CHINA’S phenomenal rise as a world power has captured global attention. Japan remains influential. Korean pop culture is infectious. Add to the list a host of Chinese movie stars with a growing international presence — think Gong Li, Maggie Cheung and Zhang Ziyi . Thanks to blockbuster movies such as Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Memoirs Of A Geisha, it is easy to understand why Asia is so hot.

Is it then any wonder that the Asian look seems to be the flavour of the month among major fashion brands in the past few years?

Last year, former Miss China Du Juan sashayed on the ramp for Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Bottega Veneta, holding her own against Caucasian counterparts with her willowy 1.78m frame and cross-border beauty. She is also the first Asian model to make the cover of French Vogue, and has been featured in high-profile advertising campaigns for leading names, including Yves Saint Laurent, Hermes and Kenzo.

Korean American Hye Park, who possesses a striking luminosity not unlike that emanated by actress Zhang Ziyi, made folks sit up when she appeared on virtually every important runway for the fall 2005 collections in Milan, New York and Paris.

Ai Tominaga, known on the circuit simply as Ai, made her debut walking for Anna Sui, Badgley Mischka and Ralph Lauren for the fall 2001 shows.

Lu Yan sizzles with her attitude and spunk, and controversial features that have earned her the affectionate moniker of “Ugly Duckling” in Beijing.

Fashion and design consultant and former creative director of Blu Inc Media Cheah Wei Chun, 38, reckons that “because China is assuming such an important role on the world stage, it has suddenly become hip to have a Chinese face in a fashion ad campaign”.

Perhaps a more important push, ultimately, is big consumer spending. According to an Ernst & Young report in 2005, China: The New Lap Of Luxury, China is already the third-largest consumer of luxury goods, accounting for 14 per cent of global sales, behind Japan and the United States.

The Chinese market is certainly a viable avenue for fashion bigwigs to tap: French luxury goods giant LVMH is expected to add up to four stores a year while Giorgio Armani plans to establish 20 to 30 stores by 2008.

Hong Kong-born and New York-based designer Vivienne Tam commented last year: “Many luxury goods brands rapidly open stores in Asia, and it is a natural move for these companies to add Asian faces in their ad campaigns to fit in with the market need. It is part of their business strategy.”

Mr Cheah adds: “It’s quite exciting to see ‘one of your own’ appearing in an international fashion ad campaign. That in turn creates a lot of hype and publicity for the brand in that country. Also, an important appeal in fashion has always been the exotic.

For an Italian brand like Miu Miu, it’s new and exciting to have a Chinese model wear its clothes.”

The increasing use of Asian faces has also been fuelled by the influx of Chinese models in recent years as well as the launch of China Vogue in late 2005, says Mr Colin Wee, the scouting and development manager at modelling agency Ave Management. “The availability of good editorial (via China Vogue) for these models made it possible for them to build decent portfolios and therefore be recognised.”

Local fashion and show consultant Daniel Boey, while happy to see a larger representation of Asian models strutting the catwalk, feels that Asian faces are merely the look of the season.

“It’s just a passing fad — these faces occasionally make a blip on the international circuit when the designers present oriental-inspired collections which in turn are brought about by a big movie which may feature a strong Asian element, for example, Memoirs Of A Geisha.

“However, the world of fashion is still ruled by the Europeans, Canadians and Brazilians,” he asserts.

The Singapore Fashion Festival 2007 will be held from tomorrow to Sunday. Visit www. singaporefashionfestival.com.sg for more details.

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