Profile
Best job in the world for local babes
By Meng Jing (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-03-19 08:12
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He Hongjuan, has every girl's dream job, trying on new clothes all day long and presenting her best side to the camera. The Beijing-born beauty shares the highs and lows of being a fashion magazine model with METRO.
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 PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY
Beijing native He Hongjuan poses for leading fashion magazines in town.
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METRO: When and how did you become a fashion model?
A: A few months after I graduated from university, one of my friends decided to participate in an audition held by a fashion magazine and she asked me to go along and support her. The editor of the magazine found me in the crowd and asked me if I want to be a model. I said yes immediately and started modeling part-time.
METRO: Had you ever planned to be a model?
A: Of course not, my childhood dream was to become a policewoman. I actually went to the physical examination for police officers before senior high school. I failed because I was too slim. Then just like other people, I went to university, majoring in electronic commerce. I got a sales job at an advertising company after I graduated.
METRO: What was the most important moment for your modeling career?
A: It must be 2007 when I decided to quit my former sales job to take-up modeling full-time. Both of my parents are workers and they are very traditional. They were strongly opposed to my decision and asked me to find a serious job. But I did it anyway. Then I started to give them more money than before and during the last Spring Festival, I took them aboard and they are very proud of me now.
METRO: Why do you love modeling?
A: I think fashion magazines have a very simple social circle compared to the entertainment business. I don't need to socialize with lots of people. I can simply be myself. Also, it's every girl's dream to wear as many beautiful clothes as they can, and being part of the fashion world means I always know the most trendy styles in advance. A lot of my friends ask me for fashion advice.
METRO: What is your most unforgettable modeling experience?
A: It must be my first shoot for the fashion magazine Seventeen in 2002. It was a special design for the FIFA World Cup. The stylist dressed me like an African; totally changed my skin tone and hairstyle. But the look was very special and unforgettable. It was the first and only time my real name was published in a magazine. After that shoot, people in the fashion magazine circle gave me the nickname Xiaohei, which means little black, and it has been Xiaohei since then.
METRO: What are the differences between magazine models and runway models?
A: The main task for runway models is to show-off the outfits. So they have to be very tall and slim. But magazine models present different styles that people actually wear. We don't need to be very tall but we need good figures. We also need to pose and assume facial expressions that go with the different styles of clothes.
METRO: Is it hard to become a fashion model for magazines?
A: Yes, modeling is a very laborious job. I once did a photo shoot in Guangdong province in summer wearing a sweater and a down jacket. Sometimes, we need to sacrifice a lot in order to get the best photo.
METRO: What's the most important part of being a magazine model?
A: Every detail matters for a magazine model: the skin, the hair, even the fingernails. We need to wear fake fingernails most of the time so that our fingers look slender and delicate. Before every photo shoot, my editor texts me which color they want for my fingernails. The color and style of my hair also continually changes. I dye my hair frequently; no one wants to see a messy model.
METRO: Do you have any other plans for the future?
A: People always ask me if I want to stay in the modeling business forever. The truth is, I do, even though I'm approaching my 30s. Luckily I don't feel like I'm 30 and I don't look like I'm 30. Modeling is something I really like and I plan to do it as long as I can.
