You guys might have noticed that Caucasian models far outnumber Asian and African models on both the runway and magazines. I can only think of a few ethnic models off the top of my head like Tao Okamoto (Japanese), Tyra Banks, and Naomi Campbell (although they don't model very much anymore). Tao has a unique boyish-chic look that makes her stand out from other Asian models. Tyra and Naomi are what I call “classic” supermodels.
However, I have noticed that there are a bunch of mixed-race models. In fact, in Japan, most models you see in magazines like "ViVi" and "Glamourous" are mixed-race such as Reika Hashimoto and Anna Tsuchiya. Hong Kong also has their fair share of biracial models such as Maggie Q (Vietnamese, American); Rosemary V (Chinese, French,Russian); and Ankie Beilke (Chinese, German). In American modeling, you might have noticed a beautiful, dark-skinned model that is increasingly shown in Victoria's Secret catalogues; her name is Emanuela de Paula and she happens to be a mulata (white/african-brazilian hybrid). Also, the model, Chanel Iman, that has been appearing in almost every fashion magazine possible (even Victoria's Secret) is Blasian (South Korean and African-American).
But this does not mean that if you're mixed, you're going to be automatically scouted or offered work. I happen to belong to Eurasiannation.com (a gathering place for mixed-race peeps and peepsters) and just yesterday, one of my forum-buddies, Ganbare! (a very insightful person), came up with a very good post/question:
“Last evening I have met a Luk Kreung girl [Thai mixed-race] at Starbucks. We talked about pretty trivial stuff until she mentioned she had just returned from Thailand where she had modeled unfortunately for her she couldn't find much work despite being quite stunning and speaking a decent amount of Thai. Apparently pure-blooded Asians similarly to the Korean and Japanese star systems are taking back the front seat there. I'm not very familiar with the entertainment industry in Asia nor in the West honestly.
Is the glamorous image of EAs in the media just a fad?”
Well I hope it isn't “just a fad” because this is very good news for not only mixed raced people like myself, but it shows how the world is gradually accepting and embracing diversity. True, there is a long way to go before it is big news, but we're getting there! All races have beautiful people and it should definitely be shown proudly.
The above "collage" of mixed race models are courtesy of their respective owners. I do not own any of the images.
From top left: Anna Tsuchiya, Emanuela de Paula, Ankie Beilke, Alexa Chung
From center left: Rosemary V, Reika Hashimoto, Claudia Jordan, Maggie Q
From bottom left: Saya Ichikawa, Chanel Iman, Mandy Lieu, Devon Aoki
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