EDWINA PRESTON

Check blazer, yellow stripe shirt and silver brass and gold brass cuffs, all by AMI Paris. Other jewellery throughout, model's own

International model Edwina Preston has shot covers in New York, travelled around Japan, and studied in London, but through it all, always finds a way to return to her Hong Kong roots. In fact, as the cover star of 5’ELEVEN”s Islands Issue, Edwina introduced us to the storied past and natural beauty of her birthplace via traditional cuisine, reservoirs, and mountainous city-scapes. Here, we spoke about it all and more, from how the rise in international art is impacting Hong Kong’s local creative scene to working with industry idols like Alessandro Michele and the surprise of finding out she was opening the Gucci Cruise show in France.

Interview by Ella Mansell.

Photographed by Edwin S Freyer. Styled by Tasha Arguile. Makeup by Anna Inglis Hall at Stella Creative Artists using Simihaze. Hair by Michela Olivieri at Caren Agency using Kérastase. Socials and videos by Boram Lee Freyer. Hair Stylist assisted by Kathy Jung. Shot at Motherlight Studios. Edwina appears courtesy of Select Model Management.

Dark brown leather jacket, ribbed turtleneck, brown maxi skirt and leather pumps, all by TOD’S

Tell me more about your cover shoot with 5’ELEVEN”! How was it? Where did you shoot?

It was all about capturing the natural side of Hong Kong, where I was born and raised. We have a lot of beautiful beaches, mountains, and interesting rock formations here. We started off at Shek O Beach, Big Wave Bay, and Aberdeen, as well, which is nearer the city, along the waterfront. We also shot near the fish market which was amazing. We ate boat noodles which are a classic Cantonese dish, made on the traditional sampan boats docked in the harbour. The chefs make this delicious fish broth which they are served with, alongside barbeque pork, roast duck, and fish balls. That was pretty good. We travelled around Hong Kong, exploring a lot of the island. As a team it was so exciting: we were having the best time with amazing weather. 

That’s cool. Were these all places you grew up around?

It always feels good to shoot at home. I grew up near Aberdeen, so it was fun to capture a little bit of these spots I know on camera. Plus, I have worked with most of the team on the shoot – most of whom are based in Hong Kong – and so it felt so exciting to create these images together. It was the best of everything: fashion, fun team, the beach … a great mix. 

How involved were you in scouting locations? Did you contribute your local knowledge at all and were there any places that felt particularly significant to you?

We actually shot a few of the images near my oldest friend’s home by Tai Tam Reservoir. It’s so scenic around the reservoir, with a small harbour filled with these little boats. It is wonderful how you can find all these natural spaces and biodiversity in Hong Kong; the city and the natural world feel very intertwined here. The fact that you can be in Central Hong Kong with such an impressive skyline and then twenty-minutes later be in nature feels special. It is a part of Hong Kong that many tourists don’t necessarily expect so I’m really happy that editor-in-chief Edwin chose to catch this side of Hong Kong on the cover.

Cream and brown polka dot dress with sheer pleating by Rebecca Vallance

What is the art and culture scene like Hong Kong?

We have a very vibrant and unique cultural scene in Hong Kong. The arts scene has actually been growing a lot recently too. In the past few years, there has been a significant push with museum openings and international exhibitions at these institutions. M+ opened in Hong Kong in 2021, and is now one of the biggest institutes of contemporary arts in Asia. The exhibitions here are great: they highlight many local and emerging artists as well as globally-renowned names. I think the curators do such a good job. The museum has also partnered with Chanel which is exciting. There are a lot more small, independent galleries opening across Hong Kong,  and spots like these have been an important part of Hong Kong’s creative scene for a long time so it’s exciting to see more of these spaces appearing. 

How does this impact the fashion scene?

All this work is important for the creative scene as a whole. The fashion scene has always been a part of this cultural pulse. These days, the fashion industry feels very global in general, and there have been more and more shows taking place in Hong Kong, like CHANEL Cruise 2024/2025 and Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Pre-Fall 2024 show. Hong Kong has always been an international city, but these runways draw increased international attention both within the fashion industry and beyond, allowing Hong Kong creatives many different opportunities. We have many great local magazines but over the course of my career, it has been great to see the emergence of even more international publications such as Vogue Hong Kong which, like the growing art scene, have given local creatives and talent more global recognition. I started my modelling career in Hong Kong ten years ago, and it’s been so great to have support from everyone at home over the past decade. Without them, I would not be where I am now.

So, it feels especially poignant to see this growth. It also felt fitting to shoot for an international publication, 5’ELEVEN” here, and show a local’s point of view in Hong Kong. To have your work on an international stage is amazing.

Check blazer, shorts, yellow stripe shirt, belt and silver brass and gold brass cuffs, all by AMI Paris. Leather sandals by TOD’S

So, would you say there is a strong creative community here in Hong Kong?

Definitely. There is so much talent here.

Would you like to become more involved with the arts, outside of your modelling, in the future?

Yes, I would love to. My sister works in the arts in Hong Kong and I studied art history, so it’s something I am very interested in and often immersed in. I do love painting and sketching and would love to explore it more. I’m saying this now as an almost manifestation to make me start drawing again! I used to spend a lot of time doing art but modelling full time can get hectic. Art requires both time and mental space.

Is there a style of art or a period in art you particularly enjoy?

