Mesmerizing. Unforgettable. Iconic.
Anna Bayle is the world’s first Asian supermodel and one of the highest-paid models of her era. In 2024, Marie Claire included Anna in their list of 32 “Most Iconic Supermodels of All Time.” Those who reached “super” status owing to their impressive body of work and their ability to break down barriers.
Anna’s ascension is nothing short of extraordinary. She transformed from an unknown Filipina pre-med scholar to a global runway and fashion icon at the top of her career for 15 years internationally. Talk about longevity! Anna defined an era with her signature hair flip, which reportedly inspired Naomi Campbell (and now Gigi Hadid), and a unique runway walk. As a senior fashion editor during that time, I had a front-row seat to Anna’s illustrious career.
They say you always remember your first, and Anna certainly remembers her first runway show: It was in Paris in 1979. The excitement was palpable. Anna debuted on Thierry Mugler’s runway along with Jerry Hall, who ruled the runways at that time. Anna had arrived.
Mugler was one of the most important designers of that time. Thierry’s bold, avant-garde, nipped-waist, highly-sexed silhouettes helped define ’80s power dressing. He was also one of the first designers to champion diversity in his runway shows, and a star maker.
Thanks to Mugler, Anna was getting her lion’s share of attention. She was referred to as “mannequin vedette” (star model) and the French fashion cognoscenti took notice, labeling her “The look of the ’80s.”
It was one of Anna’s highest dreams to work for “The King,” as she referred to Yves Saint Laurent, one of the most consequential designers of the 20th century, and Bayle vividly remembers her first YSL show. Anna would serve as a muse to Mugler, Yves Saint Laurent, Claude Montana, Azzedine Alaïa, and Christian Lacroix.
Oleg Cassini once said of Anna, ‘Elle est le plus soignée!’
In Paris, Anna shined on the runways of Ungaro, Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Sonia Rykiel, Dorothée Bis, Kenzo, Givenchy, Bernard Perris, Hanae Mori, Schiaparelli, Paco Rabanne, Chantal Thomas, Issey Miyake, Kansai Yamamoto, Nina Ricci and Valentino, among others. Walking the runways for Gianni Versace, Missoni, Fendi, Valentino, Andre Laug, Lancetti, Balestra, Kritzia, Barocco, and Max Mara in Milan; for Valentino Haute Couture in Rome, put Anna on the Italian fashion map.
When Anna retired in 1994, designers begged her to come back. She wanted to go out on a high note. “I never looked back. It’s best to leave when you’re at the top.” There’s no question that Anna was at the top of her game.
Anna was graced with natural beauty, but had so much more, the X Factor, that special something. Bayle was not only a star runway model. She was photographed by legends such as Norman Parkinson, Peter Beard, Arthur Elgort, Helmut Newton, Patrick Demarchelier, and Victor Skrebneski. Antonio Lopez loved to sketch Anna for his illustrations.
Anna was featured in many fashion books, and she did national and international campaigns for fashion houses and major department stores. She was the face of Shishedo Cosmetics and appeared in many high-profile ads. She was also featured in the introductory video for Style with Elsa Klensch, the weekly show on CNN that ran from 1980 to 2001.
Bayle is also highly influential and she assuredly left her mark. Anna is bombarded with calls to release photos, and photographers and fans from all over the world continually send her photos. There is a tribute page for Anna on Facebook.
The renewed interest in Bayle is not surprising when you consider how much the younger generation is constantly bombarded with stimuli, hunger for authenticity, and legacy in an increasingly artificial world.
The fashion shows of the 1980s and 1990s, especially those in Milan and Paris, and particularly the couture shows, were on a completely different level.
Their runway shows, held in intimate showrooms, hotel rooms, or under the Bryant Park tents (those were the days!) are unforgettable. I cannot remember being at one of their shows, or any major show for that matter, where Anna was not on the runway. We were constantly crossing paths.
Anna was also omnipresent at every important show in Milan and Paris, cities that I often traveled to for the ready-to-wear and couture collections which are on a completely different level.
