Though supermodel, actress extraordinaire, and snake enthusiast Devon Aoki has not been in the spotlight recently, her work will have an everlasting impact. The California native of Japanese, German, and English descent made a splash in the fashion world at just 16 years old when she replaced Naomi Campbell as the face of Versace. She has continued to wow the fashion and film industries ever since.
Even Devon herself has wondered why she hit upon tremendous success at such a young age. Find out how Devon was discovered and grew her net worth to $30 million.
Devon Aoki’s Early Career
Devon began modeling at just 13 years old and quickly became a rising talent. When Devon was 14, Kate Moss allegedly spotted Devon in Interview magazine and notified her talent agency, Storm Model Management. That same year, Devon signed with the agency and things started to take off.
In an interview with Independent in 1999 when Devon was 16, Devon explained that many things had to fall into place when she began her modeling career. It wasn’t just the good fortune of getting spotted by the legendary Kate Moss.
"Basically, I got into it through people I know," she said. "Through friends."
For example, her mother and godmother already had many contacts in the fashion industry. Her stepfather had also been modeling for 10 years before she even set foot in front of a camera.
All of these close connections quickly paid off. Devon modeled for the renowned British fashion photographer Nick Knight when she was 15 years old. She then became the face of the younger Versus line for Versace at 16, replacing Naomi Campbell.
It was at 16 that Devon suddenly became one of the world’s most in-demand models. During this year, she appeared in the spring and summer Chanel Couture campaign and was also photographed for Italian Vogue.
In her 1999 interview with Independent, Devon credited her success to a happy accident and her “weird look.”
"It was really an accident," she said. "I always thought models had to fit a certain mold. I never thought I had what it takes. I'm too small and my look's pretty weird. I don't fit the status quo. I suppose that's a good thing. Not everyone's 5ft 10in and stick thin. There's more diversity now. It's okay to be shorter and look sort of different."
The Height of Devon Aoki’s Modeling Career
Even at the peak of her modeling career, Devon’s 5’5” height never held her back. She continued to work with the biggest fashion houses in the world, including Lancôme, Chanel, and Versace. She became the face of Lancôme cosmetics for four years and appeared in numerous other ad campaigns, such as Chanel Ready-to-Wear, Chanel Couture, YSL, Tiffany & Co. and more.
Devon also enjoyed a huge spotlight on the cover of international fashion magazines. In the U.S., she appeared on Ocean Drive, Vegas, Nylon, Interview, and Elle Girl. She also appeared in Britan’s i-D four times, Korea's CosmoGirl, France’s Jalouse, and Australia’s Russh. She was even featured on the cover of Vogue in Germany, Russia, Japan, and Korea.
Devon Aoki’s Acting Career
Devon branched into acting as early as 2003, when she landed a role in 2 Fast 2 Furious as Suki. Her acting career only blossomed from there. She appeared in Sin City in 2005 as Miho, DOA: Dead or Alive in 2006 as Kasumi, and Mutant Chronicles in 2008 as Valerie Duval.
In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes for DOA: Dead or Alive, Devon acknowledged the pressure of being a high-profile Asian actress.
"I don’t see a lot of Asian faces who get to be on screen or get to be in print as a fashion model, or who get to be in the media,” she said. “I grew up always knowing that I was Asian and always knowing that I was closely tied to all Asian people be they from Japan or China.
“My mom is German-English. I grew up with my mom, but I can’t escape the way I look and my whole life I’ve had a strong sense of self because of it.”
Devon went on to explain why it was so important for her to keep pushing forward in her acting career and modeling career.
“I think it’s really important as an Asian to work hard, to be dedicated, and to ultimately prove that I deserve to be here. As a young girl, I always looked up to Asian celebs. If there was an Asian person on the screen, I was watching that Asian person. There weren’t a lot of people who were even allowed to represent for our culture, being from the East. So, every movie I do, that’s a thought in my head that I have to represent for Asian people. That’s really important to me.”
Indeed, Devon’s hard work paid off. In 2013, her net worth was estimated at $20 million.
Where is Devon Now?
Now the mom of three kids with husband James Bailey, Devon is no longer working full-time as an actress or a model. She does, however, participate in the occasional event, like she did by reuniting with fashion designer Jeremy Scott on the Moschino runway in 2016. She was also dubbed a Bazaar Icon in 2019 alongside Alicia Keys, Awkwafina, and her longtime friend Kate Moss.
With a net worth that has now reached $30 million, it seems that Devon can fully enjoy her time with her kids and reappear in the fashion and film worlds at her leisure.
