Châu Bùi

Biography

Bui Thai Bao Chau (born November 13, 1997), better known by her stage name Chau Bui, is a Vietnamese fashionista and model. She was previously featured on Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 Asia list.

== Early life == Châu Bùi was born on November 13, 1997, in Hanoi to a family of civil servants. She was initially steered toward studying at the University of Commerce like her older sister; however, after graduating high school, Châu discovered a passion for fashion and asked her family for permission to pursue it, but faced opposition. She also spent some time selling coconut oil and opening a tutoring center. At age 17, she entered the modeling world by shooting for several fashion brands. In the beginning, Châu Bùi didn't stand out much, weighing only 39 kg and standing 1.58m tall. Because of this, Châu took up bodybuilding to improve her physique.

== Career ==

=== Building career === In 2015, Chau took a one-year leave of absence from Thuongmai University to try her hand in the fashion industry. She handed over the test prep center to her teacher and started modeling for fashion brands in Hanoi. Thanks to her unique style and look, she quickly became a familiar face in domestic fashion magazines and lookbooks. In 2016, Chau attended Seoul Fashion Week and caught the attention of the fashion press, appearing in their magazines and social media outlets such as Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, and more.

=== First achievements === Following her breakout at Seoul Fashion Week in 2017, Chau won the "New Face" award at the 2016 WeChoice Awards and "Top Fashion Influencer" at the 2017 Influence Asia awards in Malaysia, while also making the top 4 for "Fashion & Breakout" at the same event. She later announced she would compete in The Face Vietnam but eventually withdrew, citing an inability to "properly arrange her personal affairs." In 2017, Chau had the opportunity to act, playing the antagonist in the feature film Jailbait (Em chưa 18) and appearing in the music video "Từ ngày em đến" by the group Da LAB. In 2018, she collaborated with Da LAB again for the "Thanh xuân" music video and was honored as the Young Style Innovator at the 2018 ELLE Style Awards by Elle Vietnam. In 2019, Elle Vietnam voted Chau as the Most Influential Personal Style on Social Media at the 2019 ELLE Style Awards.

=== Career development and involvement in the music industry === In 2020, Chau Bui attended Paris Fashion Week and was named one of the "10 High Fashion Influencers" by Forbes France. That same year, Chau became the first Vietnamese fashionista to sign advertising contracts with Dior and Louis Vuitton. At the end of 2020, she made her debut as a singer with the music video "Em la chau bau," collaborating with Tlinh and MCK. In 2021, Chau Bui teamed up with Hoang Dung for the music video "Goi nang mang ve." Also that year, she was one of three Vietnamese individuals selected by Forbes for the "30 Under 30 Asia" list—a list honoring those who have made significant contributions to society and the economy in the Asia-Pacific region. Previously, she served as an ambassador for several social programs such as "Kindness is Contagious," "No Thank 2020," and "Turn Off the Lights, Turn On Ideas 2021."

=== Return to fashion === In 2023, returning to fashion weeks after three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, Châu Bùi became the fashionista with the highest total media value in the world at the Fall/Winter 2023 Fashion Week, totaling $1.8 million. Châu Bùi appeared at 20 events and runways throughout the two weeks of Milan and Paris Fall/Winter Fashion Week 2023.

== Personal life == Châu Bùi was in a relationship with Decao (Cao Minh Thắng) starting in 2015, but the two later broke up in 2019. In mid-2020, rumors began circulating that Châu Bùi and rapper Binz were dating, though neither confirmed nor denied the reports. The two later went public with their relationship at the 2022 Kosmik concert.