Model Han Hye-jin watched a junior model's day unfold on YouTube.
That junior model had performed on the New York Fashion Week stage, yet was making ends meet through part-time work.
Why did Han Hye-jin decide to capture this behind-the-scenes reality on her own channel?
Three-line summary
1. Han Hye-jin gave a ticket to New York to a junior model
2. The junior model was seven years into her debut, and her income was essentially 0 won
3. Behind glamorous fashion shows lies this kind of earnings reality
The Story Behind the New York Ticket
On the 17th, in a video published on her YouTube channel, Han Hye-jin accompanied junior model Han Ji-young through a day. The two have nearly a 20-year gap in their careers, and this was their first time meeting face-to-face. Han Ji-young stepped on the New York Fashion Week stage for the first time in January of this year, but upon returning to Korea, she found herself with almost no income. When she traveled to New York, she said she had withdrawn her deposit on a rented room to cover the airfare and living expenses. Currently, she is working part-time as a promoter and at a café, and from September she took on additional part-time work as a server at a restaurant. Han Ji-young revealed, "It's difficult to live without part-time work," and "It's not that I can't do modeling jobs—it's a situation where if I miss out on part-time work, I have no money for next month's living expenses."
"20 Minutes Per Show, and That's Already Been Cut"
On this occasion, Han Hye-jin explained the procedures models go through before stepping on stage by walking through the fashion show preparation process. Models audition twice and have fittings twice each, then repeat rehearsals two or three times, and only after completing hair, makeup, and a meal do they take the stage. The actual stage time after all this preparation is just 20 minutes, she noted. Comparing it to her own time as an active model, Han Hye-jin said, "Back when I was active, there were so many shows themselves. There were several groups during Fashion Week, and brands put on so many shows," and added, "I never imagined a situation like this would come." The reduction in actual stage opportunities relative to the time and effort required for preparation has emerged as the background reason why junior models have no choice but to rely on part-time work.
That Same Date Han Hye-jin Left 20 Years Ago
Han Hye-jin gifted Han Ji-young a handwritten letter along with a plane ticket to New York for next year. The letter contained the phrase, "Since you're dreaming right now, may you be nothing but happy." The departure date of this plane ticket was matched to the same date Han Hye-jin first left for New York 20 years ago. Han Ji-young was moved to tears, saying, "Next year I'll really do well and come back." She had previously tried to say she didn't regret not being able to go to New York this time, but she revealed that it took a long time to accept that decision.
The circumstances of models who must endure auditions, rehearsals, and daytime part-time work for just 20 minutes on stage were once again laid bare in this video.
References
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