One can not lose the courage of risking." It is due to this motto that fashion stylist, Maya Hsu, left her successful career in Taiwan and came to Shanghai to explore a new field.
Hsu was a veteran stylist for the Taiwan fashion industry. Many pop stars and models were her regular clients. However, four years ago, an occasional visit to Shanghai changed her mind and her life.
"I came to Shanghai to help my friend who was doing a stylist job here. Then my friend asked me whether I would like to develop my career in Shanghai," she recalls. Hsu hesitated at first but finally came to the thought that it might be the brand-new start she needed to stimulate her passion for her career.
"At the time, my work in Taiwan was simply repetition, tiring and suffocating. I worked every day without any holiday," she says.
At her arrival in this burgeoning fashion capital, nobody knew her. Hsu didn't worry about not having much work. "I regarded it as a vacation trip, just to relieve myself from my previous position of being overburdened by work," she says.
Hsu doe not like promoting herself but just tried to give each of her clients the very best look. Word of good work always spreads quickly. The first turning point for her was an image design for Channel Young of Shanghai TV Station.
"The officials of Channel Young were very far-sighted. They needed a complete change. Though my price was a bit high at the time, they accepted," says Hsu, who was also very lucky that the location of her studio chosen by her was just next door to Shanghai TV Station.
"I didn't want to exhaust those TV hosts. They were already very tired because of their work," she says, considerately. "So I wanted to create a more comfortable atmosphere and provide them with a moment to relax."
During the two-year cooperation with Channel Young, both sides grew quickly and their reputations spread. Hsu was rewarded with a bundle of work and contracts.
She has supervised make-up and style for many important fashion shows, including Gucci, Cartier, Chanel, Max Mara, Escada, Anna Sui, Boss, Nike, Swarovski, Lanvin and BCBG. She has also joined the commercial shootings including Tiger Beer, Shanghai Tang, Nokia, Coca-Cola, Estee Lauder, Tony & Guy and Just Gold.
She was the first and only Chinese image stylist for the Elite Model Look 2004 International (China) finals. In the same year, she was chosen as one of the "Top 10 Chinese Women in China" to attend luncheon with Jacques Chirac's wife, Bernadette Chirac, at Yoogfoo Elite Club in Shanghai at the time of "The Year of France in China." Other elite Chinese women included artist Jiang Qionger and dancer Jin Xing.
"Actually I was the last person added to this list. It was Bettina Rheims, French President Jacques Chirac's exclusive photographer, who told Mrs Chirac about me," she says. As an assistant to Rheims when she shot her collection "Shanghai Women," Rheims was obviously happy with the work of her Chinese partner Hsu.
Hsu was excited telling about her experience of having lunch with Mrs Chirac: "I really feel proud of it."
Before 2005, Hsu had already earned herself prestige among fashion circles. However, it was the styling work she did for "Super Girls," a TV blockbuster singing contest held by Hunan Satellite TV and Chinese equivalent of "American Idol," that has pushed her into the attention of the public, especially for that signature costume, short skirt with long pants, for the tomboy winner, Li Yuchun.
Hsu says she actually started to work with Hunan Satellite TV even before her cooperation with Channel Young.
During the half year stay with these young people, Hsu says she enjoyed it a lot for she has a similar "child's mind" to them. "With them, I was like their sister. They stimulated me. We've got sparks. They like me for the way I treated them. I could see their purity, their persistence in the pursuit of their dreams," recalls Hsu.
For this, though they are "children" to this 40-year-old stylist, Hsu can't help giving a hand to realize their dreams. She tried her best to dig out their shining points but without stealing their limelight.
"Many think that Li's style was so great. But I wasn't really satisfied with it. If without haste, without so many restrictions, I should have done better. Anyway, I never feel contented," Hsu chuckles. "'Super Girls' was such a miracle."
After the contest, there was a charity auction of clothing, jewelry and other goods belonging to the top contestants of "Super Girls" in Shanghai. "I was glad that my work could benefit those people in need," Hsu says.
The auction finally raised more than 650,000 yuan (US$80,000) for Shanghai Charity Foundation. The money would be used to assist underprivileged university students.
Hsu started to develop her interest in this job when she was a little girl. "My family was not rich. I had little pocket money while candies were so attractive to me. At the time, a haircut cost a lot." In order to save money, Hsu found scissors which were used in kitchen and thread and tried to cut her own hair. "The first try was terrible, but after that I did better and better. I have loved taking risk since then," she smiles.
Hsu started work as a hairdresser at the age of 17. "Because I thought you could wear different clothes every day, but it's impossible for you to change your hairstyle every day. And the hairstyle does give the main first impression."
Hsu is proud of her hair-cutting work: "My clients said the hairstyle I did was poisonous. No matter how long after the cutting - one month, two month, or even a year - it always had a style."
From hair-cutting to make-up and from make-up to fashion design, Hsu gradually developed her potential. Before moving to Shanghai, she flew to Europe every fashion season and did make-up and styling for many important shows.
"Every time I would stay there for two months although my work lasted only four to five days. The rest of the time was my vacation," she says. "I talked to many people in the European fashion industry. I got many ideas through this exchange."
But why did Shanghai become her next destination? "I prefer this city, first of all, we speak the same language, we share a similar lifestyle. It was a familiar but new environment for me."
Time has proven Hsu's decision to have been a wise one. She has found a larger stage to present herself on: She has done styling for many big fashion magazines including ELLE, Vogue, Figaro, L'OFFICIEL; she was interviewed by editor-in-chief of French ELLE as a Chinese fashion profile; she has supervised image design for hit TV dramas, music awards, beauty competitions and fashion awards; her client list has been topped by Zhang Ziyi, Victoria Beckham, Zhou Xun, Rosamund Kwan, Hsu Chi, Joey Wong and Cheung A-Mei.
"I love Shanghai. It is for me a place to pursue and realize my dreams. It is so glorious and multiple that it can assimilate any new happening," she note.
And what's more, Hsu loves Shanghai women too. "They are tender but capable. They dress themselves beautiful and they are also practical."
She says "modern" would be the absolute adjective for them. "They are 'big' women. I guess there must be no other place like here where men dominate the kitchen. Shanghai women have been brought up well and they are also taken care of in companies. It's a great feeling that everything from business meetings to private parties are decided by women here," Hsu laughs.
As a stylist, Hsu suggests every woman in this city, no matter how old she is, maintains her own style. "You can find all the most chic elements in the women of this city. I appreciate their bravery. Especially for those senior office ladies, they probably have a good knowledge of all the latest information. They know how to filtrate them and have their own taste."
Hsu also follows the same rule when she designs style for her star clients. "The only difference between other stylists and me is probably that I never criticize. My job is to give others confidence. What I do is to discover his or her shining points and present them," she adds.
Hsu says Shanghai is her favorite place to live. "It's funny as now I have many jobs in other cities. I have to spend a lot of my time out of Shanghai. But I tell others I reside here. I'm afraid of aging, and Shanghai has the best weather and humidity."
(eastday.com February 13, 2006)
