Each new season brings us new faces gliding down the runway and after making her debut walking exclusively for Prada we expect some star turns from chinese-born Maggie Cheng with her distinctive and compelling looks. On her latest shoot with 5' ELEVEN'' she shares her excitement of that breakthrough moment and her love for travel and exploring new cities, something she can't wait to make the most of while working around the globe.
Photographed by Prissilya Junewin. Styled by Anu Odugbesan.
Makeup by Shiori Kawato. Hair by Sho Tanaka.
Maggie appears courtesy of Premier Model Management.
What is your ethnicity and where are you based?
I'm Chinese and I'm currently kind of based in London.
When and how you were scouted?
Unlike other models, I started by proposing myself to agencies rather than being scouted. I like to be photographed and wanted to try it in a more professional field, so after finishing college in Milan, I did some of my own pictures and sent them to Milan agencies then I was very lucky to get signed with my mother agency The Fabbrica.
What has been your break-through?
My break-through was walking Prada exclusively last season in Milan. It was more than a fantasy to tell the truth. About one month before the show my agency told me I got an exclusive option for Prada, I fully understood the “options” can work either way: confirmed or canceled, so that whole month for me was bit difficult, I had to be mentally ready for either result, I fully understood that it was uncontrollable, however, what I'm able to control is working on myself as best as I can. Until the moment I was confirmed, I was feeling like dreamy, in a solid way, because I've done my best.
What do you want to achieve in your career as a model?
What I like the most about being a model is that I can travel a lot! I would like to reach as many places on earth as I can during these years, to taste diverse cultures, to meet different people, and to experience all the amazing views of mother nature.
If Fashion wasn't an option, what would you like to do?
I'd like to run a bookstore, or be a translator, or do some volunteer jobs in Africa/ Australia to help wild animals, or I don't know... I have too many ideas for this question...
During this difficult time, what are the best lessons you have learned?
The best lesson I have learned is to enjoy the solitude. People often lose the ability to stay alone living in this busy modern century, the quarantine gave me the chance to slow down and stay with myself, to focus on only me instead of being massively distracted by others.
Who do you admire?
I admire people who can be fully concentrated and persistent because I'm the type of person with weak willpower... I wish I could gain this superpower. -laughs-
TOP 5 movies:
Wasn't tempted by any movies recently but I‘m obsessed with Hans Zimmer music, highly recommended even I was not into the classics.
A dish you cannot live without and a place in the world you want to visit?
As a Chinese especially who was born from Shanxi which is known as the province of noodles, I definitely can’t live my life without NOODLES, my current impetus is dreaming one-day coronavirus is all gone and I'm going home eating mom‘s noodle bowls.
How would your best friends describe you?
“The greatest sleeper of the century”
