How about featuring the first Asian supermodel, Anna Bayle? Her blog at annabayle.com is quite an excellent read. Her intelligent take on a wide range of modelling related subjects is proof that not all models are pretty and vapid.
i have reservations however on her title as the "first asian supermodel". really, how big was she then? did she ever reach the status of say Du Juan and Ai Tomiyaga? i don't think she can even be compared with Iman (supposedly her contemporary) who obviously is a bigger name than she is.
Yes, at her peak she was a TOP model. Neither Du Juan (fading fast), Ai Tominaga, Hye Park (though she seems to be gaining some ground again), Navia Nguyen, Irina P, Ling Tang were ever at the TOP.
Everything is relative. Anna was the premier Asian supermodel of her time. To compare her status as a model then to Du and Ai's now is a dicey exercise. Would Du and Ai have been as big back in Anna's time as they are now? Would Anna have been as famous then had she entered the modeling fray now? One will never know.
I think the true test of Du Juan and Ai's supermodel status is to see if 10 years from now, they would still be around. Remember that Anna was still a major presence in the NY runways when she was well into her 30s. She shared the stage with the Imans and Pats and Jerrys in Europe and the Cindys, Lindas, Naomis in NY.
It would be interesting to see if the likes of Du, Hye and Ai can have a career as long and as fruitful as Anna Bayle. What I admire about Anna the most is she studied and learned and took notes about the world of fashion while she was at the pinnacle of her career. She gracefully made an exit from the runways when it was time to go and is now a fashion journalist of note. Her intelligence and wit are evident in her writings for lookonline and in her blog. Love her!
sorry but anna bayle was never a supermodel compared to the names you listed like cindy, iman, etc. those girls became household names hence the supermodel moniker. anna was top runway model but whereas the new crop of asian models are getting top runway, editorial and some magazine covers. anna had a longer career because she was the token asian whereas there are more asian models to choose from. beverly lee was just as famous on the runways as anna bayle...probably more so.
Actually Anna was truly a supermodel...although she was not exactly a household name, she was still very famous in the fashion world at her time. Also, before the naiomi, cindy, etc. days models were known but not necessarily household names, but to those who knew fashion they were famous. Anna was known to the mass as much as, let say, natalia vodianova is known to the mass today. not everybody knows natalia just like not everybody knows anna, but everybody knows naoimi and cindy!!!!
Please update the credit. Thanks. Ann Taylor’s 50th Anniversary “50 Women” Photographed by the legendary Annie Leibovitz. Super Stylist by Camilla Nickerson
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How about featuring the first Asian supermodel, Anna Bayle? Her blog at annabayle.com is quite an excellent read. Her intelligent take on a wide range of modelling related subjects is proof that not all models are pretty and vapid.
ReplyDeleteP
Anna Bayle's blog is listed on the LINK on the left.
ReplyDeleteA link is a link is a link. I suggested a feature spot. Or do you have a rule to only post contemporary models?
ReplyDeleteJust a thought.
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great pictures
ReplyDeletelove the ann taylor ad.
ReplyDeletei love anna bayle. i read her blog all the time.
ReplyDeletei have reservations however on her title as the "first asian supermodel". really, how big was she then? did she ever reach the status of say Du Juan and Ai Tomiyaga? i don't think she can even be compared with Iman (supposedly her contemporary) who obviously is a bigger name than she is.
again... just a thought.
Yes, at her peak she was a TOP model. Neither Du Juan (fading fast), Ai Tominaga, Hye Park (though she seems to be gaining some ground again), Navia Nguyen, Irina P, Ling Tang were ever at the TOP.
ReplyDeleteEverything is relative. Anna was the premier Asian supermodel of her time. To compare her status as a model then to Du and Ai's now is a dicey exercise. Would Du and Ai have been as big back in Anna's time as they are now? Would Anna have been as famous then had she entered the modeling fray now? One will never know.
ReplyDeleteI think the true test of Du Juan and Ai's supermodel status is to see if 10 years from now, they would still be around. Remember that Anna was still a major presence in the NY runways when she was well into her 30s. She shared the stage with the Imans and Pats and Jerrys in Europe and the Cindys, Lindas, Naomis in NY.
It would be interesting to see if the likes of Du, Hye and Ai can have a career as long and as fruitful as Anna Bayle. What I admire about Anna the most is she studied and learned and took notes about the world of fashion while she was at the pinnacle of her career. She gracefully made an exit from the runways when it was time to go and is now a fashion journalist of note. Her intelligence and wit are evident in her writings for lookonline and in her blog. Love her!
ReplyDeletesorry but anna bayle was never a supermodel compared to the names you listed like cindy, iman, etc. those girls became household names hence the supermodel moniker. anna was top runway model but whereas the new crop of asian models are getting top runway, editorial and some magazine covers. anna had a longer career because she was the token asian whereas there are more asian models to choose from. beverly lee was just as famous on the runways as anna bayle...probably more so.
ReplyDeleteActually Anna was truly a supermodel...although she was not exactly a household name, she was still very famous in the fashion world at her time. Also, before the naiomi, cindy, etc. days models were known but not necessarily household names, but to those who knew fashion they were famous. Anna was known to the mass as much as, let say, natalia vodianova is known to the mass today. not everybody knows natalia just like not everybody knows anna, but everybody knows naoimi and cindy!!!!
ReplyDeletePlease update the credit. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteAnn Taylor’s 50th Anniversary “50 Women”
Photographed by the legendary Annie Leibovitz.
Super Stylist by Camilla Nickerson