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===Career in fashion===
===Career in fashion===
Cheng was the Asian regional head of [[Elite Model Management]],<ref>{{cite web|title='We'll identify & train new faces'|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2003-04-05/news/27521384_1_indian-models-claudia-schiffer-john-casablancas}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Global Makeover|url=http://www.newsweek.com/global-makeover-133425}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Eyes of the beholder|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-11/13/content_281225.htm}}</ref> the agency that spawned [[supermodel]]s such as [[Cindy Crawford]], [[Claudia Schiffer]], [[Naomi Campbell]] and [[Gisele Bündchen]] amongst others. In 2003, when Cheng was Head of Elite Models for Asia, the Elite Model Look International finals were also held in Singapore, the second time in 21 years that the event was held in Asia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asiatraveltips.com/travelnews03/307Models.shtml|title=Elite Model Chooses Singapore as the Venue for its International Finals|author=smh|work=asiatraveltips.com}}</ref> Cheng left Elite in 2004.{{Citation needed|date=September 2007}}. During his tenure as the Head of Elite Models for Asia, Cheng rapidly grew Elite Model's network in Asia, including opening Elite for the first time in the important markets of China, India, Korea, and Thailand. In China, Cheng presided over a watershed Elite Model Look contest held right at the doorsteps of Tibet's Potala Palace, an event that garnered widespread international attention.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/infotainment/13-Aug-2002/elite-2002-model-look-contest|title=Elite 2002 Model Look contest|work=DailyTimes}}</ref> In India, Cheng not only opened an Elite Agency, but also opened Asia's first Elite Modelling School which aimed to scout and groom India's next Supermodel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2003-04-05/news/27521384_1_indian-models-claudia-schiffer-john-casablancas|title='We'll identify & train new faces'|work=timesofindia-economictimes}}</ref> Similarly in Korea, Cheng led a nationwide effort to discover a Korean model that could compete internationally.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2044612|title=A Korean look for the world|work=joins.com}}</ref> During his tenure, Cheng spearheaded efforts to find a global 'Asian' face.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/asias-elite-corps|title=Asia's Elite Corps|author=Suzanne Sng|date=6 November 2003|work=yale.edu}}</ref> His efforts were to prove ahead of his time, with European faces still dominating the catwalks in the mid-2000s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-11/13/content_281225.htm|title=Eyes of the beholder|work=chinadaily.com.cn}}</ref> Cheng's remarks to the press at the end of Elite Model Look 2003 were that, "The prevailing perception of beauty always belongs to the stronger economic power. At the moment, the Western economy is still holding sway. Therefore, their culture and values are being imposed on us. As the East grows stronger economically, more of our value and culture will be exported to the West. I believe there will be a reversal of trend." In the late 2000s and early 2010s, the fashion world did see the emergence of the world's first Chinese supermodel, [[Liu Wen]].<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/18/t-magazine/liu-wen-visits-china.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0</ref>
Cheng was the Asian regional head of [[Elite Model Management]],<ref>{{cite web|title='We'll identify & train new faces'|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2003-04-05/news/27521384_1_indian-models-claudia-schiffer-john-casablancas}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Global Makeover|url=http://www.newsweek.com/global-makeover-133425}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Eyes of the beholder|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-11/13/content_281225.htm}}</ref> the agency that spawned [[supermodel]]s such as [[Cindy Crawford]], [[Claudia Schiffer]], [[Naomi Campbell]] and [[Gisele Bündchen]] amongst others. In 2003, when Cheng was Head of Elite Models for Asia, the Elite Model Look International finals were also held in Singapore, the second time in 21 years that the event was held in Asia.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asiatraveltips.com/travelnews03/307Models.shtml|title=Elite Model Chooses Singapore as the Venue for its International Finals|author=smh|work=asiatraveltips.com}}</ref> Cheng left Elite in 2004.{{Citation needed|date=September 2007}}. During his tenure as the Head of Elite Models for Asia, Cheng rapidly grew Elite Model's network in Asia, including opening Elite for the first time in the important markets of China, India, Korea, and Thailand. In China, Cheng presided over a watershed Elite Model Look contest held right at the doorsteps of Tibet's Potala Palace, an event that garnered widespread international attention.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://archives.dailytimes.com.pk/infotainment/13-Aug-2002/elite-2002-model-look-contest|title=Elite 2002 Model Look contest|work=DailyTimes}}</ref> In India, Cheng not only opened an Elite Agency, but also opened Asia's first Elite Modelling School which aimed to scout and groom India's next Supermodel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2003-04-05/news/27521384_1_indian-models-claudia-schiffer-john-casablancas|title='We'll identify & train new faces'|work=timesofindia-economictimes}}</ref> Similarly in Korea, Cheng led a nationwide effort to discover a Korean model that could compete internationally.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=2044612|title=A Korean look for the world|work=joins.com}}</ref> During his tenure, Cheng spearheaded efforts to find a global 'Asian' face.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/asias-elite-corps|title=Asia's Elite Corps|author=Suzanne Sng|date=6 November 2003|work=yale.edu}}</ref> His efforts were to prove ahead of his time, with European faces still dominating the catwalks in the mid-2000s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/en/doc/2003-11/13/content_281225.htm|title=Eyes of the beholder|work=chinadaily.com.cn}}</ref> Cheng's remarks to the press at the end of Elite Model Look 2003 were that, "The prevailing perception of beauty always belongs to the stronger economic power. At the moment, the Western economy is still holding sway. Therefore, their culture and values are being imposed on us. As the East grows stronger economically, more of our value and culture will be exported to the West. I believe there will be a reversal of trend."




