Ishie Wang: The name behind the face 改寫海外華裔模特兒歷史的王旖溪

Interviewed by Jennifer J. Lau

Edited by Caroline Huang

EDITOR & ART DIRECTOR: DEBORAH LAU-YU | PHOTOGRAPHER: CHRISTIE VUONG  | INTERVIEWED BY JENNIFER LAU | CHINESE WRITING BY CAROLINE HUANG | VENUE: SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, TORONTO | HAIR: CHRISTINE CHUNG | FASHION: GUCCI, PRADA, MULBERRY | JEWELLERY: VAN CLEEF & ARPELS

AS SEEN IN FÊTE CHINOISE MAGAZINE EDITION NO.5: DREAMS TAKE FLIGHT As Seen in fête chinoise magazine edition no.5: dreams take flight 

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An artistic child

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You may recognize Ishie Wang’s face immediately: she is one of the prominent Asian models in Canadian advertisements for Roots, Hudson’s Bay, Sporting Life, and The Shopping Channel. From an early age, her family clearly envisioned a cultivated life of aesthetics and artistic appreciation for her. Ishie began learning piano at the age of 3 1/2, studied calligraphy and Chinese painting at the age of 4, and learned erhu at 6 and percussion instruments at 8. By the age of 11, she had completed her Grade 9 Piano certification and was recognized in numerous musical competitions. After immigrating to Canada at the age of 14, Ishie went on to pursue Visual Studies and International Relations, highly enjoyable areas that fed her soul. At the University of Toronto, the major in Visual Studies provided her the opportunity to study great artists and the major in International Relations allowed her to learn more about the world through economics, history, and politics. As curious and well-learned as she was, her parents likely never dreamed that she would become a top Canadian model.

成長故事

如果留意過 Roots、Hudson's Bay 等品牌的廣告，你可能對王旖溪的臉有幾分熟悉，但不一定知道她的名字或她的故事。旖溪是一位出色的模特兒。從小，家庭對旖溪的期望就很高，也投入很多精力培養她的藝術修養和審美能力。旖溪從3歲半開始學習鋼琴，4歲學習書法和國畫，6歲學習二胡，8歲學習手風琴和馬林巴琴等樂器，11歲的時候就已經獲得了中央音樂學院鋼琴9級證書和各種樂器比賽的獎項。14歲，旖溪移民到加拿大，後來進入多倫多大學主修視覺藝術和國際關係雙學位，不僅有機會近距離剖析大師的真跡，也養成了從經濟、歷史、政治、教育各方面全面了解世界的習慣。在對她充滿信心的家人和朋友們的見證下，這個好學活潑的孩子逐漸成長為一名加拿大知名的華裔模特兒。

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The bridge between China and Canada

Ishie became a model after being spotted by an agent upon completing her undergraduate degree. Acquiring the basic essentials of modelling through hard work and experience, she learned the significance of maintaining good physical fitness, juggling time management and stress, as well as having an unwavering sense of self-discipline. Because the environment for each photo shoot is unpredictable, physical ability is the most important foundation. Most brands shoot their advertising content 3 to 6 months in advance, therefore shooting seasonal clothing out of season is the norm. One must be ready for every season, during any given season. Moreover, models are sometimes asked to pose in difficult positions for a long period of time, which also requires flexibility and dexterity. Witnessing Ishie in action during a photoshoot is spectacular because she is able to strike any pose while adding an unexpected and light dose of humour.

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Her positive, optimistic outlook and response to any request makes her a pleasure to work with. Between frames, Ishie shares that work and love are both very important in her life. Family is the spiritual foundation of everything she does. She believes that every stage of her own life and for all women should be maximized: to study when young, chase dreams when able, and form families when love has been found. She references a Chinese idiom that echoes this sentiment.

When asked about her ethnicity, Ishie is very proud of her Chinese roots, especially in modelling: “I love my skin tone and dark hair and how my thought process embodies Eastern and Western philosophies. There are many outstanding models to choose from for any show and I feel very honoured when selected. In the past ten years, I have done shows in Toronto, New York, and Milan for hundreds of Fashion Week events. What is the most unforgettable is the fact that I can represent Asian culture on a multicultural stage, because I am often the only Asian face or model on the runway.”

Speaking fluent Mandarin and English, and having a working knowledge of Cantonese, Ishie has served as a judge for the Miss Toronto Chinese Pageant since 2015. Learning a great deal from one of Canada’s largest Chinese television companies, Fairchild TV, she became acquainted with industry veterans and learned about the hard and meticulous work required for such a large-scale production. A few years before, her cousin participated in the pageant and Ishie had the chance to be a guest supporter. She was touched and loved how the pageant gave women a stage to live out their dreams since then. She exclaims: “Whenever I witness the moment of crowning on the champion, I feel my eyes water as if my own dreams just came true. I am extremely lucky to be able to serve the Chinese community in this way.”

