Gaile Lok radiates optimism and positivity. Blessed with a smile as sweet as honey, she’s often described by her peers as a sunflower personified. Lok, who is of mixed Chinese and Vietnamese descent, grew up in the United States and travelled to Hong Kong at the age of 18 to pursue a modelling career. She considers herself lucky, having received numerous opportunities and establishing meaningful relationships during her time in this vibrant city. In recent years she has ventured beyond the realm of fashion, turning her focus towards yoga and holistic wellness, often trading the glitz and glam of modelling with time spent farming and reconnecting with nature.
Can you tell us more about your experience coming to Hong Kong to pursue modelling?
By that time I had already been working as a model in the US and my agency had set me up to audition for a commercial in Hong Kong. Back then the audition happened via video casting, which took a long time as there was a lot of back and forth. I had a successful audition, got selected, and flew to Hong Kong to shoot my first ad. Then the work just kept on coming; I kept getting job offers and that’s how it’s been going for many years now.
How do you feel about this cover shoot? Does it bring back any memories?
I’m very happy to be participating in a cover shoot of this scale and it’s nice that everyone already knows each other. Janet has mentored me before, Qi Qi had me do a magazine cover once, and the rest of us are all good friends. It’s truly significant that we’re still able to work together after so many years. I joined the industry when I was 18 and I’m grateful to still be able to work in it at this age.
The fashion and modelling industry has undergone a lot of change in recent years. What are your thoughts on the rise of influencer culture?
Social media is great, I follow a lot of people on there. It’s a new generation and I hope that they can learn something from ours, while we too are able to gain a fresh perspective through the eyes of young people. In fact, influencers work very hard — they’ve even learned how to do their own lighting. That was something other people would help do for us back in our generation. We did things quite differently.
How would you describe the models of your time?
During my time, each model had their own personal style. You didn’t want to be like anyone else, you always wanted to find a style that was uniquely yours. And that’s what fashion is all about.
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Would you like to try your hand at being an influencer?
Frankly speaking, my time has passed. I’ve accepted that. Let me put it this way, as a model I’ve always loved tangible magazine covers; having a physical copy of a magazine that you can keep is something I treasure. Even though there are many influencers and digital covers nowadays, I really hope that there will continue to be magazines and large print covers in the future. Personally, I’m not going to become an influencer myself. I think they are very talented and can handle everything on their own, but I’ve been in the industry since I was 18 and I’m used to having others create my image, do my makeup, and style my hair.
Can you share with us about what’s been going on in your life lately? Any plans or personal goals for the future?
I’m into wellness and towards the end of the year I am organising my first yoga retreat in Bali with two friends. I also bought some land and want to try growing strawberries and become somewhat of a farmer. Nowadays I travel between the US and Indonesia, coming back to Hong Kong when I have advertisement jobs. I can usually just focus on my lifestyle — it’s very relaxing.
What does Hong Kong mean to you?
Hong Kong is very special to me. When I came here at 18, I didn’t have a single friend. But now I’ve built many meaningful relationships here, with friends in the modelling and fashion industry, as well as friends within media circles. Hong Kong has given me a lot of opportunities; I love and am very grateful to Hong Kong.
How do you define the “Hong Kong spirit”? How can it be passed on?
Hong Kong is a very dynamic, modern, and international city. I lived in a rather quiet part of the US, so when I came to Hong Kong it felt like a big city. When I would go to auditions in the past I often couldn’t find my way, and there were no smartphones or GPS navigation tools at the time. In a melting pot like Hong Kong it’s actually quite difficult to unify such diverse groups. But I hope that despite our differences, we can all be selflessly united in working hard for Hong Kong.
What message do you want to share with the people of Hong Kong?
You can stick to what you like, but you should also be willing to listen to others’ opinions. Be nice and kind to others.
Translated by Alyanna Raissa J. Payos
Photography: Hong Jang Hyun
Fashion Director: Jonathan Yee
Creative Producer: Marina Fairfax
Executive Producer: Second Li
Artist & Creative communication: Lee Kyung Kim @ BL Creative House
Senior Fashion Editor: Kyle Tang
Makeup Artist: Jenny Shih & Heisan Hung
Hair Stylist: Keith Wo & Jackal Wong
Production Manager: Jacky Liu
Fashion Assistants: Mama Yiu & Tsz Ching
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Editor
Chan Ning