Revision as of 16:54, 18 February 2016

Calvin Cheng
Born
Calvin Cheng Ern Lee[1]

(1975-09-24) 24 September 1975 (age 48)
SingaporeSingapore
Alma materOxford University
Occupations

Calvin Cheng Ern Lee is a former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) in Singapore, and is an entrepreneur in the media and fashion modelling industry in Asia. He has held senior roles in Elite Model Management and Ford Models. He sits on several media advisory boards in Singapore, and is the managing partner of the first China-focused media fund located outside China.

Life and career

Early life and education

Cheng graduated from Oxford University (Hertford College) in the United Kingdom, with a Master of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and a Master of Science in Management.[1]

Career in fashion

Cheng was the Asian regional head of Elite Model Management,[3][4][5] the agency that spawned supermodels such as Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell and Gisele Bündchen amongst others. In 2003, when Cheng was Head of Elite Models for Asia, the Elite Model Look International finals were also held in Singapore, the second time in 21 years that the event was held in Asia.[6] Cheng left Elite in 2004.[citation needed]. During his tenure as the Head of Elite Models for Asia, Cheng rapidly grew Elite Model's network in Asia, including opening Elite for the first time in the important markets of China, India, Korea, and Thailand. In China, Cheng presided over a watershed Elite Model Look contest held right at the doorsteps of Tibet's Potala Palace, an event that garnered widespread international attention.[7] In India, Cheng not only opened an Elite Agency, but also opened Asia's first Elite Modelling School which aimed to scout and groom India's next Supermodel.[8] Similarly in Korea, Cheng led a nationwide effort to discover a Korean model that could compete internationally.[9] During his tenure, Cheng spearheaded efforts to find a global 'Asian' face.[10] His efforts were to prove ahead of his time, with European faces still dominating the catwalks in the mid-2000s.[11] Cheng's remarks to the press at the end of Elite Model Look 2003 were that, "The prevailing perception of beauty always belongs to the stronger economic power. At the moment, the Western economy is still holding sway. Therefore, their culture and values are being imposed on us. As the East grows stronger economically, more of our value and culture will be exported to the West. I believe there will be a reversal of trend."


