Results tagged “models”

Photo of the Day: Strike a pose

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Last month, we highlighted to you a post by Adam Minter of Shanghai Scrap in which he laments over the sorry state of expat advertising after spotting a full page print ad taken up by the Dragonfly spa chain in (what seemed like) every English language magazine in Shanghai. The ad featured a Caucasian man waxing himself with a 'clean' strip while his right hand (what looked rather like a chicken claw) sported multi-coloured nails that were supposed to be a "tribute to the Olympic rings". The campaign became the talk of the town, but not in the way Dragonfly had hoped for. As it turned out, the ad had the effect of freaking out just about everyone in town who saw it (and possibly up north in Beijing too).

UPDATE: As we suspected, Miss Venezuela did win the contest.

The body of a 22 year old model, Diana Gabrielle O'Brien, from Salt Spring, British Columbia, has been found on Chongming Island, where she was on an overnight modeling assignment. We haven't found any report of it yet in the Chinese press, but numerous Canadian media are already on the story. Apparently, O'Brien had not been happy in Shanghai with the modeling assignments she was getting here, and had already been telling friends that she was planning to go home just one month into her three-month contract. Grieving family and friends of O'Brien have had no news from the Shanghai police or Foreign Affairs of how O'Brien died and whether she was murdered, but they have been informed that an autopsy will be conducted soon. O'Brien's boyfriend, Joel Berry, who has known her for 10 years (and who was intending to marry her), says she was not into drugs or alcohol or anything, so he couldn't help but "think it was anything except foul play".

"You can't say whether this is karma or not
because nobody wants to see a big disaster happen.
When a natural disaster strikes, you cannot avoid it.
Perhaps the Heavens are meting out punishment in order to
make people protect the natural environment better.
這不可以說是報不報應,因每個人也不想發生嚴重災難,
而且天災的事想避也避不到,可能是上天給予的懲罰,
要人們更加保護自然環境。"

Looking for something to do tonight? Enjoy explosions in the sonic soundscape (we're not sure what that means, either)? If you get a chance we recommend heading down to 4Live where the Ex-Models, from New York, will be playing along with Snapline (Beijing) and Shanghai's very own Muscle Snog. Both Snapline and Muscle Snog have been getting a lot of attention this year, so here is your chance to see why.

We have a confession to make: We have been known to watch the occasional episode of America's Next Top Model. Odd that while living in America we refused to watch trashy American reality shows (other than The Real World, which we allowed in on a grandfather clause) and now that we live in China and own a Filipino TV satellite (that we won't shut up about) we seemingly can't get enough of them. What can we say — this place makes you do strange things.

Since making a Snake Plissken-style escape from Pudong, the Puxi landmark that has inexorably drawn our eye as we survey the okay-for-the price view from our garret hasn't been the Sauronesque spire of the Marriott, nor the guy who does his Ghost Dog workout on the roof opposite each morning, but rather an advert for pants. Or "briefs" to those of you who've escaped the yoke of Queen Elizabeth II. Calvin Klein briefs, to be precise.

Calling all Shanghai entrepreneurs! Come meet new faces and get to know other like-minded individuals at this week's NextStep event which features Tony Mustafa of Essential Finance. All are welcome, no membership required, and no cover charge.


He's performed shows around the world from London to Los Angeles, from Vegas to Berlin and from Zurich to Tokyo. Earlier this year, world-class magician Marco Tempest, the Virtual Magician, was hired by Daihatsu for Auto Shanghai, apparently the world's second largest car fair. Watch him in this newly released video as he goes around Shanghai, rehearses for the big show and impresses the girls backstage. Pretty interesting stuff. At least we now know one car company is not just counting on the tall svelte models dressed in metallic mini-skirts to pull in the crowds.

The emergence of China as a commercial superpower is, by some way, the most important economic phenomenon of our time. In the last few years, analysts of the global economy have had to rewrite their computer models and recalibrate their slide rules to cope with the People's Republic.

Shanghai Oriental TV draws our attention to a new floral-themed restaurant in Nanjing by the name of Lanfugong (兰芙宫) where body-painted female models dressed in nothing but a pair of underwear appear for a show while you're having your meal. And for RMB 1,000 a pop, you too can get up on stage and create your own masterpiece on a model's body! Apparently the restaurant has some checks on the "quality of the character" of the budding body-painters before they lay their hands on the models paintbrushes, but no details were given on what the "checks" consist of.

