For model Mo Wandan the journey is just getting more exciting.
Far removed from the trappings of the arc lights, China's answer to the glamorous modeling world, Mo has just finished the trial shoot of a cartoon film directed by the famous Japanese film maker Oshii Mamoru. A role she had never imagined would come to a ramp model, Mo is obviously taken in by the versatility her image is able to create. "I was just any other eager cartoon audience until Mamoru came to me with this proposal which seems so exciting," gushes Mo.
The awards have been aplenty, with as many as 20 titles already in her kitty, at the young age of 22. But the real challenge for Mo would be to pull off the cartoon film. "Compared with my earlier experiences, this one's so much more rigorous, with the shooting involving photos of detailed parts including eyes, eyebrows, nose and ears. Further, one has to keep still for several minutes without even batting the eyelids," Mo said.
Starting with a very humble beginning in Guangzhou, Mo today has reached a stage where she is the only Asian model to have walked in all the four international fashion weeks in 2008. In 2009, Mo was also part of the Milan International Fashion Week. These fashion shows happened in just after 3 years of Mo's modeling career.
Though Mo has been honored with so many awards, it is the international fashion shows that give her maximum pride, as she feels she represents her country while on the ramp.
Mo's international ramp shows have exposed her to few realities of the fashion world; Chinese models are merely ornamental on the fashion shows of many designers; Japanese faces dominate this industry as there are more international fashion brands from that country; and most important, the rapid rise of China's economy has slowly earned her an entry into brands like Dior and Armani. "Now they need Chinese faces to sell these brands in a much richer China," Mo explains.
