Michele Yong is a young fashion photographer. She is very ambitious and she has a very promising future undoubtedly.

Julie : Hi Michele, Can you tell us about your about professional career?
Michele : I am a fashion and portrait photographer currently based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Which was your best shoot and why?
I can´t say I have one best shoot because I try to make every shoot better than the previous one. Usually a really good shoot would be because of great connection with the team and an ideal set up or situation. I find that I always produce better work when everybody working together understands and connects with each other very well.

I don´t know much about the fashion industry in Malaysia, can you introduce us to that?
The fashion industry in Malaysia is still very young and new unlike in Paris, London or New York. The past few years there have been a handful of talented young designers that are just starting to show. There has not been much exposure for local designers because everybody usually focuses on international names. I think the industry still has a lot more to grow and develop before people will pay more attention to Malaysian designers. Currently a lot of the local designers work with Batik (a Malaysian/Indonesian traditional textile) or focus more on creating evening wear. I think we need more designers to create original ideas for ready-to-wear to make the industry more marketable.

I noticed that in your portfolio you had photographed very few Asian models. Why is this?
In Asia, Caucasian models are still higher in demand because of their “international marketability”. There aren´t as many Asian models that fit the basic height requirements needed unless they are from Asia Pacific (China, Japan and Korea). Personally I also prefer to shoot models with very strong Asian facial features, which I think is quite rare and difficult to find especially in South East Asia. Most of the big model agencies in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand also have more Caucasian models to choose from compared to Asian models. However, I think there is a growing demand for Asian models on the runway so hopefully that will change.

You travel a lot for your job. Which country or city do you prefer and why?
Paris is definitely my favourite so far. I like how so many things there are influenced by art, everything is so beautiful and inspiring. In fact, I plan to relocate there this year if everything goes according to plan. I also really like Bangkok because the fashion industry there is very fresh, original, and creative. The people there are really talented. Hong Kong is also a very good place for fashion

For you what is the best part about your job (fashion show, shooting, travel, etc.) and why?
I love fashion, working with creative minds, meeting new people and of course traveling to discover new places and influences. I like that my work always brings new challenges and a change in surroundings. I get bored quite easily so I think this is one thing that I can´t get bored with!

What is your preference to bring some change in your career (money, opportunity, meeting, experience…)?
Money of course, I can never seem to have enough of that! And of course more work opportunities because that can even change my life.

What are your first impressions on fashion in France?
When I was in France, I noticed that the fashion there is more structural and uses a lot of classic silhouettes compared to other parts of Europe. The focus and direction of the designer is usually quite straightforward. It is very clean and “simple” in the idea of presentation yet very elaborate in the design and workmanship and I like that a lot.

Which photographer or model inspires you most?
Currently I´m very much inspired by Georges Antoni, an Australian fashion photographer. I love how he sees the world in a slightly more distorted point of view and he has an amazing eye for light. My favourite models remain to be Hye Park and Kate Moss

What is your favorite clothes brand?
Wow, I have too many to choose from! If I had to say it would be Christian Siriano, Givenchy and Balenciaga but if we are talking about consumer brands, definitely Zara and Topshop.

What are your plans as photographer?
I hope to relocate to Paris in 2010 and start a new life there as a photographer. I think there are more career opportunities and better exposure there for me. I also really like the culture and lifestyle there. Even though I´ve not been there long it feels almost like home to me so hopefully I am making the right choice and will not be disappointed. Maybe some of you can advice me on that?

By Julie Psaila

03/2010

Click here to view original English or French article.

These are some of my favourite works from 2009. It was quite hard for me to narrow it down to 10, so I decided on 25 instead (I’m really bad at cutting down numbers!). Some of them you may have seen, but some not. I went through my library of photos and found hidden gems that I overlooked and decided to show them here.

Hope you like them!

Karin Balzli for Catherine Lian, Kuala Lumpur.

Nataliya Zapolina, Singapore.

Andrea Fonseka, Kuala Lumpur.

Grace Kho for Breeze, Kota Kinabalu.

Charlene Decena for Breeze, Kota Kinabalu.

Mariann Vella for Villiam Ooi, Kuala Lumpur.

Patricia Silk, Singapore.

Suzana Abu for Ratu by Walis, Kuala Lumpur.

Mila Melissina for Syomir, Kuala Lumpur.

Wang Ying, Bangkok.

Iva Sakarova, Bangkok.

