Danica Magpantay, winner of a Cal-Carries Models contract, shows us her off-duty poise.

The world of fashion solely revolves around ever-shifting trends and fresh faces, like that of the just-announced Ford Models Supermodel of the World 2011, Filipina model Danica Magpantay.

Magpantay gives us a taste of her fierceness in an editorial for Preview Jan/Feb 2011.

It was last November when the University of the Philippines Diliman fine arts student strut her way to hail as Ford Models Supermodel of the World Philippines 2010.

Lala Flores (left) is not only a supermodel mom to Magpantay, but a makeup artist to many of the Philippines' models and celebrities like Angel Locsin (right).

Magpantay is a rookie when walking the line, but her catwalk lineage runs strong as she is the descendant of former 1990 Supermodel of the World-Philippine delegate and Asia’s Most Glamorous Model in 1994 Lala Flores.

Charlene "Chat" Almarvez was featured in editorials in publications such as Vogue China, V Magazine, and the New York Times in 2010.

In 2010, another Filipina model, Charlene Almarvez, was the first runner-up behind Latvia’s Katrina Karlina Caune at the 2010 Ford Models Supermodel of the World in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Hello Kitty's canine cousin lives her sparkly, dog days in New York City.

Air Bud, Wallace’s Gromit, Scooby-Doo, and Paris Hilton’s Tinkberbell are all bona fide cuddly celebrities who probably even have their own representatives in Hollywood. Not trailing far along is Rebecca Bonbon, an adopted Parisian bulldog who lives the sweet New Yorker life that entails dining on bonbons, traveling and shopping.

Born in 2005, Rebecca Bonbon owes her posh life to Yuko Shimizu, the same hands that created Sanrio character Hello Kitty 36 years ago.

Bonbon's creator, Yuko Shimizu, retired from Sanrio in 1976 and currently works as a freelance designer.

The rightful owner of Bonbon, Shimizu, worked at Sanrio Co., Ltd. from 1969 to 1976 after she graduated from Musashino Art University in Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan. She drew inspiration from the cats in Through the Looking Glass and decided to sketch the former Hello Kitty we now know and love. Soon Shimizu left the company  to start a family of her own. And now, as an independent designer, she introduces Hello Kitty’s canine cousin to Hollywood.

The Bonbon merch has been seen on It girls such as Ashley Tisdale, Kim Kardashian, and Olivia Munn, shown here.

Enamored yet? We’re giving away a giant goody bag filled with decadent wintry items just released for the pup’s holiday line. It includes a v-neck with rhinestones, scarf, wallet, hat, gloves, beanie, and earmuffs. It’s a giveaway anyone would surely want to have their hands (or paws on). For a taste and look into the luxurious life of Rebecca Bonbon, comment on three different posts on AudreyMagazine.com and tell us which posts you commented on. (You must have a U.S. mailing address to win!)

The faux snakeskin tote bag could be one of the many goodies you could win!

Rebecca Bonbon made its American launch in 2010, so to guarantee merch for yourself, you can visit your local Kmart, Sears, or the official Rebecca Bonbon website here: http://www.usarebeccabonbon.com/.

There are so many talented Asians in America that it’s become difficult to shine light on each and every one of them. Hollywood seems to be the best at doing so. But there are far more unchartered territories, like the rest of L.A. County or even local grocers. At times, the exposure given to some stars is too repetitive just as with sensationalistic news. Instead, I’ve made a search effort to locate some talented and hardworking Asians in the backdrop of all the glory.

We often only hear the tales of those who’ve made it, even though many eventually hit rock bottom. For one super student, however, he’s used an oppressive past to sort his goals out to be in the process of achieving his dreams.

Remember this face; you just may be seeing it on the big screen soon. Yoshua “Yoshi” Sudarso.

Yoshua “Yoshi” Sudarso is an ethnically Chinese Indonesian native who moved to the U.S. in 1997 with his family at the age of 9 to escape the religious riots between the Muslims and the Christians. Now 21, he currently attends college, though he and his younger brother, Peter, had rough beginnings as they were enrolled in school at a later time and learned English through The Cartoon Network. As non-native English speakers, they even faced bullying up until high school.

“I use the negativity that people throw at me to turn it into motivation to grow and be a better version of myself, and of course, I ask for God’s help because I can’t do this on my own,” says Yoshi. “I can’t wait to see where He takes me in my life.”

In the works

Yoshi has a full plate with stunts, modeling, cheer, dancing and acting, among some of his many “hobbies.” He just finished Cal State Long Beach’s musical version of Nine, walked the runway for the 2nd annual Freedom and Fashion show, and stunt-doubled for the Blue Lightspeed Power Ranger, Mike Chaturantabut. “These are my recent projects, but I’m always working on my own stuff, too: filming with friends and doing student films to get closer to my goal.”

Life’s mission

He takes on a real-life Power Ranger role because he’d like to eventually morph stunt doubling and acting into an action star career.

Idols

Just as high as his kicks, he aims to be at the same level as Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan who’s infiltrated into Hollywood. “I have many figures that I look up to, but the main one has got to be Jackie Chan, as cliché as that is. He is so diverse and creative, just to be able to work with him would be amazing.”

