Liu Wen
Encyclopedia
Liu Wen is a Chinese
fashion model. She is the first model of East Asian descent to walk the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. In 2010, she became a face of Estée Lauder
alongside Constance Jablonski
.
, a city in the Hunan
province of China
. Because of China's official "one-child" policy Liu is an only child. Before modeling full time she was working as a tour guide
. Her mother encouraged her to be professional, to eat well, and to enter the modeling contest which led to Liu Wen's discovery.
, hoping to win a computer which was the main prize. She won the contest and began working as a model after the contest, becoming a national success when she landed the cover of Chinese FHM
at this, the very beginning her modeling career. She then began working for Chinese fashion magazines like Vogue
and Harper's Bazaar
.
In September 2007, Liu caught the eye of the international fashion industry when she shot a Cosmo
editorial in clothes designed by Karl Lagerfeld
and Viktor and Rolf and would later walk for each designer. She then was invited to Paris
in 2008, and signed with Marilyn Agency
.
In February of the same year, she appeared in four editorials for Chinese Vogue
. She debuted on the international runways in the same month, closing the fall Trussardi show in Milan, and also walked for Shiatzy Chen
, Chanel
, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Hermès
.
For the Spring 2009 season, she appeared in seven major campaigns, including DKNY Jeans
, The GAP
, Barneys New York
, Benetton
, Alexander Wang
, Converse, and cKone
. She has also appeared in campaigns for Bergdorf Goodman
, Calvin Klein
, Alexander Wang
, Dolce & Gabbana
, and Vivienne Tam
. She has appeared in editorials for Chinese Elle
, Marie Claire
, Harper's Bazaar
, Allure
, i-D
(as well as a cover), Interview
, V magazine, W
, and the Italian, American, Chinese, British, Portuguese, German, French, Spanish, and Teen editions of Vogue
In 2009, Liu became the first woman of East Asian descent to walk the Victoria's Secret
Fashion Show. Liu also participated in the 2010 show.
For the Spring 2010 Ready-to-wear season, she walked 70 shows in New York, Paris and Milan which made her the second most booked model for the season following French model Constance Jablonski
.
In April 2010, it was announced that Liu and Jablonski would join the roster of faces of the cosmetics company Estée Lauder
. Liu is the first Asian face of the company.
She is currently ranked 6th on the Top 50 Models Women List by models.com.
Before modelling, Liu studied tourism
and worked as a tour guide where she met people from many different countries. After modeling she thinks she might try being a photographer or an actress. She enjoys modeling and working in the fashion industry with many talented, friendly people, but she would regard fashion designing as "very hard work."
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
fashion model. She is the first model of East Asian descent to walk the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. In 2010, she became a face of Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder Companies
Estée Lauder Companies, Inc. is a manufacturer and marketer of prestige skincare, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. The company has its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.-History:...
alongside Constance Jablonski
Constance Jablonski
Constance Jablonski is a French model. In 2006, she entered the French Elite Model Look Contest. As of 2010, she became one of the newer faces of Estée Lauder alongside Liu Wen and Joan Smalls.-Early life:...
.
Early life
Liu was born on January 27, 1988, in YongzhouYongzhou
Yongzhou is a prefecture-level city in the Hunan province of China.YongZhou is located in the central and south of China, on the southern side of Xiang River, which is formed by the confluence of the Xiao and Xiang rivers. Yongzhou is one of the four ancient counties in Hunan; it is 2000 years old...
, a city in the Hunan
Hunan
' is a province of South-Central China, located to the south of the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and south of Lake Dongting...
province of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. Because of China's official "one-child" policy Liu is an only child. Before modeling full time she was working as a tour guide
Tour guide
A tour guide provides assistance, information and cultural, historical and contemporary heritage interpretation to people on organized tours, individual clients, educational establishments, at religious and historical sites, museums, and at venues of other significant interest...
. Her mother encouraged her to be professional, to eat well, and to enter the modeling contest which led to Liu Wen's discovery.
Early career and success
Liu started her modeling career in 2005 when she entered the New Silk Road World Model Contest, a contest previously won by international covergirl Du JuanDu Juan
Du Juan is a Chinese fashion model and former ballerina. She has been touted as the world's first international Chinese supermodel.-Early life:...
, hoping to win a computer which was the main prize. She won the contest and began working as a model after the contest, becoming a national success when she landed the cover of Chinese FHM
FHM
FHM, originally published as For Him Magazine, is an international monthly men's lifestyle magazine.- History :The magazine began publication in 1985 in the United Kingdom under the name For Him and changed its title to FHM in 1994 when Emap Consumer Media bought the magazine, although the full For...
at this, the very beginning her modeling career. She then began working for Chinese fashion magazines like Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
and Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
.
In September 2007, Liu caught the eye of the international fashion industry when she shot a Cosmo
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
editorial in clothes designed by Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld is a German fashion designer, artist and photographer based in Paris. He has collaborated on a variety of fashion and art related projects, most notably as head designer and creative director for the fashion house Chanel...
and Viktor and Rolf and would later walk for each designer. She then was invited to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 2008, and signed with Marilyn Agency
Marilyn Agency
Marilyn Agency is a modeling agency based in Paris, France. Founder and CEO Marilyn Gauthier brought the agency to New York City in 1998. Marylin has represented Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss, as well as models like Caroline Trentini, Alice Burdeu, and Coco Rocha.-Fashion models:The following...
.
