Devon Aoki | |
|---|---|
 Aoki in 2008 | |
| Born | Devon Edwenna Aoki (1982-08-10)August 10, 1982 (age 42) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1997–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent | Hiroaki Aoki (father) |
| Relatives |
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| Modeling information | |
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (165 cm) |
Devon Edwenna Aoki (born August 10, 1982)[1] is an Americanmodel and retired actress.[2] Aoki's film roles include2 Fast 2 Furious (2003),Sin City (2005),DOA: Dead or Alive (2006) andMutant Chronicles (2008).[3]
Aoki grew up inNew York City,Malibu, California, andLondon, England. She attended high school atThe American School in London.[4]
Her father was former wrestler andBenihana restaurant magnateRocky Aoki and her mother is Pamela Hilburger, a jewelry designer. Her father was Japanese and her mother is ofGerman andEnglish ancestry. She started modeling when she was 13, the same year her godmother introduced her toKate Moss. She has an older sister and a younger brother, as well as fourhalf-siblings includingSteve Aoki.[5] Aoki is also the aunt of fellow modelYumi Nu.[6]
Following her runway debut in 1997, Aoki walked for brands includingBalenciaga,Comme des Garçons andChanel. In 1998, at the age of 16, Aoki replacedNaomi Campbell as the face ofVersace.[7] She has also been featured in advertising campaigns forChanel,Yves Saint Laurent,Kenzo,Hugo Boss,L'Oreal,Lancome andTiffany & Co., and walked for designers includingVersace,Chanel,Oscar de la Renta,Diane von Furstenberg,Jean Paul Gaultier,Celine,Baby Phat, andMarc Jacobs.[8]
Aoki has graced the covers of numerous international fashion magazines, including US'Ocean Drive,Vegas,[9]Nylon,i-D,Interview,Elle Girl and UK'sWonderland;[10] Korea'sCosmo Girl; France'sJalouse; Australia'sRussh and10 Magazine; Japan'sVoce andHarper's Bazaar; andMalaysia'sHer World.[11] Additionally, Aoki has appeared on the covers ofVogue (American, Germany, Russia, Japan, Korea) andNuméro (Tokyo).[8] In 2006, she posed for Singaporean photographerLeslie Kee for the charity photo-bookSuper Stars, which was dedicated to the victims of the2004 Asian tsunami disaster.[9]
In September 2007, she designed acapsule collection forLevi's Asian market called Levi's +D.[12][13] Aoki described the collaboration by saying: "It's called Levi's + D, the D is for Devon. We're doing everything from denim to swimwear – you name it! I get inspired by vintage pieces you can't really get anymore."[14] In 2017, she returned to the runway forMoschino's fashion show and appeared in advertising campaigns for "Sephora xMoschino" and Hugo Boss.[5][15] In 2018, Aoki walked the runway forJeremy Scott's eponymous brand, starred in an editorial for AmericanVogue and appeared in advertising campaigns for Moschino Fragrance,Nordstrom andSwarovski.[8][16] In September 2019, she appeared inHarper's Bazaar's "Bazaar Icons 2019" issue, photographed byMario Sorrenti.[17][18]
As an actress she has appeared in the films2 Fast 2 Furious,[19]D.E.B.S.,Sin City,Dead or Alive,War,Mutant Chronicles andRosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead.[20] She was cast asTatsu Yamashiro inArrow season 3,[21] but was replaced byRila Fukushima due to a scheduling conflict.[22][23] She appeared briefly in the documentary filmsI'll Sleep When I'm Dead andJeremy Scott: The People's Designer, the former being a documentary about her brother Steve.
She is considered as an icon in thefashion industry by models.com.[24] In 2017, Dominic Cadogan ofDazed called Aoki a "cult model" and "one of the most recognizable alternative faces of the 90s".[5] Cadogan continued by saying, "by the time she was 16, she was one of the most in-demand girls of the moment, with some of the industry's top photographers (includingJuergen Teller,Ellen von Unwerth andNick Knight) all transforming her in their images."[5] In April 2019,Marie Claire listed her as one of the 15supermodels of the 2000s who changed the face of fashion.[25]L'Officiel USA called her "an eternal fashion It-girl",[26] whileI-D magazine wrote that Aoki is "one of those few faces that defined the turn of the millennium," and listed seven of Aoki's most iconic outfits.[27]
In February 2019,Wonderland magazine reported that singerRihanna channeled Aoki's look from the action film2 Fast 2 Furious for herFenty Beauty campaign.[28][29] In the film, Aoki's character Suki drives her custom pinkHonda S2000 wearing a white top and pink jeans.[29]
Devon Aoki is married to James Bailey, and they have one son and three daughters. She retired from full-time film acting in 2009 to focus on motherhood.[30][31][32] Her daughter Alessandra appeared inGuess Kids' spring 2018 advertising campaign.[33][34] Model and singer-songwriterYumi Nu is Aoki's niece.[35]
She modeled during the third annual charity fashion show presented byGeneral Motors on February 24, 2004. Aoki and her half-brother Steve co-chaired the 2018Red Cross Gala inSan Francisco in March 2018.[36][37]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Death of a Dynasty | Picasso | |
| 2 Fast 2 Furious | Suki | ||
| 2004 | D.E.B.S. | Dominique | |
| 2005 | Sin City | Miho | Nominated—Critics' Choice Award for Best Acting Ensemble[38] |
| 2006 | Sean Lennon's Friendly Fire | Mermaid | |
| DOA: Dead or Alive | Kasumi | ||
| Zoom | Daravia | ||
| 2007 | War | Kira Yanagawa | |
| 2008 | Mutant Chronicles | Valerie Duval | |
| 2009 | Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Undead | Anna | |
| 2015 | Jeremy Scott: The People's Designer | Herself | Documentary film |
| 2016 | I'll Sleep When I'm Dead |
| Year | Title | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | "Electric Barbarella" | Duran Duran |
| "Kowalski" | Primal Scream | |
| 2003 | "Act a Fool" | Ludacris |
| "In Those Jeans" | Ginuwine | |
| 2006 | "Dead Meat" | Sean Lennon |
| "Bones" | The Killers | |
| 2013 | "Just Another Girl" | The Killers |
| 2016 | "M.I.L.F. $" | Fergie |
| 2018 | "Waste It on Me" | Steve Aoki feat.BTS |