It’s hard to forget Christian Lacroix’s couture shows in the ’80s. Anna was always the star. She was distinctly suited for Christian’s highly embellished, extravagant, theatrical, elaborate, colorful designs and she brought them to life on the runway.
Anna was always front and center on Gianni Versace’s runways. In the ’80s and ’90s. Versace’s shows were bona fide happenings: elaborate productions using music, special effects, and large-scale staging. They were also known for their boldness, theatricality, cultural influence, and particularly for their contribution to the rise of “supermodels.”
Bayle was always so in demand during those years, that she was booked back to back for the shows, which literally went on from morning until night with almost no time to eat a meal. Anna always radiated confidence and made everything look great. Anna’s personality always shined through. Oleg Cassini once said of Anna, “Elle est le plus soignée!” (the “neatest” or the most groomed) which she took as a great compliment.
Anna was the consummate model. Azzedine Alaïa once told her she had the perfect long body and proportions, so she was highly sought after as a fit model. In the designers’ ateliers, Anna learned about construction and what makes a design from the inside out.
This exposure provided Anna with the skill set to become an exceptional model. It served as a helpful tool, enabling her to translate the designers’ visions on the runway.
Karl Lagerfeld, whom Anna describes as one of the smartest and wittiest designers, often asked her where the hemline of a skirt should fall. Calvin Klein and Michael Kors wanted to see their collections on Anna. Dior’s Marc Bohan draped clothes on her.
As a model, Anna knew the assignment: She had to sell the clothes. As the consummate chameleon, Anna could turn on a dime and, within an instant, become sultry, alluring, elegant, sporty, playful, or whatever the designer wanted her to portray.
Regardless of what role Anna played and whether her glistening, waist-length black hair was worn loose, tied up in a chic chignon, or piled on with false hair pieces, Anna was always Anna.
It’s worth noting that when Anna arrived in the U.S. in the late 1970s, many, if not most, of the top models were blonde and blue-eyed, with an all-American look. That was not the case in Europe. Anna Bayle’s non-specific ethnicity was a plus in the fashion world, as she could easily pass for Black, Brazilian, Hispanic, or Asian. Anna was hired because she had everything going for her and not because she was Filipino, but there is no question that Anna’s exotica worked in her favor, particularly in Paris.
Kate Moss arrived in the ’90s, signaling the era of the waif. Anna continued working for many years. While it was hard for Anna to leave modeling, as it was an outlet for her creativity, she eventually did, while still at the top. Anna started working for Elsa Klensch, and became an editor and an entrepreneur. In 1997, she launched Anna Bayle lipsticks at Henri Bendel, and it was featured in WWD. She eventually got married, had a child and settled into motherhood.
Anna resides in bucolic Millbrook, New York. She loves her life and is now a successful licensed real estate agent with Douglas Elliman where she is continually in the top one percent.
As the first Asian supermodel, Anna defined beauty and elegance on a global scale. Today, she brings the same sophisticated authenticity, keen eye for detail, and impeccable work ethic to the world of luxury real estate.
Marilyn Kirschner is a longtime fashion editor with more than 50 years of experience.
Photographs by MARK SELIGER. Deputy Editor PAM QUIÑONES. Fashion Editor DAVID MILAN. Styling by DANIEL EDLEY. Talent: Anna Bayle. Deputy Editor: Pam Quiñones. Fashion Editor: David Milan. Stylist: Daniel Edley. Executive Producer: Anz Hizon. Beauty Editor: Joyce Oreña. Makeup: Francelle Daly. Hair: Adam Markarian. Studio Executive Producer: Ruth Levy. Studio Producer: Madi Overstreet. Nails: Nail Technician Honey at Exposure NY. Tailor: Susan Balcunas. First Assistant and Digital-Tech: Romy Kirchauer. BTS Videographer: Adam Dowling. Stylist’s Assistant: Grace Providencia Wagner.
