Soo Joo Park (Korean name Park Suju; born March 26, 1986, in Seoul, South Korea) is a Korean-American fashion model known for her signature platinum-blonde hair and her standing in high fashion. She moved with her family to Anaheim, California, at the age of ten, and grew up in the United States.
From Architecture to Modelling
Park studied architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. After graduating she was scouted while shopping at a vintage store in San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury neighbourhood. Following a move to New York, she dyed her naturally black hair platinum blonde — a decision that produced the look for which she is now instantly recognised. Her first significant fashion credit came in a BCBG Max Azria advertisement in 2010, and she has since been represented internationally by agencies including Women Management, IMG Models, Storm Management and Nomad Management.
Runway and Campaigns
She has walked for Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Emporio Armani, Fendi, Rick Owens, Lanvin and Loewe, and has appeared in campaigns for Michael Kors, MAC Cosmetics, Tom Ford, Redken, Gap, DKNY and Bulgari. In a notable milestone for representation in the industry, she became the first Asian-American woman to serve as a L'Oréal spokesmodel. Her editorial work spans Vogue, Vogue Italia, W, Dazed, i-D and CR Fashion Book, and her rise made her one of the most visible Asian models in Western high fashion during the 2010s.
Recognition and Other Work
Park was named to Models.com's Top 50 Models in 2014 and to its Industry Icon list in 2022, appeared on the industry's Money Girls list in 2015, and was among Vogue Italia's 100 cover stars in 2020. Beyond modelling she appeared as Sutra in the Netflix series Sense8 (2017–2018), made her musical debut as Ether with a cover of the Korean rock song "Haenim" in 2021, and performed at Chanel's Métiers d'Art show that same year. She stands 5 feet 10 inches tall.