Han Jin & Daul Kim in Catwalk in NY, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Korean TV recently produced a series of documentaries entitled, Catwalk in NY -- two of which featured Korean models, Han Jin and Daul Kim. The 1-hour documentaries followed the girls during the daily lives running to castings and fashion shows during the Fall 08/Winter 09 Fashion Week in NYC. The documentaries are in Korean with a smattering of English. I don't understand Korean so I can't help you with the translation but the videos are definitely fun to watch.

It Girl Han Hye Jin - Catwalk in New York

Wonder Girl Daul Kim - Catwalk in New York

Source: YouTube

Hye Park Ad Campaign for MaxMara Occhiali, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Models: Snejana Onopka & Hye Park
Ad Campaign: MaxMara Occhiali, Fall 2008/Winter 2009
Photographer: Craig McDean

Source: Oxymoron @ tFs

Jihae Kim Ad Campaign for Eileen Fisher, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Model: Jihae Kim
Ad Campaign: Eileen Fisher, Fall 2008/Winter 2009
Photographer: Gentl & Hyers @ Edge

Source: Eileen Fisher

Han Jin Editorial for Another Magazine, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Han Jin from South Korea has been the dominant Asian model on the runways of New York, Milan and Paris since her debut in Fall 2006/Winter 2007. She usually averaged over 50 shows per season (excluding the extra shows she does during couture and resort weeks), which translates to over 100 shows per year. During the Fall 2007/Winter 2008 season alone, she appeared in 64 shows. That is quite a feat for any model, not just for an Asian girl. [Note: Liu Wen of China did more shows than Han Jin this season.]

Han Jin's superstar status on the runways, however has not gained her much editorial work or ad campaign in New York, Paris or Milan. She is, nonetheless extremely popular in South Korea where she appears regularly in Korea Vogue and Korea Harper's Bazaar. Outside of South Korea, her work is harder to come by.

In the last seven seasons since her ascension to the top of the modeling world, Han Jin has booked only three international ad campaigns. The first was a solo effort for Anna Molinari in Fall 2006/Winter 2007 shot by Craig McDean. That ad campaign was hideous and a disaster; it almost destroyed her career. The following season, Han Jin booked an ad campaign with Italian mass retailer, Benetton shot by David Sims. In the ad, she was covered from head to toe in a giant hooded parka that obscured her face and concealed her identity. Her final international ad campaign was for Moschino in Fall 2007/Spring 2008 shot by Peter Lindberg. Although the campaign was beautifully done, it rarely appeared in magazines. Furthermore, there were six other Asian models in that single shot campaign.

So what went wrong? How does a beautiful girl who ruled the runways ended up with so few major work outside of Korea? I think part of the problem is that Han Jin was not getting adequent representation (in my opinion) by her agency outside of Korea. If she had signed with better agencies like Elite or IMG, her career would have taken a more successful turn.

Despite the lack of international ad campaigns (that's where the money really is, folks), Han Jin is still doing extremely well, thank you very much. Her runway appearances alone probably earned her an estimated half a million US dollars per year for the last three years. She also has numerous projects (a reality TV show) and ad campaigns in South Korea that will keep her living well for a very long time.

Here is Han Jin in an untitled editorial for the British publication, Another Magazine (Fall/Winter 2008) shot by Craig McDean. This 24-page editorial stars 11 different models and Han Jin is on the first and only page. Unfortunately (AGAIN), she was plastered with so much make-up that it rendered her almost unrecognizable.

Model: Han Jin

Editorial: Untitled

Magazine: (British) Another Magazine, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Photographer: Craig McDean

Stylist: Marie Amelie Sauve

Source: Alien Sex Fiend @ tFs

Du Juan Ad Campaign for David Yurman, Spring 2008/Winter 2009

Update: This is Du Juan's 2nd major ad campaign for Fall 2008/Winter 2009. New ads are still coming in from various medias so I will occasionally update the photo set.

Model: Du Juan
Ad Campaign: David Yurman, Spring 2008/Fall 2009
Photographer: Peter Lindbergh

Source: Scanned by me (#1); Models.com (#2 & #3)

Emma Pei Ad Campaign for Lane Crawford, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Lane Crawford, the luxury departmental store in Hong Kong and Beijing, is seeking international recognition by buying ad pages in magazines outside of China and Hong Kong. I remembered seeing the Spring/Summer 2008 ads (featuring Du Juan) in the US last season. The new Fall 2008/Winter 2009 ads featuring Emma Pei are now in the September 2008 issue of (US) W Magazine.

