In previous years, Asian models and designers have been been taking large strides. For example, more than ever – we are beginning to see more Asian faces gracing the pages of the world’s top fashion magazines, walking the runways of renowned fashion designers (40% of the models walking were women of Asian descent during New York Fashion Week in February 2012), and featured in international ad campaigns for popular brands. Fashion designers of Asian descent have also been making a name for themselves, such as designer collaborations with national retail chains such as Target, H&M, and Macy’s. Follow our monthly series as we name the best of the best featuring Asians in Fashion.
Photo courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
In previous years, Asian models and designers have been been taking large strides. For example, more than ever – we are beginning to see more Asian faces gracing the pages of the world’s top fashion magazines, walking the runways of renowned fashion designers (40% of the models walking were women of Asian descent during New York Fashion Week in February 2012), and featured in international ad campaigns for popular brands. Fashion designers of Asian descent have also been making a name for themselves, such as designer collaborations with national retail chains such as Target, H&M, and Macy’s. Follow our monthly series as we name the best of the best featuring Asians in Fashion.
Li Bing Bing for Gucci
Image courtesy of Gucci.
In previous years, Asian models and designers have been been taking large strides. For example, more than ever – we are beginning to see more Asian faces gracing the pages of the world’s top fashion magazines, walking the runways of renowned fashion designers (40% of the models walking were women of Asian descent during New York Fashion Week in February 2012), and featured in international ad campaigns for popular brands. Fashion designers of Asian descent have also been making a name for themselves, such as designer collaborations with national retail chains such as Target, H&M, and Macy’s. Follow our monthly series as we name the best of the best featuring Asians in Fashion.
Rise of South Asian Models: Vogue India‘s highlight on Alyssah Ali, Ashika Pratt, and Jessica Clarke
Photo credit: Asian Models Blog
When Karl Lagerfield made a stunning move to feature nine (yes, NINE) models of South Asian descent in Chanel’s Pre-Fall India-themed collection last year – it was nothing short of amazing. It’s well known that Lagerfield hasn’t featured a racially diverse group of models in his previous shows. Prior to the show, Lakshmi Menon was arguably the most popular model of South Asian descent (from India). But with this move, more South Asian models are fast becoming more popular in the fashion industry. Vogue India takes a strong note of this of course, featuring three fresh faces: Alyssa Ali (Indian-Trinidian-Candian, IMG), Ashika Pratt (Indian descent from New Zealand, Anima Creatives), and Jessica Clarke (Indian-Nigerian, Marilyn) – in this lovely spread (click on the image to see more pictures from the editorial!).
We’ve all used spray devices as ways to get rid of things we do not want: from bugs and bites to unwelcome odors. Now, in China, sprays are being used to get rid of something that we all experience: hunger.
So, who doesn’t want hunger? On October30th in Beijing, China, International Fashion Week kicked off with the “Tang-Jing” Fashion Show in the Golden Hall of Beijing Hotel.
There was a lot of spraying going on backstage, from hair to perfume, but there was one spray that was not allowed. On the backstage curtain read a sign in both English and Chinese, “Models must eat before going on runway. Spraying your hunger away is not enough!”
The spray they are referring to is SENSASLIM, which is being described as a dieter’s dream, and an easy way to lose weight without ever feeling hungry. With its slogan, “nothing tastes as good as slim feels”, it is no surprise that the sign was posted this year by organizers concerned about the spray. Their concerns stem from a repeat incident last year where a model collapsed on the catwalk from lack of energy brought about by food deprivation.
Norwegian model, Erjana Ala, discovered the Sensaslim spray in her native Norway where it has recently been released.
“The other girls saw me spray it, and now everyone is wanting it,” Ala said. “It isn’t in China yet, so the girls are buying it on the internet and getting it sent by courier. It’s crazy how everyone is asking me where they can get it.”
Sensaslim Research Director Dr. Sommerville said Sensaslim is administered three times a day, by two sprays onto the tongue, ten minutes before meals, and should not be used instead of food entirely.
“Sensaslim was not designed for the underweight or normal weighted people but for those who are overweight or obese and need to lose large amount of weight,” he said. “We would not encourage models to use it more than once a day as it is may work too well.”
Ai Weiwei makes a bold statement in front of Tianamen Square with the F-word written on his chest. The artist has also given the same message in front of The White House and the Eiffel Tower.
If a true artist cannot fully express himself, can he still be called an artist? I’m not trying to be a quasi-philosopher here, but in terms of the recent detention of Ai Weiwei, the answer is yes!
Liu Xiaobo has been awarded the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize “for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China.” He is the first Chinese citizen to be awarded a Nobel Prize of any kind. Liu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize while in prison, and is the fourth one to have received one while being in prison or detention.
Liu has been President of the Independent Chinese PEN Center since 2003. He was a part of the Tianamen Square protest in 1989, and was detained and convicted on charges of “counter-revolutionary propaganda and incitement.” Liu played a large role in the writing of Charter 08. It was a manifesto that was released on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Since the release, over 10,000 people all over have signed the charter. The charter itself were demands for human rights in China, the importance of freedom, and equality. After being released on the internet, Liu was arrested and sentenced to 11-years in jail.
