The streets of Seoul may be teeming with billboard images of Caucasian models, but in the hearts of Korean fashionistas it is the Korean face that drives their fantasies to become real-life supermodels.
In fashion chronology, the turning point dates back to fall, 2005 when the lanky Korean-American newbie Hye Park took over the coveted spot reserved for Asian models in the international collections, right after Japanese model Ai Tominaga took pregnancy leave. To aspiring models in Korea, Park's success meant one thing: "Models, be ambitious!"
As local fashion magazines rejoiced the arrival of a Korean supermodel, other Korean models began a pilgrimage with one goal, to walk alongside Park. A score of reality TV programs followed.
Unprecedented enthusiasm for fashion models was evident in recent model events here. Five years ago, the Elite Model International Look Korea contest struggled to fill a banquet hall. But, this year at an extravagant dinner event in the Walkerhill Hotel, a panel of international judges saw 43 finalists.
The competition to become one of the 15 finalists for the Ford Models Supermodel of the World Korea contest was documented on a cable TV. And there was a rare appearance by Katie Ford, the chief executive of Ford Models. When asked about Kang Seung-hyun, this year's winner, Ford said, "She just stood out. She's got energy and personality".
But being a supermodel isn't all about personality. Stephane Pescimoro, director of the Elite Model International Look contest, is an expert who has spent over two decades spotting new faces around the world. He said judges look for "a photogenic Asian beauty who has the right body proportions, who is healthy and who has charisma and beauty from within".
Referring to Elite's winner, Lee Na-ra, Elite Model Korea's chairman Park Jin-gyu said judges looked for a young candidate. He pointed out that by the time Korean top models debut on international stages, they are too old to beat models who are 15 or 16. Lee, who is 20, will compete in international contests in Bali and Turkey next month.
Picking the right winner gets tricky because of changes in the market's preferences. "In Europe, models with a 'versatile' faces become top models", Park said. "When it comes to face judges there look for one that has more character and can work with various concepts, rather than a girl who is just conventionally pretty".
Yet, the domestic market is in need of pretty faces. "The Korean beauty industry generates 4 trillion won [about $4 billion] in revenues each year. We cannot ignore that", Park said. "We have other prizes so that models get engaged in local activities".
Elite Model Korea has a further five years on its contract with Elite Model International. Park believes in the role of international agencies based in Korea, as they can pave the way for serious models destined to walk on international runways, while local agencies lean toward promoting models as celebrities. Kim So-yeon of Esteem, a local model management company, thinks otherwise. Esteem's models, Song Kyeong-ah, Jang Yeon-joo and Lee Eon, are local celebrities whose careers have reached TV.
When Esteem's model Park Yun-jung attracted loyal fans with her wild streak on a TV show, Kim decided to support Park's rebellious personality ― by releasing dance music. A recent night at Club Circle, one of the city's hottest nightspots, saw the birth of a convincingly cool diva, who is not afraid of flashing her deep cleavage or singing and dancing in a somewhat sappy fashion.
Kim says Park has the potential to lead Korean culture and perhaps beyond.
"Models are not just pretty faces; they must have unique characters and talent. They should be trendsetters, or icons", said Kim, who works with 27 models. "Look how '80s supermodels like Shalom Harlow, Naomi Campbell and Amber Valletta inspired so many people around the world. Years have gone by but people still long for supermodels who control their own fates".
Kim believes it is the distnace from their own culture that perhaps drives Korean models to fade out quickly.
"Decades ago the market for Asian models was too small for their images to be as varied as they can be today. These days physical attractiveness has no specific conditions whether a model is destined for the local or international market".
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