Emma Pei looks like a boy in the left photo and a girl in the right photo below. The stylist and photographer did a great job featuring two totally different looks using the same model. Does anyone know who the photographer is in this ads?

Model: Emma Pei
Ad Campaign: Lane Crawford, Fall 2008/Winter 2009
Photographer: Inez & Vinoodh

Source: Sethii @ tFs

Jeanine Chin Ad Campaign for Vivienne Tam, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Taiwanese model, Jeanine Chin is the new face of Vivienne Tam, Fall 2008/Winter 2009. Vivienne Tam, a New York-based designer from Hong Kong, has always used Asian models for the ads. Former Vivienne Tam models include Ai Tominaga and Angie Hsu.

Model: Jeanine Chin

Ad Campaign: Vivienne Tam, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Photographer: Unknown

Source: Vivienne Tam

Update: Du Juan Ad Campaign for Giorgio Armani, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Update: Here are more photos from the ad campaign with Du Juan in Giorgio Armani, Fall 2008/Winter 2009.

Model: Du Juan & Jessica Stam
Ad Campaign: Giorgio Armani, Fall 2008/Winter 2009
Photographer: Mert & Marcus

Source: Photos from tFs

Sung Yang, Philip Huang & Hyoni Kang Ad Campaign for Benetton, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

United Colors of Benetton has always featured models of different ethnicities and this season Sung Kang, Philip Huang and Hyoni Kang are the lucky ones. It's great to see male Asian models because there are too few in the industry. Philip Huang and Sung Yang are probably the only Asian guys working consistently in the US.

Models: Sung Yang (Pic 1), Philip Huang (Pics 2 & 3) & Hyoni Yang (Pics 4 & 5)

Ad Campaign: Benetton, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Photographer: David Sims

Source: Benetton

Du Juan Ad Campaign for H&M Fall 2008/Winter 2009

These H&M ads are Du Juan's 3rd major ad campaign this season, after Giorgio Armani and David Yurman. She is currently riding high as the top Asian models (#16 in the Top 50) on the Models.com list.

Three other Asian models made the list with Hye Park (#18) with 2 major ad campaigns this season for MaxMara and Tiffany; Lakshmi Menon (#35) with one major ad campaign for Givenchy; and Daul Kim (#45) who clocked in more editorials than any of the girls.

Models: Du Juan & Daria Werbowy

Ad Campaign: H&M, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Photographer: Camilla Akrans

Source: Musky @ tFs

Eugenia Mandzhieva & Gwen Lu Ad Campaign for Uniqlo, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Uniqlo, the Japanese brand that is synonymous with inexpensive but high quality basics, has always used Asian models in their ads, including Japanese celebrity, (Iron Chef) Masaharu Morimoto. This season's line-up of models include Eugenia Mandzhieva (Russian) and Gwen Lu (Malaysian).

Two other Asian models whom I don't recognize are also in the Fall 2008/Winter 2009 ad campaign. Does anyone know who those two models are?

Model: Eugenia Mandzhieva, Gwen Lu & other models

Ad Campaign: Uniqlo, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Photographer: Unknown

Source: Uniqlo

Hye Park Ad Campaign for Tiffany & Co. Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Hye Park is in another major ad campaign! This is her 2nd major campaign this season.

But compared to last season's robin blue and white color scheme, this season's ads for Tiffany & Co. are a let down. The colors are mustard yellow, purple, ink blue and beige -- what were they thinking? Does anyone even notice the jewelries? All I see is the purple jacket.

N.B.: Love Hye! I met her in SoHo last Spring and she was so sweet and obliging for a photo-op with me. But I won't post it here cos' nobody needs to see my ugly face. :-)

Model: Hye Park
Ad Campaign: Tiffany & Co., Fall 2008/Winter 2009
Photographer: Michael Thompson

Source: Luxx @ tFs

Update: Hye Park Ad Campaign for MaxMara, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Update: New photos of the ad campaign are still coming out so I'm consolidating them for easier reference.

Models: Snejana Onopka & Hye Park

Ad Campaign: MaxMara, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Photographer: Craig McDean

Source: Photos from tFs

Hyoni Ad Campaign for American Eagle, Fall 2008/Winter 2009

Model: Hyoni Kang
Ad Campaign: American Eagle, Fall 2008/Winter 2009
Photographer: Unknown

Source: oxymoron @ tFs