Fernanda Ly: The Girl with the Pink Hair

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Fernanda Hin Lin Ly, the Aussie model with hair reminiscent of Pepto Bismol, came into the spotlight after Louis Vuitton's creative director Nicolas Ghesquière kept her off limits to other designers for two seasons. Her iconic appearance at his AW16 and SS16 shows rocked the world and left us yearning for her flawless Sailor Moon aesthetics. Since the LV shows, Fernanda Ly has graced the covers of four Vogue magazines, an i-D magazine, and most recently, the cover of CR Fashion Book.
There is important cultural significance to the rise of Ly's popularity as well. According to Teen Vogue, "All of Australia’s most notable models — including Elle Macpherson, Miranda Kerr, and Gemma Ward — are white. This is curious given that plenty of nonwhites call Australia home." In fact, Ly, whose parents are Chinese, grew up in a predominantly Asian neighborhood. Her rise this fashion month has marked her as the only nonwhite Australian model to make it big. And here's the thing: she didn't need the millions of followers, that perhaps Kendall and Gigi did, to rise up in the industry.

Vogue Japan cover by Ezra Petronio, Vogue Australia cover by Nicole Bentley

CR Fashion Book cover by Mario Sorrenti, Vogue China cover by Patrick Demarchelier

Vogue Italia cover by Mario Sorrenti and Craig McDean, i-D cover by Mario Sorrenti

At the age of 15, Ly attempted to go bleach blonde but, much to her dissatisfaction, the result was a coppery orange. It wasn't until two years later at the age of 17 that she would make the iconic switch to cotton candy pink.

Photo by Tommy Ton for Vogue

According to her interview with i-D magazine in February, her favorite modeling job so far hasn't been for top designers such as Louis Vuitton, for who she was a muse, but shooting with online retailer NastyGal. According to her, this favoritism was brought by NastyGal's generous supply of cookies on set.
Speaking of cookies, Ly's quirks don't end with her unusual pink 'do. She has an utter appreciation for the sweet things in life-- literally. She loves sweet treats, especially ice cream. Her instagram as well as her interviews reveal her obsession with scones, latte art, and other café desserts and sweets.

Right: Ly at Louis Vuitton FW15 show, Left: Ly's street style (photographed by Tommy Ton for Vogue)

In addition to her love of bakery treats, Ly is deeply fascinated with architecture. She was an architecture student at a university in Sydney until she took a leave of absence to pursue her career in modeling, but she does plan to go back to the field in the future. "Clothing and fashion, buildings and architecture, they come hand in hand," she said to CNN Style, and revealed architecture was a mutual interest between her and LV's Ghesquière. Her favorite structures include Notre Dame (which turned her onto architecture), St. Mary's Cathedral in Tokyo, Church of the Light also in Tokyo, the Morimoto Restaurant in New York City, Bridge of Aspiration in London, and the Optical Glass House in Japan. Her interview with CNN Style revealed her utter intelligence on the matter, and she spoke only with the utmost eloquence.

Photo Source: Ly's instagram @warukatta

Fernanda Ly has walked a total of twenty-five shows as of the time this article is published. She's walked for Rihanna's recent Fenty x Puma show, as well as Dsquared, Dolce & Gabbana, Ermanno Scervino, Giamba, Max Mara, Fendi, Simone Rocha, Vera Wang, DKNY, Zimmermann, and --of course-- Louis Vuitton. According to Dazed, it's the “'vastly different cultures and people you are able to encounter while casually waiting for a casting' that Ly most enjoys about her work, a positive byproduct of the widening acceptance of both racial and stylistic difference supported by the industry’s biggest houses." 

She continues to dazzle us with her baby pink locks, confident walk, and intellectual insights. We can't wait to see and hear more of Fernanda Ly in the future.