Model behavior

True grit

After two years of pandemic-related torment, little international mobility and a new round of visa application stress every three months, only a few among the heroines of catwalks and billboards have managed to keep their careers alive - those with the luck, and pluck, to keep manifesting opportunities. And while Lilian speaks of advising her clients against staying in Hong Kong for more than a year, these models are seeking out alternative or a second source of income as they wait to see better days. Akhmameteva is branching out into F&B, with modeling as a side gig, while Todorova has become a prominent figure in the local club scene. Some models "graduate" to talent scouting, others try their luck in PR or hospitality, and yet others will go back to school in the fall.

Most of them are not thinking of giving up the career that brought them to Hong Kong just yet, instead parlaying it into a part-time income stream - still appearing on the pages of magazines, shining at Centrestage fashion week or starring in TV commercials.

The pandemic, novel visa regulations and market volatility appear to be transforming Hong Kong's reputation as a destination for models. Will the diehard lot among those who are already here be able to beat the odds? Time will tell.