Comments on: DAUL KIM, AGE 20

By: Natalie

Natalie — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 22:32:38 +0000

I wish more people would use old-timey phrases like the barn one you used! Got any more? haha, love it.

You are so right about hindsight and adolescent moodiness – I too had those days. I’ve found most interesting people have! Unfortunately in this situation Daul’s problems weren’t dealt with like most teens who are under the watchful eye of their parents, peers, and school. She was a rich model displaced from her home dealing with adult issues as a teen. Now at 20 she’s dead and as you mentioned, it is terribly tragic.

By: WendyB

WendyB — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:34:45 +0000

Interesting that the blog was locked. That’s closing the barn door after the horse is out, because it was quoted everywhere already. I enjoyed her post on bad service at Barneys. It was feisty.

Re seeing signs…I don’t think anyone could have predicted suicide from her writing. That’s a case of 20/20 vision in hindsight. There are thousands of emo-kid blogs out there, and a lot of those kids will grow up, shake their adolescent moodiness/self-cutting/obsession with death and live totally normal lives. If suicide was ALWAYS linked to bad teenage/young adult death poetry and depression, I’d be dead for two decades now. Instead, I shredded those journals long ago.

Regardless, this is terribly tragic.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:31:21 +0000

Just let me know what you want to do and we’ll do it!

By: Phuong

Phuong — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:04:47 +0000

yeah. i saw that! speaking of modeling and consumption, I gotta sell those clothes and buy my plane ticket. Lets talk about that soon. Kien is home this weekend maybe i can have him take the photos.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:43:27 +0000

From what I’ve witnessed, the world of modeling can turn into an ever consuming depression.

By: t.

t. — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:22:09 +0000

i’ve felt sad reading her blog entries in the past

r.i.p. daul

By: Natalie

Natalie — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 07:18:46 +0000

I was. I had been reading her blog for awhile, saw it linked on Refinery 29 one day. I especially love her video about Tolstoy — watch it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbOyFGGzjcs — I know you’ll love it! But seriously, how did people not see the signs?

By: Phuong

Phuong — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:35:04 +0000

Were you all over iliketoforkmyself.blogspot.com? Her friends and family must have come across her blog right? I mean who can read that and not think that something was seriously wrong? so much personality and its so sad that the industry squeezed the life out of her.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:11:48 +0000

She has definitely been one of the most successful Asian models in the past 10 years and it is so sad to see her go. I have been reading more and more about her case and came across this tidbit – there have been 8 Korean celebrity suicides in the past couple of years. It saddens me so much when people feel there is no way out but death.

By: Noelle

Noelle — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:13:30 +0000

I was really sad to hear about this. I’ve always thought Daul was gorgeous and she was one of few Asian models really accepted in the industry. It’s really strange to see these hardworking women living such a taxing lifestyle and then realize that most of them are younger than us.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:50:21 +0000

Olivia, you have a great way with words! Being less covetous and more supportive of the people we admire would make a world of difference. I really appreciate that you mentioned that. The more I think about the Daul the more I think about how young she was and the kind of pressures that were bestowed upon her. It seems too overwhelming and I wish we could open up a discourse about the safety of young models.

Thank you for your comment.

By: Olivia Hayes

Olivia Hayes — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:01:00 +0000

You are so on point with this post. It’s a shame, for everyone’s sake, that there isn’t a more honest conversation about this issue. It would illuminate the plight of these models, not to mention show the average woman that this lifestyle isn’t as glamorous as it’s made out to be…

Perhaps then we could go about being less covetous, and help support a more healthy lifestyle for these women. Resentment certainly won’t help us to support them or advocate for their well being.

By: Natalie

Natalie — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:03:55 +0000

You are so right, depressing. I am also on the edge of my seat to read that memoir. I’m definitely going to review it for Fashion Intel.

I did see the October issue of Glamour – I actually have a subscription to it as a result of JANE folding. I miss Jane so much! It was refreshing to see something new. I’m always searching for unique models so let me know if you come across anymore interesting spreads. xo NJ

By: Ava

Ava — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 08:46:44 +0000

R.I.P

She was so beautiful….this is depressing.

I am dying to read Crystal Renn’s memoir.

So sad that there is all that pressure. Have you seen the October issue of Glamour? The reason I bought it when I was up in SF was that inside was a spread of naked full figured models. It made me so happy to see woman I could relate to. Beautiful women in different shapes. There needs to be more of this. It was truly refreshing and empowering.