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Revision as of 22:56, 30 October 2006 by 202.158.104.42 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Calvin Ern-Lee Cheng (born in Singapore) is a leading figure in the fashion modelling industry in Asia.
At the age of 25, Cheng became the Asian regional head of Elite Model Management, the largest and most famous modelling agency in the world which spawned supermodels Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, and Gisele Bundchen amongst others. In a short span of 3 years, he burst into the close-knit modelling industry of Asia, starting Elite agencies in Bombay, New Delhi, Seoul, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Shanghai. At its height, Cheng's control over the Elite modelling franchise spanned 10 cities including Singapore, Hong Kong, Jakarta and Tokyo. In 2003, Cheng facilitated the organisation of the famous Elite Model Look International finals in Singapore, for only the 2nd time in Asia in Elite's 30-year history.
Cheng very quickly established himself as the leading expert on fashion modelling in Asia and was a much sought-after interviewee by leading broadcast and print media, including the BBC, Newsweek, the Economic Times of India, The Straits Times of Singapore, the International Herald Tribune, as well as local Asian press. In Newsweek's article on the Perfect Face (November 2003) which made famous Canadian model Saira Mohan ("the perfect example of global beauty"), Cheng was quoted as saying that “There is an increased awareness of all things oriental in the West. And with of China, I think this trend is set to continue.”
At the end of 2004, Cheng left Elite to start his own fashion media brand, Looque International, which incorporated many of the models he helped recruit under Elite under a new modelling brand, Looque Models. In January 2005, Cheng was elected as the President of Singapore's modelling association and led a crusade to increase the pay and welfare of models in Singapore. In August 2005, Cheng was featured in Singapore's 40th independence day official commemorative video as one of 40 outstanding Singaporeans under 40.
As a modelling industry mogul, Cheng upsets conventional stereotypes, being a graduate of the University of Oxford (Hertford College), where he graduated with a BA and MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and a MSc in Management. He also holds an external lectureship with the National University of Singapore where he teaches a course on philosophy.