Ling Tan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ling Tan
Tan at the Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, New York City
Born	(1974-10-09) 9 October 1974 (age 50) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Occupation	Fashion model
Modeling information
Height	(US) 5 ft 9.5 in (1.77 m) (EU) 177cm
Hair color	Black
Eye color	Dark Brown
Agency	The Model CoOp (New York) Elite Model Management (Paris, Toronto) Uno Models (Barcelona) Munich Models (Munich)
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	陳曼齡
Simplified Chinese	陈曼龄
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Chén Mànlíng Southern Min Hokkien POJ Tân Bānlîng

Ling Tan (born October 9, 1974) is a famous model from Malaysia. She lives in New York City. Ling has walked in many fashion shows. Top photographers like Richard Avedon have taken her picture. He even photographed her for the Pirelli Calendar in 1997.

Early Life and Background

Ling Tan grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Her family is of Chinese background. She has a younger sister who also became a model. Her father worked as a taxi driver, and her mother was a seamstress.

Education and Languages

Ling went to a Chinese school. She can speak four different types of Chinese languages. She also speaks Malay and English. Before she started modeling, Ling studied art and design.

How Ling Tan Started Modeling

Ling got her first big chance when an advertising executive saw her. This happened at a small fashion show where she was waiting for a friend. After that, Ling appeared in an advertisement for Tiger Beer.

Moving to New York City

Designers from Europe and America who showed their clothes in Malaysia encouraged Ling. They told her she should move to New York City to become a model.

Ling Tan's Successful Career

Ling's first big fashion show was for Zang Toi in November 1994. This was for his Spring/Summer 1995 collection. Since then, Ling has worked with many famous designers. These include Giambattista Valli, Elie Saab, Karl Lagerfeld, Yves Saint Laurent, Tom Ford, Emporio Armani, Donna Karan, and Chanel.

Working with Top Photographers

Many leading fashion photographers have taken Ling's picture. Some of these include Irving Penn, Mario Testino, Peter Lindbergh, and Richard Avedon. Richard Avedon famously photographed her for the Pirelli Calendar in 1997.

Magazine Covers and Features

Ling Tan has been on the covers and in the main stories of many top fashion magazines. She had a special twelve-page story in the well-known Italian Vogue. She also appeared in Vogue US and Vogue China.

She was on the cover of Vogue Germany in November 1998. In April 1999, she was on the cover of Vogue Korea. Ling also appeared on the cover of the magazine Vogue Singapore in 1996, which is no longer published. She was also featured in Prestige Magazines Malaysian edition with the famous Malaysian shoe designer, Jimmy Choo.

Advertising Campaigns and TV Appearances

Ling has been in many advertising campaigns. These include Ann Taylor’s 50th Anniversary “50 Women” and Banana Republic online ads in Spring 2009. She also worked for Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale's Holiday ads in 2007, and Old Navy in Summer 2008. She also appeared in ads for Yves Saint Laurent.

Ling has also been on TV. She appeared in commercials for Emporio Armani fragrances, FORD Cars, La Poste (France’s postal service), and Pantene Hair Color. She was also in George Michael’s music video for his popular song "Fast Love".

She was the subject of a biography on CNN’s Style Network with Elsa Klensch. Ling also appeared on the HBO series, ... and the City, and the CBS series, Blue Bloods.

Recent Work and Appearances

After taking a break from the runway, Ling walked for the Givenchy Fall/Winter 2010 show in Paris. She also made a video for Polo Ralph Lauren for their Fall 2010 campaign.

In 2011, Ling Tan, along with Yasmin Warsame, Elsa Benítez, and Jacquetta Wheeler, was the face of L'Oreal Code Breaker campaign for Winter 2010 and Spring 2011. Ling Tan and her younger sister, Ein Tan, appeared together on the covers of Harper's Bazaar Malaysia and Harper's Bazaar Singapore. In 2014, Ling Tan was a special guest on the final episode of Asia's Next Top Model Cycle 2 and the third episode of Asia's Next Top Model Cycle 5.

Modeling Agencies

Ling Tan is currently signed with The Model CoOp in New York City. She is also with Innovative Artists Talent And Literary Agency, also in New York. She has also worked with Elite Paris, Elite Toronto, Munich Models, and UNO Models in Barcelona. In the past, she was signed with IMG and Wilhelmina Models in New York.

See also

• Chinese in New York City