Designing Woman

For my last Model Musing column with Look Books I had the opportunity to speak to one of China's rising stars, Tian Yi. A smart girl, Tian studied fashion and hopes to take full advantage of her modeling career to eventually go into creating designs of her own.

Have a read and enjoy getting to know this lovely girl by clicking HERE or simply read below.

Model Musing: Tian Yi

  Tian Yi is one of those girls who seem to have luck on her side. She was discovered by her agency on the modeling website models.com by pictures she submitted. Since then her career path was paved with bookings for top fashion magazines and designers. 

From the established brand names, Vogue and Bazaar to the edgy i-D and 10 magazine; the editorial goes hand in hand with the work Tian has been showing on the runway. Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada and Marc by Marc Jacobs are counterbalanced by rising stars like Alexis Mabille, Phillip Lim, Dries Van Noten and Rad Hourani. Graced this season with the campaigns for Vera Wang and Sephora, Tian’s path in this industry seems to be heading in the right direction and one that will keep her in the center of what she loves the most: fashion. 

Tian has been given the opportunity to see from the inside how it is to create an entire collection and bring it to the runway, an experience that will surely be helpful since she would like to soon start focusing on launching a collection of her own.

Here Tian picks her favorite modeling image and tells us why it’s so special.

Why do you love this picture?

Because I was happy to be able to work with a great team and these fabulous girls!

Who were the other models in this shoot?

It was me and five other girls: Liu Wen, Xiao Wen, Lindsey, Marie and Daria. They were so nice to me and I has really happy to be able to work with them.

Who took it? Were you excited to work with this photographer?

Inez and Vinoodh . Of course, so excited and I had the opportunity to learn a lot from this shoot!

How long was this shoot?

A day and a half, because i had to leave early on the second day to finish my school exams.

What direction did the photographer give you?

They just let me be myself and were very nice.

What was it for?

It was for the cover of Vogue China’s September issue.

What were you wearing?

I was wearing Louis Vuitton and a huge hat on the cover. I also wore a beautiful skirt for the editorial inside the magazine, I loved it!

What about this profession makes you the happiest?

The opportunity to travel around world and see a lots of different cities and also I really enjoy the opportunities to make new friends, eat some delicious food that I never tried before, that’s the most fun and cool part!

What have you learned from your career that you consider truly valuable?

I learned to be patient. Sometimes you have to wait a long time for things to happen, but you have to be patient and you will have an opportunity to show yourself. You have to be patient about your career.

What advice would you give to aspiring models?

I would tell them to just be themselves and be confident, that is it; and welcome to fashion!

Do you see yourself doing something else in the future?

I love dressing up for the big fashion houses and I love fashion; in the future I would love to be a designer for one of those great brands. 

What were some of the challenges you conquered as a model? 

I’m more confident when I talk to people, I’ve also learned to be comfortable outside of my comfort zone. I actually love when I have challenges to face.

Tian Yi is represented by Fusion Model Management

From Tunisia, with Love.

This week find out more about the Tunisian model who is planning on turning the tables for some Tunisian artists in the New York art scene.

Follow the link or read below.

Model Musing: Kenza Fourati

A product of the world famous Elite Model Look competition, Kenza Fourati was the first Tunisian to enter the competition. Even though she comes from a very progressive family, Kenza’s parents had a hard time understanding how modeling could be an actual job and were afraid of what the future of her daughter could turn out like being in such a different cultural environment. After long hours of discussion it was finally agreed that Kenza would go to Paris to give it a try. 

From fashion publications like Vogue, L’Officiel, Elle and GQ to the top selling pages of Sports Illustrated, Kenza has climbed to the top echelons of the industry and has embraced the world with an open mind.

Currently living in New York city, Kenza is working on launching her own fashion label while working on her most bold and heartwarming project; an online community to bridge the cultural gap between the Middle East and the Western world through art.

Was modeling a dream for you or did it just happened by chance?

Well, it was so uncommon (in Tunisia) that I really never thought of it for half a second, it was all a happy accident.

What were your most remarkable experiences as a model?

All my “first times”; my first show, my first fashion week, my first casting, my first time in front of the camera, with the responsibility of a crew working around you. Then you understand it’s more than fun, it’s a job and you have to be the best you can.

Is there anything that bothers you in this business?

The lack of control; I’m a control freak, but this job is really like George Berkeley’s quote, “To be is to be perceived”, and that s very frustrating!

What have you learned from your career that you consider truly valuable?

At a young age I understood you have to be your very own knight in shining armor. I can be in an alien place alone and I can handle it with no fear. Thanks to modeling, I know now that I am a capable person.

What advice would you give to aspiring models?

Don’t loose sight of who you are. You will meet tons of people who will judge you and project all kinds of fantasies on you but at the end, you are the only one who truly knows who you are.

What were your biggest challenges as a model?

Coming from an Arab Muslim country with no real visibility of the future and as a model to keep it true to who I am.

What is you favorite modeling image?

A portrait taken by Cedric Buchet for Vogue Paris, I find it to be very powerful.

Were you excited to work with him?

I have always loved his work and I loved how he perceived me. Not only is he an awesome photographer but he is also a great guy.

Where was it taken?

We shot in the middle of the road in Chinatown in New York. I’m 5’11 and was wearing sky-high heels and a see-through top; let me tell you, there was a lot of staring happening!

Who was the stylist?

Julia Von Boehm. I work very often with her, she has the most incredible energy and speaks (what seems to be) two thousands languages.

Any wardrobe malfunctions in that shoot?

I was freezing, so that’s a malfunction to me!!

What was the theme of the shoot?

The diversity of faces in France: Black, White, Beur (North African origins), ...