Models Of Colour: Asian Models

Following the recent post about African Models, let's focus today on Asian Models and their situation in modelling industry.

Fashion industry realizes the importance of diversity and choice.
We start noticing exciting things happening; over the last few years there is a whole generation of Asian Super Models showing up in Western and European Fashion Capitals.

In the past, model agencies in New York, Paris, London and Milan preferred to represent only one or two Asian girls, but now their presence is becoming more and more obvious. Today, Asian models are starting to change the world’s definition of beauty. If in the past they used to be featured only as representative of their community in Gap and Benetton ad campaigns. These days they are featured as super models in the Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue US ,Vogue Paris, Numero, Elle and many others. 

Asian women are climbing the rank of the modeling world as names like Liu Wen, Tao Okamoto and Shu Pei win high-profile runway spots and ad campaigns.

Twenty-three year-old Wen, born in China's Hunan province, is the first of East Asian descent to walk a Victoria's Secret fashion show. In 2010 she became the first Asian face of cosmetics giant Estee Lauder.

One of the leading Asian faces is Du Juan (see pic below) , an ex ballerina from Shanghai. Du became the first Asian to grace the cover of French Vogue. She also has appeared in advertising campaigns for Armani, Gap, Anna Sui, Uniqlo, H&M.

People do pay attention to those changes and try to embrace the asian models in modelling industries:

http://xxgirls-asianmodels.blogspot.com/

http://asianmodelsblog.blogspot.com/

Asian Beauty and Fashion Magazines

Asiana-Top asian fashion mag

Asian Woman

Agencies for Asian Models

http://www.asianrunway.com/

http://www.caramelmodels.co.uk/

http://www.mahoganymodelmanagement.com/

However to apply to some of the agencies you will need professional photos to submit while creating your application. If you need help with prepapring your pressional modelling portfolio click here. 

Enter A Competition Miss Asian Model 2012


Some observers see the embrace of Asian models as a strategy toward tapping into the booming Chinese retail markets. According to ABC, the Asian cosmetics sector is poised to become the world's largest.

Have a look at the graph showing diversity of models in 2010 in fashion shows

Models Of Colour: African Models

We've already mentioned a modelling competition called Top Model Of Colour however we would like to  write more about this part of modelling industry and give you some useful links and tips to follow as well.

By models of colour we mean models that are of African, Caribbean, Asian, Hispanic, Oriental, bi & multi racial ethnicity. 

In this post we would like to focus on  posibilities for African Models in the modelling industry within the UK.

Apart from applying to universal modelling agencies, there are some agencies which are specialized in hiring African Models only or Models of Colour. The African Models are getiing more and more popular to be hired for catwalks and fashion shows.
See below the agencies for non-white models.
However to apply to these agencies you will need professional photos to submit while creating your application. If you need help with prepapring your pressional modelling portfolio click here. 

Modelling Agency for African models

http://www.africanmodel.com/

Agency for multi racial ethnicity models

http://www.mahoganymodelmanagement.com/

Sola Oyebade, chief executive of Mahogany Model Management, has been running a Facebook, text and email campaign in an attempt to make the 'black'  issue the biggest-selling Vogue ever (the issue was published in 2008)  'We believe there's industry apartheid and this is something that the black community does feel very strongly about. I've had so many calls from people asking where they can get their hands on a copy. I've had shops like Harvey Nichols ring me up, telling me we're causing them a lot of problems with supply, so we've been liaising with them, too. Our fashion industry is institutionally racist. The explanation for why they don't use black models is always that we don't sell, but this shows that's not true. Black people are among the highest consumer spenders in the UK for material goods.' - she said.

We've already mentioned a Modelling Contest called Top Model Of Colour which is organized for African, Caribbean, Hispanic, Oriental, African, Asian & Dual heritage ethnicity.
Top Model of Colour competition is providing models with exposure to the modelling industry. Most of the candidates are from UK, Europe and Africa.

You can read more about it here

It might be useful to have a look at  Ebony magazine  as well as The Special Vogue Pages

African models at catwalk for spring 2012

More about Top African Models

http://www.demotix.com/hub/african-models

Have a look at this article about Donyale Luna, The First Black Model To Cover Vogue UK
as well as African Models appearing in fashion magazines in Russia, UK and USA 

Model Competitions For Aspiring Models

Entering a model competition might be a good idea to skyrocket your modelling career. If you're successful you will get a contract and could start your modelling career straight away. It's good if you're prepared for that, know what to do, how to pose etc. 

You may do the training during the test shoot at Candi Models...

Anyway as there are many contests you can find on the web and not all of them are the real ones we would like to present you the most prestigious ones and well knows that you could enter.

1. Elite Model Look

This is an international contest which gives you an opportunity to be noticed by the biggest players in the industry - the designers, agents, stylists and photographers that will guide you and help you with your career. The winners of this competition have appeared on fashion shows around the world and were on covers of major fashion magazines. All thanks to Elite Model Look experience.

The contest has been created in 1983 and has become an international, prestigious event for aspiring models. Every year elite model look team travels around the world to find the top models of the future.

2. Make Me The Next Model

Competition being organised each year by Next company - one of Britain’s most popular brands in association with Storm Model agency. Next is looking for male and female models to sign contract with them. The winners get 2000 pounds worth Next Gift Cards, introduction to Storm Model Agency and a chance to start in a next photo shoot. The 2011 contest has been closed now so we have to wait for the openings of 2012 which should be any time soon! You just need to register on their website and the online public will choose the candidates. Top 250 will be invited to London for a special one-day course at Next's Runway Academy. Then the judges will choose top 50 which will proceed to the Grand Final of the competition.

3. Top Model UK

The finalists are selected from 1,000's of entries from different backgrounds, all hoping to get a chance to start a professional career on runways and fashion shows. Being a finalist is already a great experience as the candidates need to cope with media, press, the professional training is given as well as choreography and all the contacts within the industry.

4. Britain and Ireland's Next Top Model

To enter this competition you need to have the right to live or work in Britain and you must meet the height requirement of 5'8", and be between the ages of 18-23. Even if you don't win the competition you still can get a change to appear in fashion industry as this competition is a TV show so you can be discovered by someone not exclusively from the programme's team. You will have a chance to meet super models (like Ellen Mcpherson) and other celebrities which are members of the jury.

5. Top Model Of Colour

Top Model of Colour International (TMC) is a modelling competition, which is now in its 7th year and is open to models from across the world, whom are of African, Caribbean, Hispanic, Oriental, African, Asian & Dual heritage ethnicity. Top Model of Colour competition is providing models with exposure to the modelling industry. Top Model of Colour is the only competition of its kind in the UK, Europe & Africa and it receives thousands of applications each year from hopefuls vying to be Top Model of Colour in their respective countries. The reach of Top Model of Colour is extremely diverse, not only nationally spread throughout the UK with both female and male contestants, but it is also taking place in a number of other countries across the world, including the Netherlands, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Cameroon and the Gambia, with many more soon to join. Top Model of Colour runs every year and is opened to female and male models aged between 18 – 30 years of age and a minimum height of 5.1”. 

Creator of Top Model of Colour, Sola Oyebade said: “Based on the modelling industry in the UK and across the world currently, there is no doubt that the industry generally has not yet realised, or is not yet willing to accept the need for employing and using more models of colour in their advertising campaigns. Top Model of Colour will continually play a pivotal role in promoting models of colour and to be a catalyst for change in the industry”.