I actually moved to London a few years ago to study at London College of Fashion. However, soon after I arrived in the city I started to get really busy with modelling, so I moved my studies to online. I chose a degree in Art History and Philosophy, with a focus on Art History. As the course was based in London, there was a focus on Western art, which is fascinating. I really enjoyed studying the Renaissance and Avant-garde periods. While I wished there was more on Asian art in my degree, I did focus on Mughal art from India which was very interesting, as well as the interpretations and influences of Chinese art in the west, and cultural exchanges between the two. 

Cream and brown polka dot dress with sheer pleating by Rebecca Vallance

How were you scouted? Did it happen in Hong Kong before you moved to London?

Yes. I was introduced to my first agent in Hong Kong and started my career at home. My parents and I thought it was something I could try, however I didn’t start modeling until I was 19, when I felt ready. It was really busy at the beginning which was great, so I felt like I gained lots of valuable experience. Everyone was very supportive. Then I came to London to study at university, and it suddenly became very hectic with work when I was scouted again over here. It’s felt great to work in Hong Kong – and everywhere else – over the past ten years.

Is there a moment or job that really made you fall in love with modelling?

Modelling is really what I enjoy doing. When I first walked on set, I felt like this is what I am supposed to do. I feel so grateful to have experienced these crazy sets and teams and all kinds of creativity across my career. I can’t really pinpoint one specific shoot that made me fall in love with it, it’s more of an overall thing. 

If you had to name a few highlights, what springs to mind?

If I had to name a few, one would be my first time going to New York for work. I was shooting for Self Service and found out afterwards that it would be the cover. That was the best surprise because it’s one of my favourite magazines. I had shot with them before, with Glen Luchford and Jane How, which was fabulous, but being on the cover was an incredible experience.  I was wearing this beautiful tulle blue dress by Virgil Abloh. The whole thing felt very special. 

I’ve worked a lot with Alessandro Michele for Gucci. One of my first campaigns I did with them was shot in this massive Noah’s Ark ship that was sitting in the middle of the Spanish desert, with animals too, including a tiger, llama, and skunk. It was incredible to see the spectacle the team had created. I was also on the cover of Vogue Hong Kong late last year which was a real highlight. Since the start of my career, my goal has been to represent Hong Kong fashion as a Hong Kong model. The team was great, and I had actually worked with the stylist Iemi for one of my earliest shoots with CHANEL in Hong Kong. I also loved being on the cover of Re-Edition magazine shot by Alasdair McLellan. I have worked with him on lots of different projects. He recently put me on the cover of his book which was such an honour. He has been such a support over the years. 

Now that I am thinking about it, another highlight was opening the Gucci Cruise show in Arles. It was set in Alyscamps, the ancient Roman necropolis, surrounded by fire. I didn’t know I was opening the show until they called my name in rehearsals. There was so much smoke on the set that I couldn’t see the stairs and was worried about tumbling down them as an entrance to the show. Thankfully, I didn’t fall and it was an incredible experience. 

Wow. How did you feel when you found out you were opening the show, and how did actually opening it feel?

I was quite nervous obviously, but when it happened, there was such a good energy that I felt like I could really get into character, and perform in a sense. Just the whole spectacle of the clothes, hair, makeup, set design, everything was brilliant. Also, Elton John did a surprise performance at the afterparty!

Dark brown leather jacket, ribbed turtleneck, and brown maxi skirt, all by TOD’S

How do you find all the travelling that comes with modelling? Does it ever get too much or too lonely?

You have to learn to be comfortable with your own company. You have to be confident in travelling on your own to, and in, foreign countries. However, I don’t necessarily think it’s lonely because when you’re on set you’re surrounded by wonderful, creative, kind people. Everyone is in the same boat with travelling a lot alone, so there is always a community of people who understand.

It’s also exciting to arrive in a foreign place with people from all over the world who have these unique and fresh perspectives, and who are able to create the most amazing images – and exciting vibe – while doing it. Modelling, and the fashion industry as a whole, requires a lot of change all the time, lots of things happen very quickly. I don’t know how sustainable it is for the industry to continue like this, with so much change required all the time.. However, if you are true to yourself and find people around you who support you and appreciate your talent, it will hopefully mean you have a long and successful career.

Even if you weren’t modelling, do you think you’d be working in the creative industry?

Hopefully, I would be doing something creative like painting or sketching.

If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?

Other than Hong Kong or London, I’d love to live in Japan. This year, I went for three months for work and loved it. I also love New York. I really love being able to hop between these places, and I think London is a great base between New York and Europe while Hong Kong is a great base to have in Asia, so I am really lucky to be able to go to these places regularly. It has given me a well-rounded, global perspective. 

Who are your idols in the fashion world?

I have been lucky enough to meet and work with a few of my idols and inspirations in the fashion world over the years. To work with them and to see them do their thing is so inspiring. Katie Grand has been incredible in the industry. I admire how she can launch amazing independent publications like Love and Perfect. She actually put me on the cover of Perfect a couple of years ago, which was amazing and definitely a career highlight. To maintain an independent publication in this current climate you have to be pretty genius – like Edwin I’m sure knows. I have admired Alasdair McLellan’s work for years, so to have worked with him on multiple projects means a lot. The same goes for working with Glen Luchford, David Sims, and Alessandro Michele as well as Tim Walker…  the fantastical worlds he creates within his work have captivated me since I was a little girl.

Ribbed turtleneck and brown maxi skirt by TOD’S