When Du Juan graced the covers of Vogue China and Paris Vogue in 2005, she opened the door for many to follow. She remembers being the only Asian model present at Chanel’s Spring 2006 Couture show, and that people there could not place where she was from.

“So many backstage photographers would ask me if I was from Japan or Korea,” Du Juan said, adding that telling people that she hailed from China made her feel “so proud.”

According to Jezebel’s New York Fashion Week racial diversity report, the number of Asian models nearly doubled from 2008 to 2013, jumping from 5.4% to 10.1%. Givenchy showed its Spring 2011 Couture collection with an entirely Asian cast of models. Clearly, the profile of Asians has risen in the fashion industry and models from China have been instrumental in that shift.

This higher profile not only exposes the world to more diverse conceptions of beauty, but has also changed the way some models view themselves. A wide eye is highly valued in a go-see in mainland China, forcing models like Xiao Wen Ju to use double-sided tape and make-up techniques to make her eyes appear wider. Modeling outside of China challenged her perception of her appearance, and ultimately convinced her to present herself as she is. “Before I came [to New York],” Xiao Wen Ju say, “I wanted to change who I was, but now I really love it.”

And so does he world of fashion. Xiao Wen Ju has gone on to world-wide fame, walking for such industry powerhouses as DKNY, Phillip Lim, and Louis Vuitton. She is also the first model of Chinese to descent to be the face of Marc Jacobs when she landed the spring campaign in 2012. To read more about the increasing prevalence of Chinese fashion modeling, check out the original story at Style.com. Photo of Xiao Wen Ju by Christopher Macsurak