Chinese model Zhao Lei is my new obsession; He's studying for a medical degree and his ambition is to have his own fashion brand. Hobbies include basketball, swimming and music. I like him for his essential 'niceness': he just seems so nice!
dear max: but this is in response to your celebration of hao hao I didn't have enough time to put in a better case but when I finally get home this weekend you will see what I mean. X
But this is more than good enough for me already dear. An impressive array!
As a matter of fact, I re-posted the last pic where he smiles - so rare! - on my Chinese Weibo, and to a fair amount of fan admiration, too, coming from the Mainlanders themselves.
As you may know, many PRC fashionistos/fashionistas have been rather lukewarm about Mr Zhao too...:(
Dear EA: This is very interesting. I'm very keen to learn why the fashionista mainlanders have not taken to zhaozhao. I was going to try to explore why I'm obsessed with him (or the way he looks anyway). Someone here has said that he looks like he belongs in a wuxia movie - just give him a sword. I think that more or less sums it up: he looks like the traditional chinese hero. He could be a scholar-prince, a monk-prince, a soldier, a poet. He's like a Jay Chou song. He looks the way a Jay Chou song sounds. Does it make sense? If you don't understand this no one will. X
A Jay Chou song embodied - what a Brilliant analogy! Except that I think he's a bit more on the refined side; but just difference in degrees, not in kind.
As to why the Mainland Fashionistos/Fashionistas haven't sufficiently warmed to him: let me qualify by saying that they all seem rather proud of what he has achieved internationally i.e the number of Milan/Paris shows he has walked and editorials for international mags he's done.
But there is also a rather strong sense of 'Why him?'. This becomes clear when you place his look next to, say, that of someone like the actor Huang Xiaoming/黃曉明 or the singer/actor Hu Ge/胡歌 (before his tragic car accident); as the latter two are commonly accepted...
...as the paradigm of 'good-looks', by mainstream Mainland standard.
Put it this way: if a PRC film company were casting for male actors, Mr Zhao would almost inevitably be, I'm fairly sure, placed into a supporting role, rather than that of the leading man, which would go to someone like Mr Huang...:(
Dear EA: But why? That's what I'm interested in. ZZ and Huang Xiaoming are completely different types! In fact the latter is but half ZZ's height surely. HXM has rather a TVB look about him and it never registers that he's from China - i keep thinking of him as being HK. X
Yes - Height would be a problem, as it would be so hard to find matching actresses within even hailing distances - Ms Chi-ling Lin notwithstanding - of these towering model boys!
Or, for that matter, everyone else within the same cast.
As for HXM having a 'TVB' look: that's a very good, and very apt, description. That's precisely the kind of looks that will sell among mainstream Chinese marketS, as it transcends geographical boundaries.
Chinese model Zhao Lei is my new obsession; He's studying for a medical degree and his ambition is to have his own fashion brand. Hobbies include basketball, swimming and music.
I like him for his essential 'niceness': he just seems so nice!
Bravo! So good to see a visual Celebration of the famed Mr Zhao! ;)
ReplyDeleteEA
dear max: but this is in response to your celebration of hao hao I didn't have enough time to put in a better case but when I finally get home this weekend you will see what I mean. X
DeleteDear DG
DeleteBut this is more than good enough for me already dear. An impressive array!
As a matter of fact, I re-posted the last pic where he smiles - so rare! - on my Chinese Weibo, and to a fair amount of fan admiration, too, coming from the Mainlanders themselves.
As you may know, many PRC fashionistos/fashionistas have been rather lukewarm about Mr Zhao too...:(
EA
Dear EA: This is very interesting. I'm very keen to learn why the fashionista mainlanders have not taken to zhaozhao.
DeleteI was going to try to explore why I'm obsessed with him (or the way he looks anyway).
Someone here has said that he looks like he belongs in a wuxia movie - just give him a sword. I think that more or less sums it up: he looks like the traditional chinese hero. He could be a scholar-prince, a monk-prince, a soldier, a poet.
He's like a Jay Chou song. He looks the way a Jay Chou song sounds. Does it make sense?
If you don't understand this no one will.
X
A Jay Chou song embodied - what a Brilliant analogy! Except that I think he's a bit more on the refined side; but just difference in degrees, not in kind.
DeleteAs to why the Mainland Fashionistos/Fashionistas haven't sufficiently warmed to him: let me qualify by saying that they all seem rather proud of what he has achieved internationally i.e the number of Milan/Paris shows he has walked and editorials for international mags he's done.
But there is also a rather strong sense of 'Why him?'. This becomes clear when you place his look next to, say, that of someone like the actor Huang Xiaoming/黃曉明 or the singer/actor Hu Ge/胡歌 (before his tragic car accident); as the latter two are commonly accepted...
...as the paradigm of 'good-looks', by mainstream Mainland standard.
DeletePut it this way: if a PRC film company were casting for male actors, Mr Zhao would almost inevitably be, I'm fairly sure, placed into a supporting role, rather than that of the leading man, which would go to someone like Mr Huang...:(
EA
Dear EA: But why? That's what I'm interested in. ZZ and Huang Xiaoming are completely different types! In fact the latter is but half ZZ's height surely. HXM has rather a TVB look about him and it never registers that he's from China - i keep thinking of him as being HK.
DeleteX
Dear DG
DeleteYes - Height would be a problem, as it would be so hard to find matching actresses within even hailing distances - Ms Chi-ling Lin notwithstanding - of these towering model boys!
Or, for that matter, everyone else within the same cast.
As for HXM having a 'TVB' look: that's a very good, and very apt, description. That's precisely the kind of looks that will sell among mainstream Chinese marketS, as it transcends geographical boundaries.
EA
May I hit it prease?
ReplyDeleteDear beauty: And why not? X
Delete