Model: Jessie Li. Photographer: Tom Marvel.
Jessie Li, a graceful model, once dreamed of being a pianist before finding her place in front of the camera. She crossed paths with Yoni Schanzer, a talented director and writer, whose creative energy matched hers. Their love story began with a chance meeting during a campus tour and grew into a strong partnership, built on shared passions and mutual respect. Together, they explore the world of art, fashion, and film, living a life that mixes spontaneity and elegance, much like the stories they create together.
Dress, Jason Wu Collection. Shoes, Christian Louboutin. Rings, GYAN Jaipur Instanbul Diamond; House Sorelle Collection at Flying Solo PR.
Harper’s Bazaar (HBZVN): Jessie, your journey from an aspiring concert pianist to a successful model and actress is inspiring. What motivated you to transition from studying at Juilliard to pursuing a career in modeling and acting?
JESSIE LI: In truth – and I’m sure there’s a lot of Chinese/Asian people who can relate to this – piano was never really my passion, but something I was told to do. Growing up, my whole life revolved around academics and piano, and I traveled the world and won many competitions, but I was never really happy doing any of it because none of it was really for me. I didn’t get to experience the same type of childhood most people do and I think I was a little bit bitter about it.
Dress, Jason Wu Collection. Shoes, Christian Louboutin. Rings, GYAN Jaipur Instanbul Diamond; House Sorelle Collection at Flying Solo PR.
It wasn’t until Juilliard that one of my professors pulled me over and helped me realize that piano wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life that I decided to transfer to Columbia. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life honestly – piano was sort of everything to me at the time – but I ended up getting scouted and started modeling and my future husband literally approached me on our campus tour and has been by my side ever since. Life works in such mysterious ways – you really never know what’s around the corner. Sure, sometimes that can be incredibly stressful, but there’s also something really beautiful about that.
Dress, Quine Li. Shoes, Authentic by John Ashford.
HBZVN: Your love story with Yoni Schanzer is touching. How has your relationship influenced your career choices and personal growth?
JESSIE LI: That’s so sweet of you to say. I feel like our relationship informs and influences everything each of us does. I don’t think it’s any coincidence that my career took off the way that it did after we started to date. That’s not to say he’s had any direct hand in anything with my career, but he’s given me a lot of confidence in myself that I honestly don’t think I had before. You feel a lot more comfortable taking risks or making bold choices – or saying no to things – when you have someone you can talk to and who’s going to be there for you no matter which decision you make.
I’ve always been a workaholic – whether it was academics, piano, or my modeling career – but having a life partner like Yoni helps keep it all in perspective. The central most important thing to each of us is the life that we build together. Part of what allows me to work so hard and be happy is knowing that it’s all being done for something that I truly want.
Dress and jacket, Jason Wu Collection. Shoes, Manolo Blahnik.
HBZVN: Can you share more about the creative proposal Yoni planned during the pandemic and how it felt to plan a wedding amidst such uncertain times?
JESSIE LI: It’s one of those weird things where I think we both knew for a while that we were going to marry each other – and yet he still caught me by complete surprise. Somehow, amidst the lockdowns of COVID, he managed to do a ton of research and get a diamond ring to our apartment without me ever knowing. He’s a creative-type like me, so companies were having him shoot me in our apartment or outside all the time because of COVID, and he used that as a setup to surprise me with the ring and get it all on video.
Dress and jacket, Jason Wu Collection. Shoes, Manolo Blahnik.
We’ve actually gotten married twice. The first time was a legal marriage that happened shortly after the proposal on our rooftop with just the two of us. It was actually incredibly romantic; we dressed up our pergola in flowers, dressed up for the day, had all our favorite restaurants deliver our favorite meals, and danced together the whole night afterwards.
Jacket, Gareth Pugh. Rings, GYAN Jaipur Instanbul Diamond; House Sorelle Collection at Flying Solo PR.
We still missed having our friends and family, though, so we decided to do another ceremony in 2022 after I converted to Judaism. Doing it as a Jewish ceremony made the process a bit crazy because we had to get married the same day that I officially converted. We thought we were going to get a heads up on that date and no big deal, but one day they were basically like “Hey, congrats. Want to convert and do the ceremony next week?!” We explained to them why it was important we had people come to this ceremony… so they gave us another three weeks.
Jacket, Gareth Pugh. Rings, GYAN Jaipur Instanbul Diamond; House Sorelle Collection at Flying Solo PR.
It was completely insane throwing everything together in such a short period of time – while COVID was still an issue on everyone’s minds and several family members were at risk – and I’m not proud of it, but I definitely went a little Bridezilla for a bit haha. But then Yoni came in at the end and kind of reigned everything together in like a day, which is a skill he has, and I was really thankful for. And that’s what I mean in that answer I gave you earlier – having someone like that gives you a lot of trust and confidence in yourself and in life.
Jacket, Gareth Pugh.
HBZVN: Your skin always looks flawless on and off the camera. Could you share your daily beauty routine and any skin care tips you swear by?
JESSIE LI: I recently discovered that less is definitely more for my skin type. I use Bioderma morning and evening followed by the Tata Harper Superkind lotion for sensitive skin. I actually have naturally very sensitive skin and I think that the amount of makeup my skin goes through daily further weakens my skin barrier, so the actives I used to “combat” the irritation and breakouts were actually doing more harm than good.
Dress, Maison Margiela. Shoes, Authentic by John Ashford. Earrings, Erickson Beamon at ShowroomSEVEN.
HBZVN: Sustainability is a growing trend in the fashion industry. What are your thoughts on sustainable fashion, and how do you incorporate eco-friendly practices into your wardrobe and lifestyle?
