If you saw Kiki Kang on the runway you would probably think to yourself: 'Isn't she such a sweet, approachable girl-next-door?' You would be absolutely right, too.

In person, the 18-year-old from Sichuan province in western China is delightfully chatty and bubbly.

'I was ugly as a kid,' she told Urban matter-of-factly. 'I was too tall and awkward.'

Undaunted, Kang - whose full name is Kang Qian Wen - registered in a modelling school in Dalian when she was 15.

She made the decision to try her hand at modelling because she wanted to help support her parents.

She graduated from the programme about a year ago and has been modelling since.

If her candid thoughts on her younger self are to be believed, then she must have blossomed while being put through the rigours of modelling school.

Indeed, legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld picked her to walk for his Fendi fall/winter 2007 runway show held at the Great Wall of China last October.

It was the first time in China's history that a fashion show was held on the Great Wall.

The event reportedly cost Fendi US$10 million (S$13.5 million) and was attended by Chinese and international celebrities as well as fashion editors throughout the region.

'I kept telling myself to walk carefully. It was so cold and I was wearing a tiny dress and high heels,' Kang recalled.

She made it to the end of the runway and back safely.

Today, the 1.8m-tall model, who looks like a cross between Shu Qi and Zhang Ziyi, still registers wonder that she has been able to carve out a niche for herself in the industry.

'It was not easy getting jobs initially because my image is neither fashionable nor am I very pretty,' she said.

She has certainly come far.

She walked in a whopping 14 shows at the SFF and was the clear crowd favourite, with industry people and audience members alike singing her praises.

She left Singapore a day after the SFF ended to fly back to China to apply for a visa to enter Prague, where she is China's representative in this year's Elite Model Look competition held on Monday.

She did not win the contest - the crown went to Jennifer Messelier of France - but with her shining personality and bright smile, she is already a winner in our eyes.

This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times on Apr 24, 2008.