新年快乐!

With the continued opening of the Chinese market, it's been great to see the further acceptance of Asian faces within the fashion industry.

With the successful launch of sister publications from mainstay industry staples -- like Vogue and GQ -- to the Chinese viewership has come the celebration of Asian faces in modeling and the opportunity for ethno-centric editorials.

We here at HDNB wish you a Happy Chinese New Year. We're sure Du Juan wishes the same as well.

image per Vogue China (60 Memorable Fashion Moments) by way of Kazaf @ tFS

GAP 1969 Premium Jeans Ad Campaign

I gave up on the Gap a long time ago. Perhaps it's because boring became de rigeur once their then-CEO Mickey Drexler decided to market the company as the McDonald's of tees, jeans, khakis, and other basics. Or perhaps I just grew up and set my stakes higher.

However, one thing about the Gap that I've never lost respect for is their advertising/marketing machine, rich in creativity and history, and which I won't delve into here save only to say that their current 1969 Premium Jeans campaign does NOT dissapoint. With the clout to garner and dispatch an army of established models in the industry, the Gap even has me taking a second look at their current jeans.

Walking into one of my local stores last week, I found Will Chalker, one of my all-time favorite models (to me, he gives off the perfect mix of masculine but style-conscious) portrayed life-size against the wall. I could have stood there forever just looking/gawking.

At the Mall of America, he's even harder to miss (out of my way girls, you're ruining my view!).

Other notables among the male models include (with their respective fits) Andrew Cooper (Easy), Sasha Knezevic (Loose), Andres Velencoso Segura (Standard), and Noah Mills (Authentic):

Over at womens, the list is just as impressive...I love that they were all familiar names to me: Anja Rubik (Always Skinny), Maryna Linchuk (Sexy Boot), Isabeli Fontana (Curvy), Du Juan (Perfect Boot), Arlenis Sosa (Long & Lean), and Freja Beha Erichsen (Real Straight).

These girls are just gorgeous. End of story. But most impressive to me, is the fact that Carmen Kass is included in the roster! She sports The Boyfriend based on other images I've seen, it's a shame she didn't get a slot on the life-size "hall of fame" display at the Mall of America. Carmen was the first model I ever became enamoured with...waaay back in middle school...