Our round-up of some of last week's highlights from China's English-language blogosphere:

Pioniers, a minor league team in Amsterdam, Netherlands. In 2007, he was signed by the Beijing Tigers of the China Baseball League (more info here). The CBL season already over, Kim recently answered some of our questions via email.

We're not sure Bai Ling's latest lady parts on display counts as news, given the fact that her private parts are more well-publicized than she is. But, combine the Bai-sexual actress' escapades with Zhang Ziyi's body double's web-search for love; add the biggest dick in China; and throw in a PRC plug for "sexy famous models... touching each other," and we'll take the bait.

With another London Graduate Fashion Week at an end as of Wednesday, June 6th, its time to look back at how some of China’s overseas hopefuls faired against their fellow students from around the world. Whether or not they will make an impact on the world of fashion in the future, only time will tell.

With 2005's film version of Memoirs of a Geisha, Chinese people across the world had more reason to hate Zhang Ziyi and foamed at the mouth yet again saying, We’re not Japanese. You would have thought that by now the West would have cottoned onto the message.



  • "News Corporation's (NYSE: NWS.A) Fox Television denied that it has licensed Beijing based media company Zonbo Media to remake American TV series Prison Break or any related online activities in China, reports Beijing Youth Daily."




  • "Anheuser-Busch Inc. sued USA Bai Wei Group Inc. in Arkansas' Pulaski County Circuit Court, seeking an injunction to revoke Bai Wei's corporate charter and require a name change."




  • "Why are these experts, who supposedly know China better than anyone does, so eager to patronize China's leaders, and so reluctant to condemn Chinese repression of dissent?"




  • "This is the cover to Brutus No. 616 (1 May 2007). ... The portrait of Mao wearing Nike is apparently the product of a Chinese artist, though I can’t verify this."




  • "According to government figures, the overall profit margins in the textile industry are only 3.9% - the lowest of any major industry."




  • "Some tramcars might be able to run in the Zhangjiang area in Pudong ... Even now, many old local residents in Shanghai still remember such tramcars, which the Shanghai people called 'dang dang che', or 'clanging cars'." Trolleys.




  • "This first-ever tour is together presented by NBA and the world's leading express and logistics company, DHL. The two will also present other activities in China." Ripped straight from the press release, sounds like.




  • "The winners will represent China at the Federation of International Robot-soccer Association World Cup in San Francisco on June 13."




  • "Xinhua News Agency quoted animal husbandry officials in Altay prefecture in northern Xinjiang saying a warm winter had resulted in a 'baby boom' of rats in April, a month earlier than normal."




  • "Ms. Zhang Xiaohua, marketing director for Forbes China, attributed the cancellation to the immaturity of charity in China. 'Chinese entrepreneurs haven't reached a consensus on charity and therefore it is immature to make such a list,' she said."




  • "A private businessman has been fined 600,000 yuan (US$78,000; euro 58,000) for breaking China’s strict one child policy, state media reported." But is it really that strict?




  • "China's largest non-state-owned carmaker, which has export agreements in place in Indonesia, Russia and Ukraine, declined to give details."




  • "The top 10 countries in terms of number of employed foreign workers were Japan, America, Korea, Singapore, Germany, France, Canada, Malaysia, Australia and Britain." That leaves an awful lot of unemployed.




  • At Starbucks.




  • "This is the face of Shanghai these days. Not to be all mean'n shit, but how badly would you like to punch one of these Chads in the mouth?"




  • "One of Shanghai's "undiscovered" shopping gems is Jim Dandies, tucked away opposite IKEA in the Xuhui District. It sells chic clothes and art by painter Yurika (Eureka) Nakae from Suzhou"




  • "Located at Yandang Road, the Pudi Boutique Hotel Shanghai offers 52 rooms whose prices range from RMB4680 per night to RMB14000 per night." Ouch.




  • "It notes that in 2006, the Shanghai Federation of Trade Unions surveyed employees in 250 enterprises. The data showed that 50.6% of employees had not received a wage increase in nearly three years."




  • "A report in Beijing Times...has led to a remarkable photo essay on the People’s Daily society link at People.com. Beijing Times had orginally reported on an unidentifed demolition contractor that had moved in to demolish houses in the Chaoyang District."