Kaspar Hebblewhite, Bangkok.

Brygida Naumowicz & Helena Berezina for Pretty In White, Kuala Lumpur.

Mariya Markova for PEGG, Kuala Lumpur.

Aline Thiel for Glitz & Glamour, Kuala Lumpur.

Matheus Nagel for William Liew, Kuala Lumpur.

My time in Paris was simply awesome. So good that I did not bother to update this blog, post any pictures or give a hint about what I was doing there. Now that I’m back in Kuala Lumpur and my life is not so fantastique anymore I will blog about my trip.

Arriving at the airport, it was nothing special. I felt like I arrived in the 60’s. Taking the RER and going through the suburbs of Paris to the city was also a little letdown. The facilities and trains were so old and not user friendly, I was a little disappointed. In my mind I was thinking, “This is Paris??”.

My introduction to the metro was a bit of a nightmare as well. Thank goodness Chrysan was there to help me with my suitcases. We had to carry 30 kg worth of bags up and down ridiculous flights of stairs every time we changed a station (about 4 times) and I was wearing my 5-inch platform heels! Where were the escalators? I mean come on, this is the 21st century! As Chrysan best put it, it was as if we were characters in a Super Mario video game going through all the obstacles.

Once out of the metro and into the city, it was insanely beautiful. I was transported into the 18th century with all the classical buildings. It was very early on a Saturday morning, so quiet and cold with the sun breaking though and illuminating every surface. Simply breathtaking.

And the photos shall begin…

My lovely host Chrysan <3

The view outside our apartment.

Staying all warm and cozy.

We took a walk starting from the 5th arrondissement further up from Place Monge, where there are lots of restaurants and bars. It was incredibly quaint to see all the French style settings. Totally immersion into a Parisian environment.

Cafés et bistros à Place de la Contrescarpe.

Charming Haussmann buildings all over Paris.

Crossing over to the 6th arrondissement to places of St. Germain, St. Michel and the Luxembourg Gardens, it is also where Cafe de Flore is located, the watering hole of many French intellectuals to discuss their philosophies of existentialism during the post war era. This is the classier arrondissement south of the Seine, which also means very, very expensive.

Saint Michel early in the morning.

Jardin de Luxembourg.

It was nice basking under the sun on the chairs all over the garden even though my hands were frozen to the point of being numb. It may look sunny, but don’t let that fool you! People watching is such a fun activity (especially since it’s free). Just looking at the children feeding the pigeons, old couples enjoying themselves, and tourists taking lots of photos was actually very enjoyable. After that we headed to one of Chrysan’s favourite bookstores, the famous Shakespearean company. It’s a tiny, tiny shop filled from floor to ceiling with all sorts of famous, old books. It’s a bit of a tourist attraction now especially since it was featured on many travel shows so there’s always lots of people cramped into the small space.

The famous Shakespearean company.

Obligatory portrait in the mirror!

Old photos on the walls.

Notre Dame de Paris.

The coolest vintage car I’ve seen on the streets.

Look at all that detailing!

We crossed the river over to the 4th arrondissement also known as Le Marais, the gay district of Paris. I stayed here during my last week with Catherine and her friends, also known as the Malaysian house. North of the river (right bank) is considered to be the more traditional and ‘proper’ area of Paris, whereas the south (left bank) is considered to be more bohemian.

La Seine.

Hôtel de Ville, very beautiful gothic architecture.

Boulevard de la Bastille.

Chrysan and I also went to Montmartre in the 18th, the highest point in Paris. It is the arrondissement where the film Amelie was filmed and equally as artistic and bohemian as the left bank. The whole place was full of traditional shops, buildings, very French, blah blah blah. I can go on and on. It’s a very hilly area though, so be ready to climb flights of stairs when you get there but it’s definitely worth it. Also a very popular tourist area, but probably not as touristy as the Eiffel Tower or the Lourve. Apparently Vincent van Gogh and many other famous artists lived here in their time.

I should’ve listened to mother and gotten a caricature of myself! Tee hee.

The breathtaking view from Sacré Cœur.

Being from Asia, I was shocked at how Parisians park their cars. Remember that scene in the Pink Panther (with Steve Martin) where he parks his Smart Car vertical to the other cars at the airport? I actually saw that a few times, in real life! I think their bumpers are made of rubber or something. They don’t seem to care very much about vehicles unlike in Asia where it’s usually shiny and expensive. In fact, the taxis are much more posh and in better condition than the regular cars, they use the Mercedes C class models! True life.

