Modeling Journey

V Magazine's Asia issue is due to hit newsstands on the 12th of May with Lady Gaga appearing on the cover photographed by Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. Ten percent of the proceeds of sales will go towards the Japan relief effort. The issue features a stunning editorial with the modelling's top Asian talent. Liu Wen, Fei Fei Sun, Shu Pei Qin and Tao Okamoto transform into modern day vixens under the masterful lens of Terry Tsiolis. Newcomers Ming Xi, Sui He and Bonnie Chen also appear in editorials shot by Nick Knight, Glen Luchford and Sebastien Faena respectively. It is truly amazing to see so many top models of Asian descent showcased in one issue. Let's hope that the recent smattering of editorials featuring all-Black and all-Asian casts is not just a gimmick and that models of colour become the norm rather than the exception in the higher echelons of the modelling world.

A new wave of Asian models are redefining the industry's standards of beauty at the Fall/Winter 2011 shows. Chinese model Bonnie Chen was discovered at the age of sixteen in the Elite Model Look of the Year. Modelling only part-time during school holidays, Chen placed modelling on hold to pursue a degree in Psychology in the US. Now aged twenty one, Chen reveals in an interview with Pony Ryder that "My life changed after I entered college, I started to explore the international culture and understand fashion in a more intellectual level. I think my education has definitely helped me to re-identify myself in the fashion industry and shape my career in the longer term." 

Represented by Next Models in New York, Chen stands at 178 cm in height and has delicate almond shaped eyes, bee stung lips framed by a heart shaped face. Formerly a rhythmic gymnastics national champion, Chen has a grace of movement that is evident on the runway. Chen's presence was felt at ADAM, Badgely Mishkaa, Christian Siriano, Dennis Basso, Halston, Kevork Kiledjian, Monique L'Huillier, Nanette Lepore, Issa and Prabal Gurung. Chen has been photographed by Steven Meisel and Patrick Demarchelier for US Vogue and appears in the Fall/Winter 2010 Benetton campaign shot by Josh Olins.

In the February edition of US Vogue, Patrick Demarchelier captures Angela Lindvall, Coco Rocha, Anja Rubik, Aminata Niaria, Bonnie Chen and Alessandra Ambrosio and their significant others in a series of candid and intimate portraits. The shots are accompanied by sweet anecdotes of how each couple met and their first date experiences. Demarchelier allows each model to inject her own personality into the frame and the chemistry between the couples make this editorial all the more charming.