JESSIE LI: Fashion is one of the largest contributors to the climate crisis, so I love supporting brands that have sustainability in mind. I am trying to buy less and splurge only on the things I really love. I also like vintage shopping since a lot of trends are cyclical and you get unique pieces that most other people won’t have.
Dress, ANKVAS. Shoes, YSL.
HBZVN: What are your goals for the future, both in your career and personal life? Are there any specific projects or roles you’re eager to take on?
JESSIE LI: My husband has been building us a house up in the country the last few years, so right now I’m all about homemaking. Hopefully, we’ll start a family soon and add that chapter to our lives, but first I’m hoping I can raise my game a little more and break through further in the high fashion market. I started modeling later than most girls and I’ve never had that opportunity, so that’s something I’m still hoping to do, but I’ve been really lucky to have the support of many great agents and friends and I’m in a fortunate position as a working model. I love this industry, I don’t plan on leaving it anytime soon.
Top, Mugler. Bottom, Dolce&Gabbana. Shoes, Lanvin.
HBZVN: What is currently your favorite song and which music artists do you enjoy listening to most?
JESSIE LI: I’ve been listening to “The Finishing” by Stavroz on repeat, as well as a lot of other electronic-instrumental music. Stavroz is definitely a favorite as well as Richard Houghten. I go through a lot of different phases but I am currently enjoying not having to listen to sometimes super cringe or unrelatable lyrics, which – don’t get me wrong – also has its time and place. Before instrumental, I was really into Korean rap for a while, followed by Brazilian pop, and then house music. I get really into different genres and I will listen to a few songs in each genre till its death – and then I literally cannot hear it for at least a year haha.
Top, Mugler. Bottom, Dolce&Gabbana. Shoes, Lanvin.
HBZVN: What role do you think the arts, be it music, acting, or fashion, play in society, especially during challenging times like the pandemic?
JESSIE LI: Well, art for me, has always been a central part of my life. I’ve been playing piano intensely since I was five, and I’ve always loved painting, dance, and fashion. I think you saw during COVID just how important the arts were to everyone’s life. I don’t know how anyone could’ve gone through that without the arts to keep them sane. There’s still a constant need to be engaged with art even beyond those times. Music, artwork, acting, fashion – these are all outlets for us all to express ourselves and connect with each other. You can cry your eyes out or laugh out loud to a song or a movie or while reciting a monologue because it’s a vehicle created for you to express something inside of yourself and pour your emotions into. That’s something we all share with each other, whether we’re creating art or simply taking it in. Fashion is the same way. You can share and express so much with what you wear and how you choose to style yourself – or even with how you don’t. I’m aware not everyone has the time or money for some of these things, but everyone has access to some form of the arts that this applies to.
Jacket, Melitta Baumeister. Top, Philosophy. Skirt, Dolce&Gabbana. Shoes, Jimmy Choo. Earrings, Erickson Beamon at ShowroomSEVEN.
HBZVN: With the rise of social media, how do you manage your online presence, and what role does it play in your career?
JESSIE LI: Oh my god, it plays a huge role in my career and I’m absolutely terrible about it haha. I honestly never had time to use social media growing up and I’ve just never gotten into the habit of it – I’d much rather paint and play piano in my free time or spend time with my husband and my dog when I can than focus on that. I also love traveling and seeing my friends. But I’m working on getting better about it!
Jacket, Melitta Baumeister. Top, Philosophy. Skirt, Dolce&Gabbana. Shoes, Jimmy Choo. Earrings, Erickson Beamon at ShowroomSEVEN.
HBZVN: Finally, what message would you like to share with your fans and aspiring artists who look up to you?
JESSIE LI: It’s weird to think I have fans or people that look up to me, I’ve really never been conscious of any of that, but I’ve had more and more people come up to me or reach out to me saying that. Honestly, I’d say not to be lazy, to not let things get to you, and that if you want something, pursue it with all that you have, and don’t let anyone’s opinion influence your love for whatever that is. Make sure to surround yourself with good people and good friends, and don’t let successes or failures be what defines you. You never know what’s around the corner, for better or worse. I have no idea what’s ahead for me – oftentimes, I don’t even know where I’m going to even physically be next week – and that’s okay. Just embrace it all.
Jacket, Melitta Baumeister. Top, Philosophy. Skirt, Dolce&Gabbana. Shoes, Jimmy Choo. Earrings, Erickson Beamon at ShowroomSEVEN.
Talent: JESSIE LI @jessie.li at The Lions @thelionsmgmt.
Producer/Photographer: Tom Marvel @tommarvelphotography.
Creative Director: Cannon @thecannonmediagroup at Ray Brown @raybrownpro.
Art Director: Pierre Bonnet @pierrebonnet.
Director of Video: James Webber @james_weber.
Digital Tech: Olivia Wohlers @wohliviaa.
Photography Assistant: John Ruiz Ossa @johnruizphoto Michele Swain @mswain696.
Video Assistant: Andre Hemmit Jr @vndrethe.ii.
Grip: George Pepe @gspepe.
Shoe Stylist: John Ashford @johnashfordshoes.
Hair: George Grierson @geoxge.
Makeup: Nikki Jelin @nikkij_mua.
Fashion Team: Winnie Noan @winnie_noan;
Gabriela Jagodzinska @gjagodzinska_;
Alaye Alleyne @alayealleyne;
Jack Umphrey @jackumphrey.
Hair Assistant: Luz Castillo @hairbyluzz.
Re-toucher: Anne Nguyen @retoucher_anne.
Location: The Art Factory Paterson NJ @artfactorypaterson.
Special Thanks to Lauren Moghavemar @thelionsmgmt.
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