  • "The two websites are Uusee.com and Zol.com.cn. They have been required to publish formal letters of apology on their front homepages. The website owners have also been ordered to remove the offending content immediately."




  • Does this story seem a bit late to you?




  • "Excited and emboldened by the wealth of information they find on the Internet, Chinese teens are breaking centuries of tradition to challenge their teachers and express their own opinions in class."




  • "Working 10 or more hours a day, almost no days off, no regular meals and lack of sleep - that's the life for 70 percent of the white-collar workers in four of China's big cities, Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou."




  • "The report is named《Analytical Report of Basic Science Literacy of County Level Officials in China 》." Explains a lot.




  • "Police in southern China have detained a woman after she admitted killing her four-year-old daughter because the child could not count, according to news reports."




  • "When the 'Chinamen' responded to 'His Excellency' with an open letter ... the result was general consternation, followed by support from a number of leading newspapers, and a consequent flurry of articles and editorials."


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    Photo by slow boat to china found via the Shanghaiist Contribute page.

    The back cover of yesterday's Xinmin Evening News featured the photograph to the right accompanied by an article centered on Mr Ding, a worker who has been employed at Shanghai historic Jiangnan Shipyard for 42 years. The reason that the photographer wrote the article is because he finally got the chance, through a photography contest, to tour the limited-access factory that was founded in 1856. And the reason that the newspaper published the article is that the factory is set to be moved to a new location; the buildings are being repurposed to serve as logistics, administration and public service bases, and supermarkets for the 2010 World Expo Park.

    Shanghaiist thinks there aren’t enough cars in Shanghai. The air, quite frankly, is incredibly clean. There’s nary a spot of traffic. And really, couldn’t taxi drivers be more conscientious by honking their horns just a LITTLE more often? Shanghai needs more cars. Definitely. And what better place to encourage additional consumption than the Shanghai Auto Show!

    Enduring eight straight days of work ahead of the Golden week? Take this opportunity to let off some steam and get out and hit what Shanghaiist thinks that Shanghai has to offer before you either vamoose out of town or bunker down to avoid the May 1st Holiday crush.

    Here at Shanghaiist, we think the Letters from China blog has been busy carving their own blogging niche by reporting on yet another novelty condom available here in China. Not content with sharing the news that police warrant card and Lei Feng frangers were to be found in China, they have now identified the big bopper — Chairman Mao condoms:

    Shanghaiist felt a little sad a few years back when we learnt that one of our first automotive crushes was soon to be no more. However, we felt a lot happier last week when we learnt that the MG had arrived back on the scene, and all thanks to China's oldest automotive manufacturer, Nanjing Automobile.

    A charity event in Nantou in central Taiwan featured famous calligraphy artists painting characters and Spring Festival couplets (春联)on the bare backs of female models and then "signing" their works with lipstick and a kiss.

    Not so long after General Motors Daewoo sued Chery for the imitation of its Spark minicar in its design of the QQ, Chrysler has announced it will jointly develop a new joint venture brand with Chery, one of China's top ten automakers. Interestingly, a report by the world's favourite news agency describes Chery as "one of the few Chinese companies that successfully produce their own models instead of manufacturing foreign brands under a licence". Oohlala!

    Streetwear retailer Source opened its doors two weeks ago. To announce their arrival on the Shanghai scene, they threw a grand fete, replete with red carpets and media crews. Shanghaiist was there to ogle the models sashaying and skateboarding down the runway, to ooh-and-ahh at the impressive retail space—it’s one of them fancypants “concept stores”—and to nod eagerly each time someone offered us yet another beverage.

    Photo by kumo36 taken from the Shanghaiist Contribute page. To see your photos on our Contribute page, use Flickr and tag your photos “shanghaiist”. Or you can email your photos to photos@shanghaiist.com and they will automatically appear on our site.

    misterma111606.jpg Mr. Ma, toy bicycle maker

    From AsiaNews' report we discovered that all the fun stuff happens in Shanghai while we are on vacation:

    Shanghai (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Shanghai residents have seized the opportunity to take to the streets to protest against corruption after the sacking of some of the city's top Communist Party bosses. Chen Liangyu, Shanghai’s party secretary, and other officials have lost their job on charges of corruption and this has inspired city residents to air unresolved grievances

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