There has been a lot of controversy with Liu winning the Nobel Peace Prize. China had warned the Norwegian Nobel Committee to not honor Liu with the Nobel Peace Prize, but they didn’t listen and wanted to bring awareness to what was occurring in China. At the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, an empty chair represented Liu because Beijing would not allow for him or his wife to attend. According to Yang Jianli, a prominent Chinese democracy activist, “An empty seat for the laureate would serve as a reminder to the world that Liu Xiaobo is himself languishing in prison and, more broadly, that the human rights situation in China should be a concern to the international community.” China cancelled meetings with the Norwegian officials and denounced the award “as an affront to the Chinese people and a ploy to try to change the country’s political system,” according to The New York Times. Liu Xia, Liu’s wife, is a photographer who doesn’t get involved in politics, is under house arrest at the couple’s apartment and was not able to attend the ceremony and accept the award for her husband.
Through his actions, Liu has become a representative and symbol for the struggle for human rights in China. In a letter to The Los Angeles Times, Teresa C. Yu wrote “I find that the empty chair for Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo at the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony in Oslo speaks volumes. Like the picture of a lone man standing in front of a row of tanks in Beijing in 1989, this image will also be forever ingrained in people’s minds. China’s leaders may think they are strong enough now to flex their sizable economic muscles without having to answer to anyone. But in so doing, they have lost face, big time. If China wants to be a global leader, it must exhibit worthy leadership traits. Jailing Liu for simply voicing his yearning for democracy is definitely not one of them.”
Here in America, this past November 11 was Veterans Day, but in China, 11.11 has a completely different meaning. A celebration that first started as a way to comfort themselves for being single at various universities in Nanjing during 1990s, Singles Day is now a popular pop culture festival amongst young people in China. If couples around the world have Valentine’s Day to celebrate, why can’t bachelors and bachelorettes have a Singles’ Day to celebrate as well? In fact, it has become one of those big moneymaking days for companies, especially the dating industry.
The date was chosen because it consists of four “ones,” and of course, the number one represents singlehood. It is also known as Guang Gun Jie (translates to bare branch festival) because bare branches are supposedly symbolic of bachelors. Chinese festivals always have some sort of festive food and this one is no exception. If you see people eating four dough sticks and possibly also an egg, they may be single. The four dough sticks represent the “ones” in 11.11, and the egg is the “dot” in the middle that separates the month and the day.
This year, Chinese Singles Day was celebrated in many ways throughout China: sending e-greetings wishing others “Happy Singles Day,” going out to eat with other unattached people while paying for their own meals or attending speed dating opportunities. Even animals joined in with the celebration. Partner-less animals in Shenzhen were offered their favorite food on this special day. More shockingly, the zoo in Kunming posted want ads for mates for their “single” animals on the Internet, looking to propagate the rare species with offspring.
It appears that having a Singles Day is a fun way to remind yourself it’s alright to not be with someone. In fact, the slogan for this year is “Be happy alone.” This branched off from a recently popular verse on the internet that says, “No burden, no nagging, no dispute, no tears – Life is short, freedom is precious.” However, some seem to think it hurts to have yet another day that reminds you that you’re alone. But it can potentially be the day where you find the one you’ve been looking for since there are many opportunities for you to meet others in the same position. What are your thoughts?
Just for fun, look at www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2010-11/11/content_11537489.htm for various top-tens about this day!
Photo by * etoile.
I’m sensing a trend here. Cities all over the country and the world participate in some kind of sister city program. Los Angeles is sister city to several other global towns, among them Mumbai in India, Guangzhou in China and even Makati in the Philippines. But some cities are taking it even a step further.
New York City’s Carnegie Hall is already sending out huge press kits about its upcoming JapanNYC program, a citywide celebration with a Southern Cali counterpart scheduled to kick off late this year. Massachusetts-based Peabody Essex Museum is also gearing up for its April “Sensational India!” fest, featuring filmmaker James Ivory. The San Francisco Bay Area, meanwhile, is celebrating all things Shanghainese with a citywide “Shanghai Celebration,” a festival of sorts with films, concerts, art and all kinds of other special events all about Shanghai.
"Shadow in the Water" (detail), 2002-2008. By Liu Jianhua (b. 1962). Installation with porcelain and light. Collection of the artist. Asian Art Museum's Shanghai exhibit.
The cornerstone of this celebration is the Asian Art Museum‘s grand Shanghai exhibit. With more than 130 paintings, revolutionary posters, fashion and even movie clips from U.S.- and Shanghai-based museums, the exhibit attempts to cover the rich history of that most cosmopolitan of cities.
"Nanjing Road," 1947. By Ni Yide (1901-1970). Oil on canvas. Private Collection. Asian Art Museum's Shanghai exhibit.
"A Prosperous City That Never Sleeps," 1930s. By Yuan Xiutang (dates unknown). Chromolithograph on paper. Collection of the Shanghai History Museum. Asian Art Museum's Shanghai exhibit.
The Asian Art Museum’s Shanghai exhibit runs now through September 5, 2010.
DETAILS: Asian Art Museum, 200 Larkin Street, San Francisco.