From 2003 to 2005, Cheng was the Founding President of Singapore's modelling association,[12][13] which aimed to increase the pay and welfare of models in Singapore. The association successfully managed to increase model wages for shows by 60%, and for shoots by 33%.[14] This was however later interpreted as price-fixing by the Competition Commission of Singapore(CCS), and 11 agencies, including the model agency which Cheng was a shareholder of, were fined. Cheng however in an interview with Singapore's The Straits Times newspaper, argued that even though in its decision, the Competition Commission of Singapore took higher prices as evidence that the association has had an (adverse) effect on the market, the association had 'noble goals', and "If wages of models have been left higher and they have benefited permanently, it's a good thing".[14] In a reply to the same newspaper, the Competition Commission reiterated that regardless of the initial goals of increasing wages, the modelling agencies' price (wage) fixing still had an adverse effect on the market, and that the price-fixing agreement increased the prices that customers paid, which also increased the amount of commission due to the modelling agencies [15] Choosing to blog in response, Cheng revealed that the 'adverse effect' that the Competition Commission claimed was in fact most greatly felt by the Government-linked media giants of SPH and Mediacorp for model shoots, and the Government-backed Singapore Fashion Week and Singapore Fashion Festival for fashion shows. Cheng wrote, "Therefore in summary, the biggest 'clients' that were 'adversely affected' by our 'price-fixing' (which increased the wages of poor young people), was not some poor man on the street, but government owned media monopolies and government agencies themselves." [16]

Cheng is the Founding Director of Lumina-Looque International,[17] Director of Looque Models and President of John Robert Powers China.[1]

Looque Models has managed Asian celebrities such as Sara Malakul Lane,[18] Amber Chia.,[19] Lisa S and Maike Evers [20]

Lumina-Looque also owns events group Lumina Live which organises events for luxury brands such as Dior, Ferragamo and Zegna, as well as leading youth magazine JUICE.[21]

Career in media

At the end of 2014, it was announced that Cheng, together with one of the largest media groups in China, Nasdaq-listed Bona Film Group, launched a $100 million media fund to invest in China media sector.[22] Cheng said "The Chinese media market is the fastest growing media market in the world, and within a few short years, it has almost caught up with the US and is now the second largest box-office market in the world," he said. "Because the Internet market in China is also very developed, the convergence of media is very advanced in China. So we see huge opportunities, not only in film and TV content, but the entire media value chain."

Cheng also sits on the Media Literacy Council of Singapore's Ministry of Communications and Information.,[23] and the Advisory Board of Singapore's Media Development Authority's Singapore Media Festival.[24] Previously, Cheng also served on the Supervisory Council of the Government's Feedback arm, REACH.[25]

Achievements and appointments

In August 2005, Cheng was featured in Singapore's 40th independence day official commemorative video as one of "40 young Singaporeans under 40 who shine in their own way".[26] [27]

Cheng was on the Council of the Singapore Red Cross Society from 2009 to 2011.[28]

In 2009, Cheng was honoured as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum,[29] and inducted into the Forum of Young Global Leaders,[30] one of five to be chosen from Singapore.[31]

In July 2009, Cheng was appointed a Nominated Member of Parliament in Singapore.[2]

In 2010, Cheng was appointed the President of John Robert Powers for China, the world's largest model training and development school.[32]

In 2011, Cheng was appointed the franchisee for Ford Models Supermodel of the World for Singapore, Malaysia and China.[33][34] In the same year, Cheng was appointed to the Board of Screen Singapore, Singapore's premier cinema event.[35]

In 2014, Cheng was appointed to the Advisory Board of the newly formed Singapore Media Festival.[36] At the inaugural Singapore Media Festival in December 2014, it was announced that Cheng, together with China media tycoon Yu Dong, launched a US$100 million fund to invest in China's media industry.[37][38]