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加拿⼤與中國⽂化的橋樑

旖溪大學畢業後，很快就被模特兒公司聘請入職。維持良好的身體素質，精準的時間管理、抗壓管理和工作生活中嚴格的自律，都是作為職業模特的基本要求。每次拍攝的環境和溫度都是無法預期的，由於品牌通常需要在產品上市前三到六個月把廣告內容拍好，反季節拍攝成為職業模特工作的常態；此外，一些工作需要長時間擺出高難度動作，維持良好的身體素質也成為貫穿模特生涯的重點要求。在 Fête Chinoise 為旖溪拍攝的過程當中，我們團隊就親自見證了她高度的靈活性和獨有的幽默感。

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她樂觀開朗的性格讓在場的每個人都感到特別輕鬆。換裝時，旖溪還特別提到人生中最重要的主題：工作與愛。對她而言，幸福的家庭是重要的精神支柱。有一句話她深信不疑：「花開堪折直須折，莫待无花空折枝」，也就是人應該去做適合自己每個年齡段的事，才能最大程度地發揮身體和思想的價值。「我提倡在女人最適合讀書的時候去讀書，在最適合追夢的時候去追夢，在找到相愛的另一半時去勇敢地組建家庭。」

「我很自豪生為中國人，我不僅愛我的黃皮膚和黑頭髮，更愛我的半傳統半西方的思維方式。在一些工作中我的體貌特徵甚至可以代表整個亞洲。」原來模特的每一個工作任務、每一場秀，都經歷了在一眾同樣優秀的女孩中千挑萬選的過程。在過去的十年裡，旖溪在多倫多、紐約以及米蘭時裝週走過大大小小上百場秀；作為以多元文化著稱的的多倫多的一份子，代表亞洲去傳播現代美的理念，一直是讓她自豪的事情。

能說流利的普通話、英語以及一些粵語的旖溪，從2015年起擔任了多倫多華裔小姐競選評審團評委。通過和加拿大規模最大、最正規，歷史也最悠久的中文電視台新時代電視（Fairchild TV）合作，她學習到很多。不僅結識了電視台的很多長輩，看到了一絲不苟、精益求精的做事風格，更切身感受到精雕細琢、凡事做到極致的「匠心精神」。九年前，她的表姐參加了2010年多倫多華裔小姐競選。作為她的支持者，王旖溪在總決賽現場觀看了整場精彩的角逐，從此就特別嚮往那個讓女生夢想成真的舞台：「每當我在現場觀看一年一度的盛宴，看到台上女生由海選到決賽一路走來，看到冠軍摘到后冠時的激動和淚水，彷彿我自己也美夢成真了一樣。可以為華人社會做一點點事，我感到非常幸運。」

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Ishie Group Modeling Studio

Ishie has always loved helping friends around her change their look with make up as well as improve their general aesthetic perspective, especially in relation to Eastern and Western beauty standards. Friends would often ask her to take a final look whenever they had somewhere special to go – from important occasions to job interviews. Over time, these same friends began to advise Ishie to help more women with similar needs, and a pattern emerged as an opportunity. That was a turning point in her life.

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Quietly observing the market for a few years, Ishie set up the Ishie Group Modeling Studio in 2018. Every weekend has been filled with workshops on make-up application to those on model training. Whether students are interested in beauty as a hobby or wishing to pursue dreams of acting, Ishie helps them master skills and correct bad habits in order to enhance self-confidence and form. “Regardless of age and height, I want every girl to have a supermodel-like atmosphere to transform their appearance and soul. I hope that by careful instruction, my students will be unafraid to enter mainstream beauty contests at home and abroad or realize their dreams of being signed by an internationally renowned model agency.” So far, Ishie is very pleased to see the evolution of her students and to receive their positive feedback. It is these seemingly small validations that have encouraged her to continue to build relationships, mentor the next generation, and forge on. And we wish her the best of luck as she embarks on this entrepreneurial journey that combines her desire to help others while adding diversity to the modelling world.

Ishie Group 模特兒⼯作室

旖溪一直都喜歡幫助身邊有需要的女同學改變她們的形體、妝容及搭配，從東方和西方雙重角度的審美來幫助她們提升個人氣質。這些年來，朋友們每次去參加重要場合或者去工作面試之前，都一定要請旖溪幫忙把關。久而久之，大家都建議她不要只限於幫助身邊的人，而是去幫助所有有類似需要的女性。這也成為旖溪人生中的轉折點。

一邊悄悄觀察市場反應，一邊積累客戶關係，旖溪非常激動地成立了 Ishie Group 模特兒工作室，開始在每個雙休日開課，推出了化妝、形體、模特培訓等項目。無論是前來滿足興趣愛好，還是擁有舞台夢的學員，都在工作室接受了一對一的形體訓練，糾正錯誤習慣，掌握技巧，提升自信，塑造優美的形體。旖溪說：「不論年紀或身體條件，每個女生都可以擁有超模般的氣場，得到從容貌到靈魂的美麗蛻變。我希望我的學員可以登上國內外大型選美比賽，或者實現簽約國際知名模特經紀公司的夢想。」工作室做到現在，讓她最開心的事情就是看到學員的變化和市場積極的反饋。每一個小的進步都讓她更加堅定信念，要堅持初心，把這件事做好。我們也祝願她的事業蒸蒸日上，為模特兒世界增添更多不同族裔的成員。

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