When I was at Champs-Élysées one night, there was a Rolls Royce parked by the side of the road and the French were so awed by it they started taking photos and peeping into the car to get a better look. I was like, “Meh” and found it so funny that the French become incredibly curious when there is a nice posh car in front of them. I mean come on, my neighbours here in KL drive Ferraris, Bentlys and Hummers! I have no car though. Sad face.

See what I mean? Colours of the French flag too!

I met up with Chris (a model friend of mine) at Champs-Élysées and went into a few expensive stores drooling at the goods facing the fact that we can probably never afford such luxuries. The one luxury we could probably afford was Laudurée’s famous macaroons where he took Chrysan and I too. At €1,20 a pop, it was definitely a luxury. Observe.

Grinning like a fool with my prize purchase. Note, empty wallet still in hand.

I wonder what’s in this pretty little box?

Et voilà! Pretty little macaroons.

Mmmm… so good!

I wish I could’ve tried more of the delicious French pastries. They’re usually so expensive (€4 for a raspberry tart, seriously??) that I wouldn’t even think about indulging in them so what I would do is go into the shop, visually feed myself and drool slightly over the colourful, glazed, and sinful delicacies then proceed to walk out with my head hung down in sadness. It’s like taking a fat kid into a candy store and saying she can only look. SIGH.

So to save money, I spent many days cooking meals for Chrysan and I. It was actually really good, was pretty proud of myself for the dishes I whipped up!

Check out this lagsagne I made from scratch! No kidding.

On to the nightlife. Phew, so far I’ve spent 3 hours writing all this crap and for what? Anyway, where was I? Nightlife? Oh yes. Unlike in Asia where most people opt to go to bars or clubs, in France the pub is the place to be whereas bars and clubs are for fancier nights or if you’re looking to drop more cash. Let me put it this way, pubs are for casual nights after work to chill with your friends over a pint, and also the cheapest option. Bars are slightly fancier where specialty cocktails may be served in a nicer, taller glass, with better music playing, better dressed crowd (in my head this would be Hôtel Costes) and probably twice the price of your neighbourhood pub. Clubs would usually have a door charge, resident DJ, dancefloor, loud pumping music, and a crowd looking for some ‘fun’.

Now that we are clear on the difference between each establishment, we shall continue.

This is how they do the Jägerbomb at Bateau Vie. Set the whole bar on fire woo-hoo!

These were the nights at the pubs where if I can recall correctly, I was having beers, gin tonics, cocktails, random unknown shots and then proceeded to scream at everybody to have tequila shots and Jägerbombs. Surprisingly I still turned out pretty fine. I remember walking with my friends moving to another pub when one closed and we were screaming “What’s up Paris!!!!!” to groups standing outside other pubs. It was promptly followed by responses of loud cheer, lots of fist pumping and peace-sign making. It was just AWESOME. Still puts a smile on my face every time I think about it.

Stumbling across the sidewalks of Paris on a cold winter’s night with all your friends hand in hand, buzzing with energy and literally screaming at each other with a goofy grin on our faces, wondering where the night will lead us to next is seriously lots of fun. That’s all I will say because my mom reads this blog too hehe.

By the way, when in Paris having a good time usually requires a good group of friends and a sufficient level of handling an alcoholic diet. Going out alone or with just one other friend usually does not cut it.

I love the lights in this one.

I’m not sure why everybody already looks so wasted when we had barely started. Say hello to the gang, (L-R) Paolo, Thomas, Chrysan, Eugenio, Florian, and Alex.

This photo pretty much sums out how we were feeling that night.

Chrysan and Paolo.

Dancing in the metro with Cedric. Yes that is a bottle of wine in his hand.

What trip would it be if there wasn’t a visit to the Eiffel Tower? I took a walk alone one night and explored the place for a whole hour. There were plenty of tourists taking photographs and all the immigrant souvenir sellers but surprisingly quiet and serene. If you ignore how touristy it is and see it through your own eyes as if you were the only person alive there, it is truly amazing.

It was nice being by myself and taking in the beautiful structure that it is. I was at a loss for words at that very moment I looked at it up close. I couldn’t believe I was there, the city of my dreams. In the still of the night it said to me, “Welcome to Paris”. This is Paris. I was in Paris.

