The catwalk is no cakewalk

Early flights

Dang only spends only about two months out of the year at her Beijing home. She spends the rest of her time traveling from one city to another for auto fairs.

"I'm often rushing from one city to the next, to make it to another auto fair. Automakers always book early flights for us, as the ticket price is cheap and they can also save money on hotel bills. I often leave at 4 or 5 am to catch my plane," she says.

"We usually rehearse for the show while the exhibition is being set up. Workers are busy moving things and there are drills buzzing in the background. The place often smells like glue ... the atmosphere is nothing like when the fair opens.

"After we finish a half-day practice, our shoes are often covered in a thick layer of white dust. We wear masks now, but when I was younger, I didn't know about the hazards of inhaling dust and formaldehyde. We called ourselves the 'manual air-purifiers,'" Dang jokes.

Revealing costumes

The news in January that female models may no longer be seen at the Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition, scheduled for April, has triggered public outcry. Market industry sources say other car and trade shows in China may follow Shanghai's lead.

"The models don't decide which costumes they're going to wear for the shows. Some big automakers design high-end costumes in good taste to match the vehicles' design concept," Dang says.

"The models who wear costumes that are too revealing make up only a tiny proportion of all models. And the truth is, if automakers provide dresses that expose too much, we make minor changes to make them more conservative," she says.

Most of the models who wear revealing costumes work for free and do not have contracts with car companies, Dang says. They attract media attention, but many big automakers don't allow them to model next to their vehicles because they want to protect their image.

"Revealing costumes for car show models should be changed. It's not only the government and audiences who want this, the models also want to dress elegantly. But I strongly disagree with the decision not to include models at auto shows," Dang says. Models have become an integral part of auto fairs in recent years, she adds.