NEW FACES: Seo Jae-min
Introducing our weekly spotlight on unrepresented talent in China
At Period Magazine, New Faces is about looking beyond established names and paying attention to the people who are only beginning to shape their place within fashion. Across China and the wider Asian fashion industry, a new generation of models is emerging with increasingly diverse identities, backgrounds, and ideas about what a model can look like.
For this edition of New Faces, we head to Shanghai, where we discovered Seo Jae-min, a Korean and Black mixed-race model whose distinctive features immediately caught our attention.
Jae-min's appearance reflects both sides of his background. Strong bone structure, textured dark hair, expressive eyes, and a quiet confidence give him a look that feels difficult to place within one conventional category. That ambiguity is precisely what makes him interesting.
Growing up with both Korean and Black heritage has also shaped the way he views beauty and representation. Rather than feeling that he needs to fit neatly into an established image of an Asian male model, Jae-min sees his background as something that can allow him to occupy a different space within fashion.
In front of the camera, that translates into versatility. His appearance can move from softer, almost understated portraiture to something sharper and more editorial depending on styling, expression, and light. For a new model, there is already an awareness of how small changes in posture or expression can completely alter an image.
And that is exactly what New Faces is interested in finding: not a finished product, but potential.
Model Profile
Name: Seo Jae-min
Age: 22
Based in: Shanghai, China
Heritage: Korean and Black
Representation: Unrepresented
Height: 184 cm / 6'0.5"
Hair: Black
Eyes: Dark Brown
Quick Facts
Grew up around both Korean and Black cultures
Interested in editorial, fashion campaigns, and runway
Prefers simple clothing and understated styling
Enjoys photography, music, fitness, and discovering new places around Shanghai
Wants to build a strong editorial portfolio before deciding on agency representation
A Small Interview
Q: How did modeling first become something you were interested in?
Jae-min: I think people mentioned it to me before I ever seriously considered it. Eventually I did a couple of very simple photoshoots and realized I actually enjoyed being part of the process. There is much more to modeling than standing in front of a camera. You have to understand your body, your face, the clothes, and what the photographer is trying to create.
Q: Has being mixed influenced the way you see yourself within fashion?
Jae-min: Definitely. Growing up, I never completely looked like the people around me on either side of my family. When I was younger, I probably thought about that more negatively. Now I think it can actually be one of my strengths.
Q: Do you think your background gives you something different as a model?
Jae-min: I hope so. Fashion can sometimes have a very specific idea of what an Asian model should look like or what a Black model should look like. I don't fit completely into either of those expectations, and I actually like that. I think there is an opportunity to break that mold instead of trying to force myself into it.
Q: What kind of modeling would you most like to explore?
Jae-min: Editorial work first. I like photographs where the model has character and the images feel like part of a bigger story. Eventually I would also like to work on campaigns and runway, but right now I want to experiment and understand what kind of model I can become.
Q: How would you describe your personal style?
Jae-min: Very simple. Tank tops, denim, trousers, oversized jackets, black, white, neutral colors. I don't usually wear anything complicated. I think simple clothes let personality come through more.
Q: What have you found most difficult about being photographed?
Jae-min: Not repeating myself. At first you find one angle or expression that looks good and you keep going back to it. I'm learning that a strong model needs range. Turning the face differently, changing where you look, relaxing the body, creating tension. Small things can make two photographs feel completely different.
Q: What would you like someone seeing these photographs for the first time to remember about you?
Jae-min: That my look feels different without feeling forced. I don't want the fact that I'm mixed to become the only interesting thing about me, but I also don't want to hide it. It's part of why I look the way I do, and hopefully I can turn that into something recognizable.
For Jae-min, modeling is still very much at the beginning. There is no carefully constructed image yet, no established portfolio and no predetermined direction. That makes this stage particularly interesting.
Discovered in Shanghai, Seo Jae-min represents exactly what New Faces was created to explore: emerging talent whose individuality does not necessarily fit an existing mold.
Sometimes the faces worth watching are the ones capable of changing it.
Photos by Mykel Rosen
