Facing east

Lakshmi Menon is the face of the future as Asian models are in demand. Photo / AP

The monopoly of white models on the catwalks and in the glossies over the past decade has been immovable, but many fashionistas now believe the future is Asian.

As Conde Nast prepares to launch GQ China, its fourth Chinese title, and Vogue India increases its print run to 50,000 copies a month, British model scouts say a new demand for Asian talent will transform the face of fashion.

Carole White, founder of Premier Model Management, the agency that represents Naomi Campbell and Salman Rushdie's former wife, Padma Lakshmi, thinks the dominance of Eastern European girls is changing.

"We are now seeing more Chinese and Japanese girls. Eastern European girls flooded the market. There are so many Russians and Ukrainians. But they are all very white and bland."

Height remains a problem but, White says, "there are tall Asian girls".

Paula Karaiskos, of British model agency Storm Model Management, thinks the distinct look provided by Asian models will ensure longevity and success.

"The whole discussion about using more ethnic women in fashion has broadened the debate on models in fashion in general and designers are now looking for more discerning faces to front their campaigns."

Agencies believe London Fashion Week has helped hasten change. There was an Asian model in almost every show and agencies expect a marked increase in the months ahead. Most prominent were Japanese model Tao Okamoto and China's Liu Wen.

Fashion photographer Gavin Fernandes thinks it's high time Asian models took the lead.

"There is a popular misconception that South and East Asian models are too bound to the principles of their parents. But those stereotypes have been broken down," he says.

"Perhaps scouts just need to get better at spotting Asian talent."

The potential for stardom became evident after the "black issue" of Italian Vogue launched Jourdan Dunn into "super-modeldom": fashion bloggers now regularly refer to the "Dunn effect".

The Asian model tipped for Dunn-like hysteria is 26-year-old Lakshmi Menon, currently on show in the windows of Gap.

Menon recently featured in her first US Vogue editorial and has appeared on the cover of V magazine. She modelled exclusively for Riccardo Tisci's last show.

Karaiskos, whose agency represents Menon, maintains that skin colour is irrelevant: "The fact that she's Indian only makes her more interesting."