AsiaNews Magazine Jan10-16,2014 ( Jan 1-7,2014) | Page 50

LIFESTYLE

January 10-16, 2014

teenage boy—have satisfied different clients who
have been hesitant in hiring models with a less-familiar look.
Fashion insiders say
the growth of Korea's
fashion market has contributed to the increased
popularity of Korean
male models.
According to a report by Bain & Company, Korea is the eighth
largest so-called luxury
fashion market, valued
at around 12 trillion
won (US$11.22 billion)
as of last year. Naturally,
the demand for models who can represent
the customers of this
important market has
grown, they say.
"Boys these days
have become taller and
well-proportioned, with

JAE YOO

smaller faces, longer legs
and lean but muscular bodies," notes Choi
Joo-soo, head of CHOII
Entertainment, the agency of Kim Han-su, Kim
Tae-hwan and Jae Yoo.
And the looks clients
prefer reflect Korean reality, too, he says.
"In the past, designers were out for typical
Asian male models—
with long single eyelids,
big cheekbones ... but
look at Kim Tae-hwan
and Jae Yoo, they look
like the cute boys on the
streets of Seoul. This is a
good sign," he says. "And
the models are eager to
work overseas—it seems
to be kind of a dream
come true for them."
But still, the number
of Asian models active in
the international fashion