Persuasion

“Don’t ever give up. Every time you fail, it’s a chance to grow and make yourself better. Learn from it and stay positive!”

Check out some of his moves here:

Americans can dilute the origins of any creation by umphing up the volume to the next level. Just look at the U.S. version of BBC’s television series The Office (partly created by Ricky Gervais who just hosted The Golden Globes).

Then, there’s freedom fries, melted milkshake-looking cappuccino, and drug-induced Skins.

Meet the new Skins cast member, baby-faced Camille Crescencia-Mills

MTV premiered the U.S. version of Skins last Monday. The television series follows the nine lives of a disorderly and mismatched group of teenagers, including part-Filipina Camille Crescencia-Mills(above) as boobsy Daisy Valero, who live the typical party wreck of a juvenile lifestyle that takes Degrassi to the next exponential degree. There’s problems, problems and only more problems due to drugs, partying, school, relationships and growing up in general.

The UK teen-hit is where actors such as Nicholas Hoult (About A Boy) continued his career and where British Indian Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire) jumpstarted his career, and who knows what future (and mayhem) the U.S. ultra fresh cast has in store.

We’re totally appreciating the extra color Camille and Indian-Canadian cast-mate Ron Mustafaa will be adding to the mix and hoping that they will be more than 2-dimensional side characters.  Crescencia-Mills’ character intro looks promising:

Tune in to MTV on Mondays at 10 p.m. ET to catch the insanity.

This week’s giveaways are made for the modern woman who is always multitasking. FUMI’s Bracelet PurseHook and Scarlett are not only multi-functional, they provide solutions to everyday problems.

The Bracelet PurseHook is an alloy metal triple threat — a bangle for your wrist, a cool accessory to hang on your purse, and a purse hook that keeps your bag (up to 20 pounds) from touching the floor at restaurants, bars, even restrooms. Snap it on your wrist in the morning, and then use it as a purse hook during lunch with the girls. After you’ve paid your bill, snap it back on your wrist. (No lugging around in your already heavy purse!) They have a variety of styles from of-the-moment leopard to lizard to minimalist silver.

The Fumi Bracelet PurseHook in Glamorous.

FUMI also created the Scarlett, a microfiber sunglasses cleaner that clips to your purse strap for easy access. It comes in a bunch of hot prints so it looks cool hanging off your bag. And with almost three dozen different prints to choose from, you can update any bag with a fun, pretty print.

The Scarlett in leopard print adds a hint of cool to any bag.

FUMI, which stands for Fashionable, Unique, Multifunctional, and Innovation, is a design company started in 2007 that offers fashionable and multipurpose products ranging from jewelry to accessories. And now FUMI is offering Audrey readers a 10% discount on online orders. Just use discount code FUMI2010SPEC.

Of course, one Audrey reader will win a free Pewter Fumi Pursehook and the Scarlett in Black Versache. All you have to do is comment below by Wednesday January 12, 11:59 pm, and you might be the lucky winner!

FUMI Bracelet PurseHook in Pewter.

As always, you must have a U.S. mailing address to win. Good luck!

YouTube has allowed us a glimpse into the world of gifted musicians and comedians who perform in the comfort of their own homes. Those who have had some success in more mainstream platforms include makeup guru Michelle Phan (who’s now makes makeup videos for Lancome), AJ Rafael (who tried out for American Idol), and Kevin Wu (who most recently starred in The Amazing Race), but that hasn’t stopped them from continuing to stream online. To pass on the stream, here’s a toast to the YouTube stars we know and love from 2010.

Joseph Vincent’s acoustic soul and Filipino American baby face continue to make girls and boys alike swoon, especially after his appearance on The Ellen Degeneres show last April.

Peter Chao delivers somewhat of the Chinese version of the Ken Jeong persona with his focus on societal and pop culture issues like bullying, Megan Fox’s hotness and PDA. As the number 1 and 2 Most Viewed in Canada of all time, Chao will be touring south to Washington and California in January 2011.

Her smooth strokes and smooth voice has landed Michelle Phan a Lancome career as the company’s first video makeup artist. Her makeup tutorials are made easy and accessible for millions of viewers, whether it’s Lady Gaga’s latest look or something more for everyday.

L.A. local Jason Chen, number 38 Most Viewed on Youtube for December, has been swooping the scene over the recent months. His covers, including Bruno Mars’ “Grenade” created on Garageband and Logic Studio, are now available on iTunes.

Who are your favorite YouTube stars? Tell us and you just might see them in Audrey!

With the year winding down, Audrey Magazine is looking back at some of the Asian American greats of 2010, in everything from fashion to entertainment. Here, we highlight a few of the Asian American bloggers who have attained serious industry recognition.

A generation ago, Asian influences in the fashion industry was limited to a handful, like fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto and supermodel Anna Bayle, to name a few. Now Asians aren’t just plentiful, they’re dominating the world of fashion — from fashion designers like Alexander Wang and Jason Wu, to models like Liu Wen and Chanel Iman. And it isn’t just industry insiders. The biggest fashion influencers these days are the bloggers. Here, we look at three of the biggies of 2010.

