It’s her cotton-candy pink mane that makes her identifiable on the international runways. First scouted during her early teen days at a shopping centre in Sydney’s south-west—only to be handpicked by Nicholas Ghesquière himself for Louis Vuitton—model Fernanda Ly has been turning heads ever since that first big break. She’s now walked for the likes of Missoni and Roberto Cavalli, and has graced the pages of six editions of Vogue (and counting).  

A homebody with a love for manga and gaming, Ly continues to defy convention with her eclectic gothic-meets-Japanese style and hair choices that traverse the colour wheel. It’s this point of difference that attracts its fair share of attention from major fashion houses and sets her apart from her leggy counterparts. More than just quirk and sartorial magic, her career represents a timeline of fashion and beauty’s widening acceptance of racial diversity.

Ahead of the David Jones SS22 runway, Gritty Pretty caught up with the Australian-born, New York-based model to talk about all things skincare and, of course, took down notes on how she maintains her iconic (currently copper) tresses. 

“I used to be one of those people that would do the 10-step-skin routine but then I got sick of that and realised I was spending too much time just staring and putting things on. So now in the morning, I literally wake up and just wash my face with warm water and I moisturise. I’m currently using products my dermatologist gave me from Macrene Actives. I’m using their High Performance Face Serum and apparently it may be coming to Sephora soon—that’s what my dermatologist said! So I use that, and that’s literally all I do in the morning. Then I add SPF if I’m going outside, maybe makeup if I feel like it. 

For PM I remove makeup, or sunscreen with Bioderma Micellar Water. If I have makeup on from a shoot I use an actual oil for the eyes. I’m currently using a Japanese one called Bifesta Mandom Eye Makeup Remover. Then I’ll hop into the shower and I do everything in the shower because I’m lazy. I’ll use the Macrene Actives High Performance Cleanser, which is also from my derm and then the same serum. I feel lucky with my skin right now!”

“I like to know what kind of vibe that the designer of the brand is going for, so I can somewhat try to have it in my mind when I’m walking! I also know they’re not looking at me, they’re looking at the clothes so I don’t really get nervous. I kind of just… walk!”

“I feel like anime and cosplay kind of unconsciously does. I debuted with pink hair and it was a very magical girl sort of hair like a shōjo main character. I also used to be really obsessed with Sailor Moon outfits, not so much anymore though! Now my style is normally quite comfortable, and I’m trying to incorporate more colours like blues and reds. So, trying to branch out.”

“Colour-wise I never really have anything in mind that inspires me. It actually takes me a few years to convince my agency to let me dye my hair because I’m not allowed. Technically, I’m not allowed to change my appearance. So when I had blonde hair it was just me letting the pink wash out, and then they’d be like ‘Hey Fernanda I see your hair has changed’, and they liked it! After that I kept showing pictures of like, orangey, ginger hair for three, four years being like, ‘What do you think of this!’ And suddenly they asked, ‘What do you think about doing that hair change you mentioned?’

I’m really lazy now because I’ve fully streamlined my hair care routine! I wash my hair every two to three days. I use a shampoo and conditioner from Wella and it’s kind of like their version of Olaplex. It’s Wellaplex! I actually mix in the colour I use to dye my hair into the conditioner, so, when it does fade from washing the colour sort of goes back in. I always towel dry and use the Kerastase Elixir Ultime. It’s gold, it’s in a pump form and I really like it, it’s amazing! In terms of masks the most I would do would be using Olaplex No.3 on the ends.”

“The three beauty products I always use and would take with me in my travel bag are the Embryolisse Moisturiser, the Avene Thermal Mist because the air is so stale on the plane. It’s recycled air! And The Ordinary has the 100% Plant-Derived Squalane Serum that I use. It’s sort of oily but doesn’t feel so when you put it on.”

“Oh, that’s sort of what I want to know as well! Because I do have my times where I get really anxious and nervous that I have no work at all. It’s not like a 9-5 where I’m working the next day. I sort of sit there twiddling my thumbs thinking, ‘When will the next job happen?’ During fashion week when everyone is doing shows, and I’m not really a ‘show’ girl; I just watch everyone do their stuff. I learned that this part of the industry isn’t what I’m popular for, but then I remember that clients like me for beauty, or other things like that. I just have to remind myself that I belong. It can be difficult.”