Rookie models to watch for at upcoming 2016 F/W Seoul Fashion Week
By Kim Jae-heun
Bae Yoon-young, the hottest local fashion model often dubbed
“Mulan”
Name: Bae Yoon-young Agency: YGKPLUS Height: 176cm Waist: 22 inch Shoe size: 250 mm
From her debut in August 2014, 19-year old fashion model Bae Yoon-young has been dominating the world’s top international fashion magazines such as Vogue, W Magazine, Marie Claire, CeCi and Sure.
Bae became interested in becoming a fashion model in middle school when she saw some collection cuts from European Fashion Week, but it was Chae Han-suk, a popular local stylist, who discovered the young modeling talent in her hometown, Daegu.
“I was working part-time when Chae suggested I try modeling” said Bae during an interview with The Korea Times, last Tuesday. “He introduced me to my current agency YGKPLUS and I debuted through the magazine Vogue Girl immediately.”
To her amazement, Bae grew 10 centimeters in three months in her freshman year, now standing 176 centimeters tall. Bae thinks she can reach up to 180 centimeters by straightening her crooked back.
But Bae’s apparent strength as a fashion model lies in her distinct Asian beauty ― with facial characteristics like a small nose and single eyelids. According to fashion industry insiders, Bae has a characteristically Asian look that is also not a typical Korean face either. For this reason, the young model is called by her nickname, “Mulan” from the Disney movie, by her fans on her Instagram.
Her small physique is another advantage for fitting into European collection pieces.
“I have a small body compared to my height and my bones are thin too. I don’t gain weight easily and even if I do, it’s hard to notice. I was 176 centimeters tall and weighed 47 kilograms when I debuted,” Bae said.
The rookie model participated in nine shows at her first fashion week in 2014 and 21 shows at the latest 2016 Spring/Summer Seoul Fashion Week last year. For the upcoming 2016 Fall/Winter collection, she is planning to walk some 20 runways and aims for the catwalks of New York’s fashion week in the second half of the year.
“I want to earn the title as the most-recognized Korean model abroad,” Bae said. “I want to get rewarded for the efforts I put in.”
Koryo-in model, Vita Kan
Name: Vita Kan Agency: Cjes Model Edition (Figaro: Mother agency) Height: 174 cm Waist: unknown Shoe size: unknown
Vita Kan is not a popular name in the Korean fashion industry. It has only been two weeks since the 21-year-old arrived in Korea. The Koryo-in (Korean-Russian) model was born in Uzbekistan and raised there until she moved to Moscow for university.
The young model has grandparents, both from her father and mother sides, who are half-Koreans, from which she inherits her Korean identity.
She started modeling four years ago after being discovered in Uzbekistan by Korean designer Jung Ku-ho, who visited her school to shoot the fashion model audition show “Hello, Russia.” Kan won first place in the three-day running audition program.
“He asked me if I wanted to be a model and I said yes,” said Kan during an interview with The Korea Times last Thursday. “I don’t remember clearly, but there were several hundred participants, mostly Russians and some Korean-Russians. I did not expect anything in the first place and participated very comfortably.”
After the audition, Kan signed a contract with W Magazine and came to Korea to participate in her first fashion show, “Epitaph.” During her 15-day stay, she also shot for major fashion magazines such as “Dazed.”
Kan is currently working as a model in 12 cities such as London, Paris, Milan, New York and Seoul. Her mother agency Figaro, where she got her start, is based in Moscow and the renowned modeling agency Select Model Management takes care of her modeling activities in London.
“It’s funny that I had a dream of living in London and I was watching the whole city from the balcony,” said Kan. “A few days later, my mother agency asked me whether I want to go to Paris or London and I said London.”
In London, Kan participated in fashion shows such as “Meadham Kirchhoff” for 2014 Summer and Spring and “Zoe Jordan” for Fall and Winter.
This is the Koryo-in model’s fourth time in Seoul and she will be staying here for the next two months, her longest stay in Korea.
“My plan in Korea is to participate in as many fashion shows as possible in the upcoming Seoul Fashion Week,” Kan said. “I don’t know the popular designers here, so I cannot name who, but I would like to walk for big names at the show.”