References

  1. ^ a b c "CV-Calvin Cheng". Parliament of Singapore. Archived from the original on 19 January 2011.
  2. ^ a b Abdullah Tarmugi (Speaker), "Nominated Members of Parliament (Announcement by Mr Speaker)", Singapore Parliamentary Debates, Official Report (20 July 2009), vol. 86, col. 798; Clarissa Oon; Jeremy Au Yong (7 July 2009), "Panel submits names of nine new NMPs", The Straits Times, pp. A1, A4; Loh Chee Kong; Ong Dai Lin (7 July 2009), "A brand new slate: A unionist, a vocal sociologist, a former swim queen among the names unveiled", Today, pp. 1, 4, archived from the original on 15 July 2009.
  3. ^ "'We'll identify & train new faces'".
  4. ^ "The Global Makeover".
  5. ^ "Eyes of the beholder".
  6. ^ smh. "Elite Model Chooses Singapore as the Venue for its International Finals". asiatraveltips.com.
  7. ^ "Elite 2002 Model Look contest". DailyTimes.
  8. ^ "'We'll identify & train new faces'". timesofindia-economictimes.
  9. ^ "A Korean look for the world". joins.com.
  10. ^ Suzanne Sng (6 November 2003). "Asia's Elite Corps". yale.edu.
  11. ^ "Eyes of the beholder". chinadaily.com.cn.
  12. ^ Talent Scouts or Talent Touts - JUNE 13, 2005
  13. ^ http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/en/radio/938live/calocalnews.aspx?cp-documentid=3955652
  14. ^ a b "Agencies which fixed prices had 'noble goals'". asiaone.com.
  15. ^ "CCS's reply to Straits Times report on 6 May titled "Agencies which fixed prices had 'noble goals'"". Competition Commission Singapore. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  16. ^ Calvin Cheng. "Beyond The Emotive". beyondtheemotive.blogspot.sg.
  17. ^ "Nine global media industry professionals joins Singapore Media Festival Advisory Board". Media Development Authority Singapore. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  18. ^ http://www.asiaone.com/Just%2BWoman/News/High%2BLife/Story/A1Story20070612-14448.html
  19. ^ http://justwoman.asiaone.com/Just%2BWoman/News/High%2BLife/Story/A1Story20070612-14447.html
  20. ^ "Looque". looque.com.sg.
  21. ^ "Lumina Looque International". lumina-looque.com.
  22. ^ Nancy Tartaglione. "Bona Film Group Chairman Launches $100M China Media Fund In Singapore - Deadline". Deadline.
  23. ^ "Media Literacy Council Members".
  24. ^ http://www.mda.gov.sg/Documents/News/2014/Annex%20A_Singapore%20Media%20Festival%20Advisory%20Board%20Members.pdf
  25. ^ http://www.reach.gov.sg/portals/0/MediaRelease/REACH%20MEDIA%20RELEASE%20New%20REACH%20Supervisory%20Panel%20%28Web%29.pdf
  26. ^ "40 TODAY: National Day Video 2005". mindef.gov.sg.
  27. ^ http://wildsingaporenews.blogspot.com.au/2009/02/singapore-5-on-list-of-young-global.html?m=1. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  28. ^ http://www.redcross.org.sg/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Minutes_of_SRC_AGM_held_on_24_June_2009.pdf
  29. ^ "Young Global Leader Honorees 2009" (PDF). World Economic Forum. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  30. ^ "The Forum of Young Global Leaders". The Forum of Young Global Leaders - World Economic Forum.
  31. ^ "S'pore 5 on list of young global leaders". asiaone.com.
  32. ^ "John Robert Powers to open in China".
  33. ^ "Archives". thestar.com.my.
  34. ^ http://www.thesundaily.my/news/fashion/model-search
  35. ^ http://www.screensingapore.com.sg/about-screensingapore/board-of-screensingapore/
  36. ^ http://finance.yahoo.com/news/nine-global-media-industry-professionals-084200404.html
  37. ^ http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/business/singapore/tembusu-calvin-cheng-set/1521724.html
  38. ^ "China tycoon ties up with Singapore firm, entrepreneur to launch US$100-million media fund". Yahoo Singapore Finance. 10 December 2014.
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