Model Maritess Damian was from the Philippines. She passed on April 2010.

Lecoanet Hemant f/w 1993 - posted by @fakediorpurse

Here's an excerpt from an article taken from femalenetwork com via @liliqouis_moon

Before Paris, there was Manila and Singapore. Standing 5 feet 11 inches with chinita looks, Damian is undeniably a head turner. After learning the ropes of modeling in the 80s, she sashayed into the Asian arena by way of Singapore. It was there that she caught the attention of Karl Lagerfeld in 1990. Then the House of Chanel’s chief designer, Lagerfeld personally invited Damian to try her luck in Paris. She said yes, though her plans were short-term.

“I told myself I would just do one show to cover my expenses. I wanted to get the bakod (fence) of my parents’ house in Parañaque repainted,” she recalls. But Damian’s looks were in demand, and rather than doing just one haute couture show, she did several—Chanel, Lanvin, and Guy Laroche, to name a few. One day, walking along rue St. Dominique, a talent scout hoped to get her to pose for the popular calendar of Italian tiremaker Pirelli, which could’ve been Damian’s ticket to sudden fame, but she nixed it when she found out she had to appear naked.

After that one month, she gave notice she was heading home. The agency handed her the check for her work. It was made in her name for the amount of 400,000 French francs (about P2 million back then). “I asked if they made a mistake. But they didn’t. So I opened an account and decided to stay a few more months.”

“Then I went back to Manila. My father doubted me a little bit because of all the renovations going on in our house. One day he said: ‘Anak, matanong nga kita. Sino’ng pinagtratrabahuhan mo? (roughly translated as, "daughter, which deisgners are you working for?")’ So I told him I modeled for Givenchy, Chanel, but he didn’t recognize any of the names until I said ‘Paco Rabanne.’ Then he said, ‘Ay, ‘ayun. Kilala ko ‘yun,’” ( oh, yeah, that brand I know) Damian recalled with a laugh.

She returned to Paris, determined to test her mettle against scores of models taller and prettier, perhaps, than she was. But Damian knew how to play the game. “You need to be smart and wise to get into fashion big-time. I told myself: ‘I’m not here for nothing.’ This [job] is mine. Every time I saw a line [of models] outside an agency or a fashion house for a casting call, I would walk in there with all confidence. When you present yourself, the designer needs to see the vibes. I researched the designers and what they wanted to achieve with their looks. That was how I was able to adapt,” says Damian.

As her 20s went by, Damian knew modeling couldn’t be a lifetime career, as models begin in Paris as early as 15. “I decided to make the most of my experience by taking advantage of opportunities so I can do something big in the future. I’ll go to a place where I can earn a lot.” And this she did, personally working with Yves Saint Laurent as his permanent fitting and fashion show model until Chloé came along with a more tempting offer.

In 1997, Damian joined Chloé as its house model and consultant, putting to the test her skills in interpreting the concepts of designers and executing them. It was here that she met Stella McCartney, then an up-and-coming designer who, along with Phoebe Philo, turned Chloé around with their sporty, youthful look. “The vibes with everyone was really great. The team was cool. I had a chance to express myself and do the T-shirt and sunglasses collection with the permission of Stella. That was the beginning, when I found out my creative side.

-- More here V

Source: https://www.femalenetwork.com/lifestyle/features/maritess-damian

more of her at lecoanet hemant f/w 1993 couture

i believe this is also her at guy laroche f/w 1995 rtw

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6 hours ago, fakediorpurse said:

i believe this is also her at guy laroche f/w 1995 rtw

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Thank you!