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I grew up in Grimsby [Ontario]. There was a population of 20,000. There’s no mall nor theater. There’s absolutely nothing. It’s good, but I always knew I wanted to get out.
From age 7 to 11, I was a bit chubby. I’d always wanted to model, so I finally worked out and slimmed down at around age 11.
It broke my parents’ hearts when I came home and I was like, “I’m fat and I need to go to the gym.”
I went to see an agency and they signed a contract with me right away.
They flew me to Hong Kong to work on a two-month basis, and I ended staying for four. I kept coming back, and so I moved here.
There are so many agencies and girls in town. You really have to make yourself different and stand out. What I found definitely helped me was social media.
It got weird when people started to recognize me on the street. I’m so normal and boring actually, and when people go a bit crazy, I’m like, “Are you looking at me?”
I find that to the masses, I’m known. But to the local press, I’m not so known. You can’t find a lot of me in the local gossip magazines. I think it’s because I’m kind of boring.
Everybody here who’s famous is kind of similar. They’re either Asian or mixed and a lot of them dress sexy or have had some kind of scandal. I don’t fit into that circle.
I’m always at home. I’m a grandma really.
My company tells me to stop being a Barbie. But no, I think I am who I am and I enjoy being cute rather than sexy. I fit myself more into Asian style that way. I’m more relatable because I wear Asian makeup and Asian clothes.
I suit Asian men more than Western men because of my image. Western men may find me a bit weird.
Most of the time, I’m attracted to Asian guys. My ex is Asian too.
I feel stupid when I’m sexy. I’ve always been a girly girl. I played with Barbies secretly until I was quite old. I hid them under my bed.
I’m proudest for not changing to fit the media. It would be a lot easier to be bigger if I just went that route and posed in a bikini. I don’t think I’m there yet. But I’m working hard to get there doing it properly.
I’m always made up into a doll or a Barbie because that fits my look. I’ve learned to embrace that.
Actually I always wanted to do it, but I was too scared. I felt like I had to fit a certain cookie-cutter image in Canada—and even here.
If I dressed like this in Canada, everyone would be like, “You’re so weird.”
Sometimes I read forums. I always get that I have “alien eyes,” that my eyes are so big it’s disgusting.
People also say I’ve cut my eyes to make them bigger. Crazy things that I didn’t even know you could do—but apparently I’ve done them.
Japan is more accepting of my style. The Hong Kong market is starting to open up to me, but it’s taking a while.
I’m moving to Japan soon, as I was offered a good business opportunity. I’ll be moving back and forth between Japan and Hong Kong.
I want to build myself as a brand. I’m not just a model and I don’t want to be just a model. I want to develop my social media and hopefully that can generate more business opportunities, like having a café or a clothing shop.
A lot of people are starting to book bloggers over models. If a model is holding a product, you don’t really believe it, because you know they’re paid to do that. But if a blogger tells you why she likes it, you will buy it.
One tip I would give models: have as much online presence as you can.
I like to post what I’m doing frequently and daily to keep everyone updated. Some say online, “She’s always taking selfies and it’s so annoying.” But that’s the thing that gets the most likes.
Everybody likes selfies. Those taken closer up will always do better.
Some people believe we should all look a certain way and they’re so fast to judge. They need to calm down a little bit.
I surround myself with a lot of local friends and I take Cantonese classes.
I was disgusted by street food at first. But now I eat it all the time, especially cheung fun and fishballs. I would rather eat that than a super expensive meal at the Ritz-Carlton.

	Keep up with Taylor R.’s life at www.facebook.com/Taylor.R.Official.


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Taylor R.

Magazines

Model and beauty blogger Taylor Richard, aka Taylor R., is best known in Hong Kong for her distinct “Barbie doll” look. The Canadian moved here four years ago and now has more than 144,000 followers on Facebook. She talks to Yannie Chan about why she adopts the cutesy look, the struggle that comes with it, and the city’s selfie culture.
