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

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

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:The Strip - Pickup Pix

Magazine: T Magazine (New York Times Supplement), Fall 2008

Photographer: Robert Wyatt

Source: NYTimes

Gwen Lu Editorial for French Numéro #15, Spring/Summer 2008

Greg Kadel is one of my favorite photographers so I was glad to find out that Gwen Lu had shot with him for this editorial in (French) Numéro #15, Spring/Summer 2008. Numéro may not be as commercially recognized as Vogue, but it is still one of the more interesting and creative magazines, beloved by many fashion insiders. So for Gwen Lu to appear in (French) Numéro is a big step forward for her and her career.

The simplicity of this shoot and its focus on the clothes make it a huge departure from Gwen's previous work. Makeup artists and stylists love to use a lot of makeup on Asian models -- it's a trend that I have noticed lately. I don't know if it's because Asian facial features are softer and less distinct that make them good canvases for makeup OR they need a lot of makeup to bring the features out in photos. Regardless, the natural look here is superb.

Model: Gwen Lu
Editorial: Nomade
Magazine: (French) Numéro #15, Spring/Summer 2008
Photographer: Greg Kadel
Fashion Editor: Bill Mullen

Source: Elite Models

Du Juan & Emma Pei Editorial for China Vogue, September 2008

Du Juan has been on every issue of China Vogue since June 2008 -- that translates to 5 consecutive months of model domination in that magazine. As much as I love Du Juan, I feel that China Vogue needs to expand its gene pool to include other Asian models, including the non-Chinese girls. Granted, it has featured Ai Tominaga (March 2008), Han Jin and Eugenia Mandzhieva (March 2008) and Juliana Imai (January 2008) but there are many more Asian girls in the world than just Chinese girls. Ditto with Vogue Nippon and Korea Vogue. I think Vogue Nippon and Korea Vogue rarely use other Asian girls except those of their own nationality.

That said, this editorial with Du Juan and Emma Pei shot on the streets of New York City for China Vogue, September 2008 is simply amazing. The clothes are spectacular (BRAVO to the stylist) and the city vibe is breathtakingly real. These photos make DKNY's old ad campaigns look almost amateurish -- DKNY is famous for using New York streets as the background for its ads.

Du Juan is great here as usual but Emma Pei blows me away. She is spotting so many moods and looks here that I feel like I'm seeing three different Emmas in this editorial -- my favorite being EVIL EMMA in Photo #9. Love her death stare!! I am terribly disappointed she is not doing any shows in NY, Milan or Paris this year. Does anyone know why she's missing?

N.B.: This is one of my favorite editorials this year. Am soooo loving the New York scene.

Models: Du Juan & Emma Pei

Editorial: Rush Hour
Magazine: China Vogue, September 2008

Photographer: Hans Feurer
Stylist: Alastair McKimm

Source: Aja via Vogue Models

Du Juan Editorial for China Vogue, October 2008

This editorial from China Vogue's October 2008 issue shows a very different side of Du Juan. Unfortunately, it is not the most exciting editorial by her. In fact, it is mediocre at best. The editorial is still highly stylized (complicated poses) but not as conceptual as the other high fashion shoots we've seen her done.

The look they have given her here is softer, sexier and very sultry. The hair stylist did a great job giving her bangs (is that a wig or did they cut her hair?) and setting them loose with the wind machine. However, if it wasn't for the new hair do, I would not have given this editorial a second look.

Model: Du Juan

Editorial: A Matter of Shape
Magazine: China Vogue, October 2008
Photographer: Liz Collins
Fashion Editor: Tina Laakkonen

Source: Aja via tFs

Gwen Lu & Rila Fukushima Editorial in Elle Accessories, Fall 2008

It seems like Gwen Lu has been booking better and better jobs lately. First, there was the editorial for V Magazine in the July/August 2008 issue featuring Elite Agency's top editorial models -- granted, that was more of a promo for Elite than a real editorial job but it got her some face time in the highly respected magazine. Then she booked an ad campaign with Uniqlo (Fall 2008/Winter 2009) and an editorial in one of the top fashion catalogs in the country, Nordstrom (September 2008). Now she is in Elle Accessories, Fall 2008 -- the sister publication of US Elle Magazine. And she has only been in NYC (and the international market) for 9 months. Not too shabby, if you think about it. Not everyone can be a superstar model like Du Juan or Hye Park.

Rila Fukushima, on the other hand, has been working in NYC since she was discovered by Steven Klein and added to the cast of D&G's Spring/Summer 2004 ad campaign. Supposedly, her hair was dyed blond for that job and it all fell out shortly after the shoot. But she kept the blond locks and it became her signiture look. Her last major appearances have been in ad campaigns for Vera Wang's SimplyVera and Belvedere Vodka, both in Fall 2007/Winter 2008.

Models: Gwen Lu & Rila Fukushima

Editorial: Prime Suspect

Magazine: Elle Accessories, Fall 2008

Photographer: Marcela Krasilcic

Stylist: Jason Farrer @ De Facto

Makeup: Kabuki @ KabukiMagic

Hair: Benjamin Pinon @ See Management

Source: Zinio.com