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LIU WEN

MODEL.

PARIS. IN COLLABORATION WITH CHANEL

 

Liu Wen's name is frequently followed by her impressive list of firsts as a Chinese model in a largely, well, white-washed industry. A little refresher: she was the first East Asian woman to walk Victoria's Secret (like, ever) and the first Asian to lock down a contract with Estée Lauder (yup, ever), too. Oh, and then there's the whole social media thing. In terms of digital influence, Wen's got it down. She sees your ardent Twitter following and raises you 1 million on Instagram and another 13-effing-million on Weibo. Vogue called her the first ever (there it is again) Chinese supermodel. So it wasn't exactly surprising, when, in the middle of an especially whirlwind fashion week (a few days before she jetted off to Taiwan, mind you), Wen was nothing but a consummate professional when we showed up at her hotel room door and proceeded to raid her suitcase(s).

By professional, we mean Wen was down for juuuuust about anything—including both climbing inside her hotel's shower and onto a towering ledge overlooking the courtyard—all in the name of a good photo. Greeting us in her cozy robe, she filled us in on her next bout of non-stop travel over coffee and croissants as we raided the rolling rack of CHANEL (including about a billion pairs of shiny-and-new eyewear, which, BTW, are now shoppable for the first time ever) awaiting our arrival. Turns out when your name is usually followed by a slew of superlatives the way Wen's is, the perks include things like the aforementioned rack just falling into place and apparating in whatever city you find yourself in that week.

As a surprise to no one, Wen's beauty routine is pretty ironclad—consider it a necessary not-so-evil of her insane travel schedule. “Everything starts with facial cleansing—skincare is super important to me. A good mask is the way to go. Sometimes I'll go to a facialist for some stronger treatments, and other times, I'll use Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair,” she explained. And should her go-to regimen of lotions and potions not do the trick after an especially crazy night? There's always a pair (or half dozen) of CHANEL sunglasses she can toss on to cover things up. Yup. Perks.

 

“My venture into the [modeling] business was totally unexpected. My parents only wanted me to get used to having better posture when they encouraged me to join the modeling ranks, so none of us ever thought it would become an actual career. I no longer remember my first job, unfortunately. But I do remember this detail about my first casting, I wore really thick clothes and looked like a loaf of bread. Soon after becoming a model I realized that I sincerely enjoyed this business. It gave me many refreshing and surprising experiences and it enabled me to keep challenging myself.”

 

“[inside my bag you’d find] my cellphone, wallet, keys, plus a red lipstick and my earphones.”

 

“It's impossible to pick just one [career highlight]. I think many different moments have defined who I am today, and it's the overall experience that's a highlight of life.”

 

“My travel essentials are actually mindsets: not to be stressed out by any sudden schedule changes and to always remember that the sights I see are all beautiful. Everything I encounter is fated, so I should just take them in a little bit at a time.”

 

“[From China I miss] the food, of course! There's nothing like authentic Chinese cooking.”

 

“I don't really have a sense of ‘day’ due to how my schedule is. Weekdays and weekends kind of blend together, and any day between jobs is a break. When I do have time to rest, though, I enjoy just spending it at home with a cup of tea, or I clean my apartment while playing music in the background.”

 

“Even all these seasons later I still don't think I'm very good at this kind of [beauty] thing. I either just leave my hair down or put it in a simple ponytail, and I either don't put on any makeup or just apply a touch of lipstick. I guess staying simple and natural is my tip, because for me it's the truest kind of beauty.”

 

“[if I wasn’t modeling] I would love another job where I can just keep traveling the world. Maybe a nature/scenery photographer.”

 

“New York is the city I've lived in for the second longest period. The (mostly) structured street layouts are fitting for someone like me, who easily gets lost. My favorite thing is observing all the different people that either visit NYC or live here. Watching them come and go, always in a rush like I am, but still seeming full of energy—that motivates me time and again.”

 

“[On Instagram] I share what my own eyes perceive, or capture, a true personal moment as seen through another's eyes.”

 

“Almost everyone knows about my modeling contest story, but I think my true ‘discovery’ came when I went to my first magazine photo shoot. Back then, the creative director Joseph Carle, gave me my first solo magazine editorial in China. After that, others slowly began to take notice.”

 

“[The most treasured items in my wardrobe are] oversized white t-shirts and dress shirts. Plus bags and sneakers of all colors and styles.”

 

“[My personal style is] simple, comfortable, with that dash of tomboy.”

 

“[My best career advice is] always be punctual.”

 

“Once I had to be driven directly to the studio right after getting off the plane, then as soon as the shoot was over I returned to the airport to travel to another country. This job has pretty inherently ‘crazy’ moments, but they're also unique experiences. I end up with a lot of interesting stories to tell other people.”

 

“Everything starts with facial cleansing—skincare is super important to me. You have to keep the skin clear in order to nurture it long-term. A good mask is the way to go. Sometimes I'll go to a facialist for some stronger treatment and other times I'll use Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair.”

 

“I use social media to help everyone become familiar with who I really am, so they understand that outside of magazine pages and catwalks I'm more than just a clothes hanger. I have my own perspectives and lifestyle.”

 

“I can't live without my desire to move at a swift pace. I'm learning how to slow down a little, but I think speeding through is already a habit.”

 

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