15 Beautiful Models of Southeast Asia
By Meieli Detoni
We’ve profiled hot Asian models before at StyleCrave, but there are just too many from the East to lump into a single post. This time, we’re delving into a Southeast Asian model roundup, from mainland to maritime. Prepare yourself for a flood of perfect features, dark hair, and flawless, tawny skin.
Mey Bun
Brooklyn-born model Mey Bun has gone from a cherubic baby face to an angular dream over the past few years. She might be cutting-edge, but she remains versatile while still being hard to forget. She was the first Asian model sporting a shorn head at spring 2004 shows, and she’s now seen around all the right people with a razored crop.
Angelica Panganiban
Panganiban has a name that’s twist your tongue, and a curvy, cute shape that’ll leave you cross-eyed from Googling her name and trying to find more pics of this Filipina beauty. They aren’t easy to find, by the way, so you might want to console yourself with a few of her modeling/acting colleagues like Charo Ronquillo instead.
Charo Ronquillo
What makes the Philippines so perfect for modeling fodder is that highly unique look you’ll find on the islands. While Angelica Panganiban has soft features and a girly look, Charo Ronquillo has a strong face and a crazy perfect model’s body. If she looks underage, we thought it’s only fair to tell you she’s not.
Sonia Dara
If you recognize one model from India for her bikini bod, it would be Sonia Dara, who graced the pages of Sports Illustrated this year in jeweled triangle bikinis. She’s got huge eyes fringed with soft lashes, a slim and toned frame, and hair-model tousled locks.
Stang Disayanon
Oh, Stang, you might be somewhat despised in Thailand (or so we hear), but you’re more than welcome in the West. Stang happens to be the daughter of millionaire parents, so her modeling career is often brushed to the side. She’s closed enough shows at this point to know that she’s made it, and her versatile look (blonde wig much?) makes her all the more stunning.
Wanida ‘Florence’ Faivre
Half-Thai, half-French Florence Faivre isn’t just a successful model, but a well-known actress in Thailand. Trim but curvaceous, she knows how to pose for candids without looking like a temperamental headcase (we’re not naming names). It’s too bad that she doesn’t do more bikini spreads, because she’s a fine specimen for them.
Azura Vandenberg
Dutch and Indian model Vandenberg flaunts some stunning measurements to complement what many consider an unforgettable face. While Vandenberg rocks the close-ups and portraits in select campaigns, she’s also the possessor of a proportionally pleasing 34-23-34 frame.
Anita Aziz
Anita’s a modeling veteran and has earned her right to be on our list. While many Malaysian models have complained about the influx of foreign-born models snapping up campaigns, Anita’s versatile look helped her rise above the drama. She has a haunting, almost animal stare, and it’s not an easy one to shake.
Fahrani Empel
Petite Fahrani Empel left her native Indonesia to start modeling well before she was 18 and has since been linked to multiple international agencies. She’s perfect model material, with a naturally tawny blush to her skin and some insanely long gams, but she’s also inked with a number of tattoos, some inspired by the countries she’s visited.
Lakshmi Menon
Menon’s face is one you might recognize, with her ruddy-bronze complexion, expressive brows, and strong jaw. Jet black hair and some crazy good genes make her an excellent pick for bikini modeling (she grabbed the cover of Vogue India) as well as a lot of dare-to-bare dresses.
Neha Dhupia
We’re not above recognizing the veterans in the industry, especially ones giving young models a run for their money. Dhupia’s a Bollywood actress who also happened to graduate from Delhi University with honors—the old beauty + brains combination strikes again. Her modeling career accelerated after she placed in the top 10 of the Miss Universe pageant in her early 20′s, and she’s still going strong.
Bao Hoa
Vietnamese-born Bao is signed to a slew of international agencies, including Storm, New York Model Management, and L.A. Models. Her expressive face is classically beautiful, framed by curtains of thick, black hair. With the right styling, she can play dancer, socialite, or party girl. Lucky us.
Kelly Tandiono
Kelly Tandiono, hailing from Indonesia, is much more than a living clothes hanger. Not only does she cut a striking figure in spreads worldwide, but she’s been interviewed in street style features because of her amazing personal style. Face-framing fringe flatters her sharp cheekbones and fine bone structure. Also: legs.
Razia Khan
Khan’s got the full package for a model, with a long, lean frame towering at 6’2”, an expressive face that photographs gorgeously, and a perfectly proportional bust. This Indian model gives mean face to the camera, and you’ll be pleased to know she’s not afraid to model all sorts of lacy lingerie.
Rohini Tiwari
It sounds perfectly appropriate that Rohini Tiwari’s modeled for Godiva Chocolatier, with her hypnotic brown eyes, her cinnamon complexion, and her licorice-glossy hair. Gorgeous on every continent, Tiwari’s been signed to DNA and Models 1. She also has more spunk than the average model, looking spot-on in challenging, edgier spreads.













































Wednesday, September 15, 2010 1:21PM
[...] 15 Beautiful Models of Southeast Asia [...]
Tuesday, December 7, 2010 11:05AM
sorry angelica panganiban is not a supermodel, she is like 5 ft tall and rather… dowdy looking w a pudgy face and body.
Thursday, February 3, 2011 1:41PM
Is this a joke? I see better looking asians everytime I go to the asian grocery store, and I don't even live in Asia. This is just proof that the term "supermodel" means about as much nowadays as "nobel prize winner." Skinny with long legs and ugly face does not equal supermodel.