Zheng Xiuming isn't tall like the runway models, but she was the subject of hundreds of photo shoots, spending her summer as a part-time fashion model for stores' online websites.
The 20-year-old college student changed clothes dozens of times within a day to pose for promotional photographs to be posted online as required by shop owners.
"It is really challenging. Online shop owners will only hire models who can better display their products," Zheng said.
As a beginner, Zheng earns about 300 yuan a day, and she is considering modeling full-time as her career after graduation.
"I am not dreaming of becoming a star model. But the business market for online fashion modeling is becoming larger as more shop owners with websites have found it easier to attract buyers through our display," she said.
Like Zheng, an increasing number of people in Guangdong province, a major trade centre in South China, have joined the online fashion modeling industry.
Yin He, general manager of a Foshan-based modeling agency, said online fashion modeling has resulted in a large share of revenues for its businesses.
"The robust development of online purchasing in the Pearl River Delta region, which has a large number of garment factories and traders, has laid a solid foundation for our business growth," Yin told China Daily.
Online shop owners' businesses are better promoted when models display their wares, Yin said.
"Some clothes, when not worn by models, look no different from other clothes. But they may look very distinguishable and beautiful if they are put on models," he said.
Yin's agency, which was established last year, now includes about 1,500 models, of which up to 90 per cent are college students working part time.
"They are not required to pay deposits when joining us. It helps partly explain why we have attracted so many part-time models," Yin said.
An experienced model who has been working for one year earns from 500 to 1,500 yuan a day, Yin said.
"Under the current employment situation, the online fashion modeling industry has created a favourable position for university students," Yin said.
But Yin warned that the competition will become fierce as more people plan to join the industry.
"Models may not be classic all-over beauties. We only need those with professional skills as each item of online products needs different visual display," Yin said.
Sometimes, only one good feature is required from each model. For example, shop owners selling lipstick online need models with good-looking lips, Yin said. - China Daily/ANN