Bienvenue à Paris.

I will be back for you soon, I promise.

Matthias is a model I photographed before when I was in Sydney. Originally from Belgium, he was in Paris over the weekend with Laurent and we met up for coffee. Being the model that he is, he insisted I brought along my camera to take photos and we found ourselves doing an impromptu photoshoot in the Tuileries which I really liked. The photos turned out really well and remains to be one of my favourite sets.

Ah, Paris is so beautiful! After that, it was my turn to get photos taken with Matthias, courtesy of Laurent. They’re kinda silly but then that says a lot about us. I like. After a while it started to look as if we were having a dance off in the middle of the park. Hmmm…

The things I have to put up with…

I rest my case.

Michael Jackson or a member of some Eurotrash boyband?

The tango, FAIL.

I actually really like this photo.

It was a great afternoon with the guys, they’re lots of fun especially when Matthias is so hyper and Laurent is the cool and collected one. We just walked around the park a bit more, stopped at this merry-go-round at the park and Matthias took some photos of me before they left to Belgium right after. I’ll see you in Antwerp next!

Don’t you think it looks like part of a Korean drama?

Anyway I’ve been back in Malaysia since Monday and to be honest I felt a little sad coming home. It just didn’t feel… right. I think I may have found the place for me to settle for the next few years being but fingers crossed that it will actually happen. I have big BIG plans for this year. The question now is if it’s worth sacrificing everything I have here to be somewhere I don’t have anything and to start all over just because I will be happier there? I have just a few months left to figure it out.

I think way too much at 6 am. Out.

What am I doing in Paris? I decided to take an extended vacation and do some shoots at the same time. Problem is, I plan to do most of it outdoors on location but I don’t think the team will appreciate that very much so I’ll have to find a way around it. Lots of blankets and flasks of hot coffee?

My new years here was a bit of a bummer, I was feeling sick and fell asleep at 11 pm. So much for a crazy new years in the city of lights!

I’ve been having lots of fun with Chrysan, my roomie and she’s been dragging me out to as many places as possible. Funnily enough, I’ve not been to the Eiffel tower yet (to come, soon maybe?).

Life here is good, it’s simple, the French way of living is extremely laid back in my opinion. Besides the odd uptight Parisian, most of the people here are very nice and friendly. They approach everything with a c’est-la-vie attitude, sometimes a bit frustrating but other times a reminder to take everything with a pinch of salt.

Photos to come soon.

p.s. It snowed today and I’m trying to find every reason to stay indoors in my nice cosy room. Not good!

Obviously I had to ‘pretend’ to do some hard work for the cameras, right?

This was my first job as the official photographer for Fashion Week, first time working with a Malaysian designer, first time working with a studio setup, first time shooting with a TV crew documenting us, first time for a lot of things actually.

With the amazing Katerina. Girl can strike a fierce pose and speak Malay!

The designer was Karina Ng who people in the industry know as the shoemaker for Malaysia’s leading fashion designers including Bernard Chandran. She now has her own shoes and accessories label Ling-N and sets herself apart from others because all her shoes are handmade. These are some of my favourite shots.

Designer: Ling-N by Karina Ng | Styling: Nareez Zabidi | Hair & makeup: Kelly @ XpressionMaster | Photography assistant: Jay Lai | Models: Linda Markova and Katerina Davidova @ Andrew’s Models

A few weeks after the shoot, Karina gave me one of the best gifts ever–a pair of custom-made stiletto ankle boots which I wear very often even at shoots because they are so comfortable. They are so amazingly hot and I’m going to show them to you

5 inches of leathery goodness <3!!!!

The shoot was simple and done in the comfort of my own apartment. We had lots of fun and it was fantastic working with such great friends. If only all shoots could be like this.

<3 my polaroid wall. Are you on it yet?

I am also introducing a slightly different style to my photos so I hope you like them

And as always, the short behind the scenes video

Me, Karin and Catherine.

We were so drained after the shoot that we could barely speak. All we wanted to do was have a shower and rehydrate!

Getting hair and makeup done at one of the street-side watering holes.

We did get a lot of curious spectators (as usual) trying to pose with Iva, asking us about the shoot, what it was for. It was amusing but also a little annoying at the same time because the heat was starting to get to us. Either way, we still came out alive and got some pretty good shots.

Gotta love Bangkok for it’s colourful nightlife and insanely fun times!

A very sweaty me and Iva.