Models of Diversity

What can fashion do more of to be more inclusive? We asked this question of models from East, Southeast and South Asia: models who unashamedly show off their unique beauty, not limited by gender, race, sexuality, size, age, religion or ability

- Cherry Mui

CHRISTINA CHUNG

Hong Kong

Christina Chung signed up for catwalk training and was ready to become a model in her twenties, before deciding that working in banking would offer a more sustainable career. She only started to pick up freelance modelling jobs a few years ago in her fifties but is now making waves in the local fashion scene as a silver model whose elegance defies time. Chung’s journey has come full circle: just as she has started a second career and is loving the self-expression and artistic side of the job, her daughters are also now working as models in the city.

RAW XU

China Ruoxin

Xu—known professionally as Raw Xu—is a recent graduate of China’s Central Academy of Fine Arts and a freelance plus size model who has been seen on the cover of fashion magazines in the country and was included in a social media campaign for Scandinavian brand Ganni. She promotes body positivity both in her art—her graduation work was an interactive installation titled Touch My Belly—and her modelling career. While for years she couldn’t buy clothes at a mall that fit her, Xu says change is coming: what is available both in stores and online in China is now more accommodating for people of different body shapes and sizes.

SONYA DANITA CHARLES

Malaysia