It's been four years since David Chiang graduated from Blanche Macdonald. In that time, the tall 23-year old with beautiful jet-black hair has exploded on to the fashion scene, becoming one of the top male models in the world. His striking good looks have made him a favourite of many of the world's most iconic designers: Paul Smith, John Varvatos and the late Alexander McQueen. The Taiwanese-born Canadian model even caught the attention of Karl Lagerfeld who commented on his "beautiful Chinese girl" good looks. A self described nerd who grew up in Vancouver with aspirations of becoming a teacher, Chiang hopes to model for as long as he can and looks forward to exploring other aspects of the fashion industry.
How did you get your start?
A lot of people told me I should give modeling a try but I really didn't know it was all about. I thought a male model was the typical Dolce Gabbana or Calvin Klein underwear types. I eventually checked it out and posted my pictures on Models.com. Two weeks later a fashion director emailed me and invited me to come out to Toronto for some test shots. He loved my face. I was living in Burnaby and had never travelled outside the Vancouver area before. Shortly afterwards I was signed to Elmer Olson. I was pretty excited.
Is being Asian an advantage or disadvantage in the modeling world?
Both. An advantage is that you stand out, but there are a lot of Asian models out there. As China is becoming a bigger market, designers are paying more attention.
Are you as comfortable with the whole androgynous label?
It's to your advantage, especially with the whole gender-bending trend. I was quite honored to walk as a female. You get more opportunities and more attention. Though I don't work that often wearing women's clothing, they get paid a lot more.
Best part of the job?
You have a chance to meet a lot of amazing and talented people. When you meet some of these people in person it is totally different than seeing them on television. I've seen Donatella on television and she looks fine but when I met her in person it was a totally different story.
Worst?
Getting lost. There is a language barrier. I don't speak French, I don't speak Spanish and I don't speak Italian, so when I'm talking to the drivers it can be hard. I have to show them pictures of where I want to go. When I first went to Paris I took pictures of everything so I'd have photos to explain what I wanted and where I wanted to go.
What was Alexander McQueen like to work with?
Meeting him was like magic. I was at the casting, and he appeared suddenly behind a glass door and told me to stay for my fitting. He was exactly what people say he is. He was very quiet, very humble, and very detail oriented. When I was doing a fitting with him, he was fussing about my outfit because I was slimmer and he was upset with the atelier because it wasn't looking like the way he wanted. Meeting him was like magic.
What would you say to anyone wanting to get into modeling?
Be yourself. Some make it and some don't. Every season there are some 800 male models out there fighting for jobs and a lot of them don't make it. Some models get one show per season. Others get 20. Some models work for three to four years. Others start off well in the beginning and vanish six months later. So just be you.
Where's home right now?
I haven't decided yet. I kind of want to base myself in Paris. I have a lot of friends there.
Best life lesson you've learned?
Being able to survive- cooking! One thing you could change about the world?
To be more eco-friendly.
Most thankful for?
The DNA that gave me the ability to do what I'm doing.
One thing you can't live without? Money, I don't think I would look good dressed like a gypsy.
Last $20 bucks to your name, how would you spend it?
It depends where I am. If I were in Paris I would go to happy hour and get drunk on Mojitos, otherwise I would probably be happy with a really nice meal. All-time favorite movie?
Beauty and the Beast.
Who inspires you?
A lot of different people inspire me in different ways. My mom inspires me by how professional she is about work. I'm inspired by Mother Teresa with her forgiveness. There are a lot of people.
If you could be any celebrity, who would you be?
Definitely not Tom Cruise- Definitely not Britney Spears, she's a bit too much. I think I would rather be myself.
Twitter: @FredAboutTown