Bryanboy, third from left, watches the Dolce & Gabanna spring/summer 2010 show in Milan along with front rowers like Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. (Asian American photographer and blogger Tommy Ton, far right, also graces the front row.)

Manila, Philippines native Bryanboy (Bryan Grey-Yambao) seems to have it all: the clothes, traveling expenditures, model men, fashion icon friends, and of course, thousands of blog readers. Since his blog’s birth in 2007, he has become one of the virtual world’s real-life celebrities, earning him front row seats next to people in charge like Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour. A recent article from New York Magazine reveals Bryanboy’s annual earnings here.

Fashion Toast (Rumi Neely) is a hapa Japanese American, San Diego local who has recently been swapping real time with Bryanboy. The two seem like an inseparable fashionista duo, part of the new web of cyber celebs. Neely recently modeled for the Forever 21 campaign and collaborated with DANNIJO in creating a six-piece jewelry line for Tobi.com. Her modelesque frame and exotic looks don’t look too bad either in her dynamic blog photos.

The Showmanship (Ingrid Holm) is a Filipina-Norwegian model who has mastered the art of photographing her daily looks in the comforts of her own room. She also has trendy buddies and a classy look.

Cheers to the best blogs of the year. It seems as if behind every great blog is a star.

Rachael Chong has a quality about her that sparks attention, and it’s just more than her first name’s unusual spelling. The ethnically Chinese, Australian-born, full-time nomad is the founder and CEO of Catchafire, an online platform and volunteer movement that just launched this year.

Chong describes the site as an eHarmony for the professionals and non-profits. Catchafire helps non-profit organizations save thousands of dollars by matching it with skilled volunteers who want to help a good cause.

Rachael Chong, a former investment banker, has a Master's of Public Policy from Duke University and graduated magna cum laude from Barnard College, Columbia University.

The flame was lit when Chong, who helped start up BRAC-USA, noticed that skills-based volunteer opportunities were difficult to find online. Instead, she decided to take the initiative into her own hands. She talked to hundreds of volunteer places around New York and discovered that most needed help within fields like marketing, communications, finance and human resources.

Catchafire has ignited, and it’s their goal to raise $1 million in volunteer service between November 1 and January 31. It’s currently at about $200,000, so volunteer your skills today.

To find out how, visit: www.catchafire.org/.

The House of Representatives voted today on a bill that would allow undocumented students, including those of Asian descent, a path to citizenship via  higher education or military enlistment.

The Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act (DREAM Act) is a proposal for undocumented high school graduates who want to continue on to higher education or the military and have good moral character. For these students, conditional permanent residence could be obtained. In terms of Asian students, one in 10 are covered by the DREAM Act, while 65,000 eligible high school students graduate each year.

The Senate must next take up a vote on the DREAM Act, possibly as early as tomorrow. If it passes there, America could remain a land of opportunity for its millions of immigrants. After all, it’s our diversity that unites us.

“We urge Congress to give these outstanding young people the chance to give back to America,” said Stewart Kwoh, president and executive director of the Asian Pacific American Legal Center. In addition, Asian American student leaders from about 60 universities across the nation have been sending letters to Congress urging members to pass the DREAM Act before the end of the year. Last week the Congressional Budget Office reported that the legislation would generate $2.3 billion in tax revenue over a 10 span of years.

The DREAM Act seems to strike the right balance in the contentious issue of illegal immigration by focusing on higher education as both a human right and a privilege.

For more information on the DREAM Act, please visit: http://dreamact.info/students.

Where do you stand on this issue? Are you for the DREAM Act, or is it just in our dreams?

Michelle Rhee briefly appeared on The Oprah Show today to launch her aggressive school reform movement, Students First. Rhee, who stepped down from her position as the chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools system in Washington, D.C. last October, hopes to raise $1 billion to distribute among the nation’s public schools.

The Korean American educator was known for her novel and often controversial approach to education reform — including eliminating teacher tenure — while she was chancellor. However, her views are not universally lauded. While her movement claims to focus on students’ needs, according to many teachers, she is de-legitimizing education because she focuses more on the business aspects such as decreasing the already low supply of teachers.

During the show, Oprah Winfrey reiterated that the U.S. ranks numbers 23 and 25 in reading and math, respectively, out of 30 developed industrialized nations. “I’m not going to cry, but I could,” said Winfrey. Winfrey pleaded for a revolutionist to step up and save our nation’s prosperity. Winfrey, who considers herself an educator, called for just 1 million of her 10 million viewers to pledge on the Students First website, which would fulfill Rhee’s goal.

Rhee’s Oprah appearance coincided with a story on Rhee’s transition in Newsweek. While I understand the agenda-setting theory, in which media syncs events to greater advantage, listening to Rhee and Winfrey discuss America’s failing public education system got me worried. If education is getting worse with each generation, then it makes me wonder if future scholars will even have the opportunity to understand the meaning behind the agenda-setting theory.

Save education. Join Michelle Rhee’s movement to transform public education at Studentsfirst.org.