Always interested in the fashion industry, Fiona Xu was scouted when she was 17 while shopping at recycle boutique. Now 18-years-old, Xu says her favourite job so far has been a cover shoot for Viva, but she has also been featured in the pages of Me Magazine and Canvas. Xu has a younger sister, and both of her parents are engineers, but her mother has always loved photography and does the odd shoot here and there. Her grandmother was her biggest inspiration growing up as she is such a kind-hearted woman and the two are still very close.
Originally, Xu wanted to become a model because she has loves anything to do with fashion. “I model today because I absolutely love meeting and working with different people such as the photographers and other models. I think a big part of modelling for me is making new friends, and also building my confidence,” she said. Xu advises other new faces to be confident in yourself and to put yourself out there.
Xu is not currently signed with an overseas agent but said this is a huge goal of hers. She is looking to expand her portfolio with more jobs, and be able to travel and work at the same time. “I feel like there is more diversity in the modelling industries overseas, but that’s to be expected as New Zealand is a small country. I like how a lot of huge overseas brands are using more unique models for their runway shows, campaigns and so on,” she added. This year is her first year at university, but she would love to walk in New York Fashion Week and walk in a lot of the major shows such as Alexander Wang.
