A play of light and shadow catches Quang Hoa in a pensive mood

Young men flock to Ho Chi Minh City for a chance to strut on the ramp, but soon discover it is no cakewalk.

Minh Hoang raised a lot of eyebrows after he moved into the neighborhood three months ago; a polished, well-groomed young man with a lavish lifestyle.

Residents of a block of rented apartments in Binh Thanh District’s Le Quang Dinh Street noted that he did not seem to work much, but had money to spend.

“I rarely see him out of the house at daytime. But he and his friends annoy us with the noise as they come home on their expensive bikes late at night,” said Quyen, a local.

But about two weeks ago, the neighboring jaws nearly dropped off their faces when a woman stormed into the area and had a violent row with Hoang’s frequent companion – her husband.

“Hoang has a close friend who looks much older than him that came around almost every weekday in a fancy car, and stayed from 12 a.m. until about 3 p.m. When the wealthy man’s wife kicked up such a fuss, we were shocked to learn Hoang goes with her husband,” said Quyen.

But Hoang is among the few guys who give in to temptation and draw a negative spotlight on the male modeling career, say other models and modeling agencies.

The city now has about 17 modeling companies, nearly half of the total in the country.

Measly opps

Quang Hoa left Hanoi for HCMC two years ago after two earlier visits had showed a promising career awaited him in the nation’s commercial hub.

“The beginning was absolutely different from what I had imagined. I could only afford to eat street cooking.

“Even in the biggest cities, like Saigon, the male modeling career is harsh. There are few shows for men. Hundreds of guys compete for a chance to hit the catwalk.”

At 1.85 meters, Hoa, the 2nd hottest Asian at the 2006 Manhunt International, has become a supermodel in the city. But he had to work several jobs to survive, from selling mobile phones to fashion items.

“Males have just one tenth the opportunity of performing compared to females. In addition, our payment per show is just 70 percent that of the girls,” says Hoa.

The 25-year-old model says he earns just VND500,000-1 million (US$30-60) per show, but swears he will not be lured by any illicit offers.

“Even if I can not earn money from modeling, I can still do business to feed myself.”

Says Thanh Long, director of the leading model agency Professional Look: “The local fashion industry is less developed. The market is filled with foreign garments and clothes, most of which are made in China. Therefore, the male models have little work.”

Homegrown designer Vo Viet Chung explains: “We mostly make dresses for women. Creations for men are limited because men usually wear simple clothes.”

Vietnamese male models are considered on par with international ones, but the chances for them to get on the international stage is nearly zero. Meanwhile, several Vietnamese female models have appeared in famous magazines like Maxim and Elle.

“None of the guys in my company has ever worked for a foreign agency,” says Long, who manages 100 models of whom 30 are male.

The only opportunity for men to “see the world” is to compete at international modeling contests or pageants.

Tien Doan, who was Mr. Physique at the 2007 Manhunt International, is heading for the 2008 Mister International pageant next month. He is the only one of over a thousand men working in the industry to get that chance.

“Most well-known male models have higher education and fewer scandals compared to their female colleagues. Modeling is their real passion as most males can live on other jobs,” says Long.

He believes the best way for males to avoid unprofessional conduct is to enhance their knowledge and working skills.

Veteran supermodel Binh Minh – who graduated from the Maritime University, is married and has opened an advertising company - used to feel sorry for male models in local fashion shows in which organizers used them as decoration or bodyguards for the girls.

Minh, who left his northern hometown for HCMC six years ago, advises aspiring successors to pay more attention to learning good technique as well as knowledge of the industry, so that they can help lift the image of the male-modeling career.

A number of male models have become successful actors, hosts, and businessmen, he notes.

Reported by Hong Quan