(Ecns.cn)--A dozen Chinese models strode the catwalks of New York，London and Milan during this fall fashion week. The events saw Liu Wen become the first Asian model to parade Victoria's Secret fashions, and He Sui the first Asian model ever to open for the high priest of Wasp style, Ralph Lauren. A New York magazine described He Sui's appearance as "the most surprising casting of the season."
The mounting profiles of Chinese faces and figures in the fashion world are creating a fuss, for in 2006 there were only five among a small cohort of other Asian models. In just five years, the number in this annual event has tripled. Prior to that, Lv Yan alone was recognized as a world-class Chinese model.
"We are making history everyday" said Liu Wen, widely considered to be the country's top model, about their impact on the foreign media. This year, and this season in particular, she began to see a parade of models who resembled her: willowy in an Eastern style, and confident in Western way.
At the conclusion of fashion wee the domestic media trumpeted the year 2011 as "a turning point for the Chinese modeling business," according to the Beijing News. The newspaper commented that the emergence of Chinese supermodels on the international fashion circuit should be no surprise to anyone.
Competitive edge
These models align with the ideals of Oriental beauty: oval faces, wafer-thin body shapes and a demure aura. This makes them particularly fascinating on the catwalk, commented Yao Ge, secretary-general of Professional Models Committee with Chinese Fashion Designers' Association.
What makes these models even more competitive than their predecessors, according to a modeling industry insider, lies in the internationally-oriented education they have received since they were little. Most grew up in rich families, speak fluent English, have no difficulty meeting the professional standards set mainly by the Western fashion circuit, and can quickly adapt themselves to Western lifestyles.
However, this is a tender shoot of diversity in an industry that has always been dominated by white models. The influx of oriental models into haute couture is seen to be more related to the growing spending power and appetite for luxury goods now common among Chinese consumers. Sensing the opportunity, major design houses featured a handful of Chinese models in fashion weeks this fall as a bid to boost their sales in China.
According to state media, Chinese women made 296 appearances, with Liu Wen, Shu Pei, Sun Feifei, Du Juan, Emma Pei and newcomer Xi Ming, strutting the stuff of major design houses.
Luxury markets are expected to grow by 20 percent annually for the next ten years, according to a 2010 research made by Shanghai-based consulting company, China Market Research Group (CMR.)
The promising market is changing perceptions in Western countries, and has transformed the view that "whatever works at home will work in China" into "Whatever the Chinese need" to promote the appearances of Chinese supermodels. Luxury firms choose Chinese faces to represent them, to create emotional intimacy between their products and the Chinese consumers they are targeting.
