GRACE GUOZHI
Originally from a small town in Anhui, China, model GRACE GUOZHI is making a big name for herself, notably as the first Chinese model to be featured in a Tiffany & Co. campaign. She landed on the cover of Numero China when she debuted and has also appeared in campaigns for Dsquared2 and Esprit. Recently, she starred in a short film by Yves Saint Laurent Beauty alongside British supermodel Edie Campbell.
Coat & Trousers DRIES VAN NOTEN,
Earrings YSL, Heels CLERGERIE.
INTERVIEWER WEI LIU
PHOTOGRAPHER DOH LEE
WEI LIU: How did you get into modelling?
GRACE GAO: In 2010 I visited a few local agencies in Shanghai, and one of them won’t let me go unless I agreed to sign the contract. I was surprised and a little scared at the same time, but I’ve been modelling since then.
WL: Did you always want to be a model?
GG: No, actually my dream job was to be a kindergarten teacher because I enjoy spending time with children. I went to Shanghai and wanted to get a job there at that time, and I had a bet with my mom: she believed I would go back home in one month. She was right, but I planned to stay 31 days so I could still win. And in the last couple days of that month, I already packed my stuff, but one of my friends suggested I go to a modelling agency. I agreed, and the rest is the history.
WL: I know you stayed in New York and Paris before, why are you based in London now?
GG: It’s the market. There weren’t many Asian girls when I started working in New York, and it’s not easy to get booked as an Asian model, because the clients always only need one or none. I moved to London because I felt it might have less competition, plus I love experiencing a new city.
Jacket & Earrings CHANEL
“Modelling is not as glamorous as people think. It also takes hard work, persistence, and a thick skin to make it in this industry. ”
WL: Do you feel stressed when you see many new Asian faces coming to London?
GG: Not really, it’s true that you will get more opportunities if you are a new face, but there are still many jobs that need experienced model. I have been here for a few years now, I am considering moving back to China for a while.
WL: What’s the most challenging thing for you as a model?
GG: Confidence. Just imagine the one thing that’s given you an inferiority complex for the past 20 years, and now you have to use it and show everyone that you are comfortable and confident about it. It’s difficult not to take things personally when your body is your product. I still lack confidence sometimes even as a model, I am often told I am too tall for work.
WL: I thought you would say that it’s missing your family.
GG: I am getting used to it now. I still remember crying almost every day when I started working in Paris when I was 20, I cried a lot on the Chinese New Year, that was the first time spending the New year just by myself in a foreign country.
WL: Do you ever cry because of work?
GG: Not often, but yes. Before I started working overseas, I only had five months of modelling experience in China. I was prepared that I wouldn’t get booked that much in a foreign market, but when I was told none of the clients wanted me after running to ten castings in one day, I couldn’t help but cry.
Coat & Trousers Ermenegildo Zegna,
Earrings ATELIER D’ORNEMENTS.
WL: What does it take to become a successful model?
GG: It really depends on your definition of success. Do you want to make a living or become famous? Modelling is not as glamorous as people think. It also takes hard work, persistence, and a thick skin to make it in this industry. You also need a bit of luck sometimes.
WL: What accomplishments have given you the most satisfaction from this job?
GG: I bought two small flats and a car in China, now I have my own place to stay and I can have road trip holidays with my friends and family. I wouldn’t have even dreamed of having all this before. And I know it sounds superficial, but whenever someone sends me a picture of me from a magazine or billboards they found, I feel so happy!
WL: Is there anything else you want to achieve in your career?
GG: I would love to walk for more shows. I have done many different kinds of photo shoots, advertising, editorial, even acting in short videos, but I didn’t have much of a chance to walk on the runway because of my height. I wish I could be 2 inches shorter sometimes.
Blazer & Trousers BROOKS BROTHERS
STYLIST CARLOS MANGUBAT
HAIR STYLIST ALEX JAMES
MAKEUP ARTIST HIROAKI IWATA
PHOTOGRAPHER ASSISTANT ANNE DANAO
PRODUCER WEI LIU
This profile was originally published in The WOW N° 1, 2019.