In February of the same year, she appeared in four editorials for Chinese Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
. She debuted on the international runways in the same month, closing the fall Trussardi show in Milan, and also walked for Shiatzy Chen
Shiatzy Chen
Shiatzy Chen is a Taiwanese fashion house, whose founder and brand innovator Wang Chen Tsai-Hsia is often referred to as the Chanel of Taiwan,and is the eponym of her luxury goods brand. She was born in 1951 in Changhua, Taiwan and founded the company in 1978...
, Chanel
Chanel
Chanel S.A. is a French fashion house founded by the couturier Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, well established in haute couture, specializing in luxury goods . She gained the name "Coco" while maintaining a career as a singer at a café in France...
, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Hermès
Hermès
Hermès International S.A., or simply Hermès is a French high fashion house established in 1837, today specializing in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfumery, luxury goods, and ready-to-wear...
.
For the Spring 2009 season, she appeared in seven major campaigns, including DKNY Jeans
DKNY
DKNY is a label of fashion designer Donna Karan. It is also the name of a clothing store in New York City featuring Donna Karan's associated line.-History:...
, The GAP
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
, Barneys New York
Barneys New York
Barneys New York is a chain of luxury department stores headquartered in New York City. The chain owns large stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Scottsdale, and smaller stores in other locations across the United States.Brands sold include...
, Benetton
Benetton Group
Benetton Group S.p.A. is a global luxury fashion brand, based in Treviso, Italy. The name comes from the Benetton family who founded the company in 1965. Benetton Group is listed in Milan....
, Alexander Wang
Alexander Wang (designer)
Alexander Wang is a Taiwanese-American fashion designer.At age 18, he moved to New York to attend Parsons The New School for Design to study fashion design. After dropping out in his sophomore year, he launched his first women's ready-to-wear collection in 2007...
, Converse, and cKone
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
. She has also appeared in campaigns for Bergdorf Goodman
Bergdorf Goodman
Bergdorf Goodman is a luxury goods department store based on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The company was founded in 1899 by Herman Bergdorf and was later owned and managed by Edwin Goodman, and later his son Andrew Goodman....
, Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
, Alexander Wang
Alexander Wang (designer)
Alexander Wang is a Taiwanese-American fashion designer.At age 18, he moved to New York to attend Parsons The New School for Design to study fashion design. After dropping out in his sophomore year, he launched his first women's ready-to-wear collection in 2007...
, Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana is an Italian luxury industry fashion house. The company was started by the Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in Milan, Italy. By 2005 their turnover was €597 million....
, and Vivienne Tam
Vivienne Tam
Vivienne Tam is a fashion designer based in New York City. She was born in Guangzhou, China and moved to Hong Kong at the age of three. She attended Hong Kong Polytechnic University....
. She has appeared in editorials for Chinese Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
, Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Marie Claire is a monthly women's magazine first published in France but also distributed in other countries with editions specific to them and in their languages. While each country shares its own special voice with its audience, the United States edition focuses on women around the world and...
, Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
, Allure
Allure (magazine)
Allure is the leading U.S. women’s beauty magazine, published monthly by Condé Nast in New York City. It was founded in 1991 by editor in chief Linda Wells, who has been at the helm of the magazine ever since. From its inception, the magazine has been widely recognized for its intelligent,...
, i-D
I-D
i-D is a British magazine dedicated to fashion, music, art and youth culture. i-D was founded by designer and former Vogue art director Terry Jones in 1980. The first issue was published in the form of a hand-stapled fanzine with text produced on a typewriter...
(as well as a cover), Interview
Interview (magazine)
Interview is an American magazine which has the nickname The Crystal Ball Of Pop. It was founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol. The magazine features intimate conversations between some of the world's biggest celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thinkers...
, V magazine, W
W (magazine)
W is a monthly American fashion magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, who purchased original owner Fairchild Publications in 1999. It was created in 1971 by the publisher of sister magazine Woman's Wear Daily, James Brady. The magazine is an oversize format – ten inches wide and...
, and the Italian, American, Chinese, British, Portuguese, German, French, Spanish, and Teen editions of Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
In 2009, Liu became the first woman of East Asian descent to walk the Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret
Victoria's Secret is an American retailer of women's wear, lingerie and beauty products. It is the largest segment of publicly-traded Limited Brands with sales of over US$5 billion and an operating income of $1 billion in 2006...
Fashion Show. Liu also participated in the 2010 show.
For the Spring 2010 Ready-to-wear season, she walked 70 shows in New York, Paris and Milan which made her the second most booked model for the season following French model Constance Jablonski
Constance Jablonski
Constance Jablonski is a French model. In 2006, she entered the French Elite Model Look Contest. As of 2010, she became one of the newer faces of Estée Lauder alongside Liu Wen and Joan Smalls.-Early life:...
.
In April 2010, it was announced that Liu and Jablonski would join the roster of faces of the cosmetics company Estée Lauder
Estée Lauder Companies
Estée Lauder Companies, Inc. is a manufacturer and marketer of prestige skincare, makeup, fragrance and hair care products. The company has its headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.-History:...
. Liu is the first Asian face of the company.
She is currently ranked 6th on the Top 50 Models Women List by models.com.
Before modelling, Liu studied tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
and worked as a tour guide where she met people from many different countries. After modeling she thinks she might try being a photographer or an actress. She enjoys modeling and working in the fashion industry with many talented, friendly people, but she would regard fashion designing as "very hard work."
External links
- The First Asian Face of Estée Lauder
- Parker, Nick. "How a small-town girl became China's first supermodel." CNNCNNCable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
. September 30, 2011.
- Estee Lauder Commercial: "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_5sM39PM7M&feature=feedf