Joey was back in Oregon, deep into shooting Twilight. They were already past the halfway mark. Sure, there'd been a few hiccups, but everything got smoothed out eventually.
The crew absolutely adored her. To them, Joey was the chill, perpetually grinning girl-next-door who just happened to be running the whole show. Put her next to Emma Watson, and yeah, Emma's got that polished, porcelain-doll thing going on (no contest). Joey? She's the American sweetheart type: approachable, zero pretension, the kind of person you'd share a beer with and never feel nervous around. Directors like that are rare in Hollywood. Most big-name directors come with quirks or full-blown egos. After years of dealing with divas and weirdos, having a director who's genuinely easygoing felt like winning the lottery.
One day, after wrap, she got back to the hotel and found Steve (the H&M brand manager she'd worked with before) camped out by her door looking like he'd been waiting forever.
"Steve?" She laughed, confused. "Didn't expect to see you out here in the middle of nowhere. What's up? H&M need something?"
She was rocking a women's plaid shirt and jeans, long black hair tossed into a messy ponytail, and joked, "Please tell me you're not here to hand-deliver another recycled dress."
Steve grinned at how upbeat she looked. "Nah, nothing like that. Let's talk inside."
They settled into her suite. Steve rubbed his hands together like a kid on Christmas morning and jumped right in.
"Joey, you know that white gown you wore to the Tonys? It blew up in our stores. Completely sold out everywhere."
She'd heard. Especially Asian girls and curvy Western girls went nuts for it. "That's awesome."
"And," he kept going, "our clothing recycling program? Because of your speech and just… you being you, we collected thousands of tons of old clothes in a single month. Your influence is insane."
Joey rested her hands on her knees and smiled. "That's exactly why I did it."
"Okay, here's the thing…" Steve took a breath. "We've been talking internally, and we know you're not a professional model or anything, but your impact on our brand has been unreal. So we'd like to officially offer you the role of spokesperson for H&M North America's new season."
Dead silence.
Joey's jaw actually dropped. "Come again?"
Steve clapped his hands. "Look, I know! But hear me out: your red-carpet photos from the Saturn Awards, the Tonys (those poses are straight fire). You're a natural. We're not asking you to walk a runway. Just throw on some outfits, stand there, let us shoot a few campaigns, done. And if something looks off, Photoshop exists for a reason. We're not hiring you for modeling skills; we're hiring your name, your vibe, your credibility."
Joey tapped her cheek, thinking out loud. "Huh… it does sound pretty easy."
"It is easy!" Steve insisted. "We just want your face on billboards, buses, subways, malls, our website; everywhere. Bonus: it'll boost your visibility like crazy."
"I don't really need more exposure…" she muttered, scratching her head.
Steve went full salesman mode. "All those other actresses are out here clawing each other for luxury-brand deals; makes them look desperate and materialistic. But you? Brilliant director Joey Wang picking H&M? That screams class, humility, and staying true to your roots."
Joey broke out in a sweat. "Translation: nobody else wanted it and I'm the consolation prize."
"Absolutely not!" Steve shot back. "Our fee is right up there with the luxury brands. And our spokesperson roster? Beckham, Gisele, Miranda Kerr, Beyoncé… need I go on?"
Joey laughed. "Alright, alright, chill. I'll do it. But endorsement and charity are two different things, so yeah, I want the paycheck."
"Done. You're gonna love the number."
She let Catherine hammer out the details with Steve. Final fee: $4 million.
That's solid money (about what a mid-tier actress makes for a movie). Joey didn't really care about the cash; she wasn't trying to become a professional endorser. As long as it wasn't insulting, she was fine.
Why take it at all? Simple: she wanted to try something new. Directors crossing over into fashion wasn't unheard of, and honestly? Getting out of her comfort zone sounded fun. It's just a few photoshoots. How hard could it be?
When the production got its next break, Joey flew straight to H&M's studio.
This season's campaign had three lines: Lara Stone, Anna Ewers, and Edie Campbell. Joey shot several looks for each, plus a special Christmas edition.
Picture this: wild house-party vibe, Joey in a pink oversized sweater with huge sleeves, then a preppy deep-V collegiate look; showing off her delicate collarbones and that gorgeous long neck, blowing bubbles with the biggest, happiest grin.
Click. Click. The photographer nailed it in one take.
He scrolled through the shots and actually gasped. "Your camera awareness is insane. No wonder you direct movies. One-take wonder!"
All the outfits were youthful, minimalist, a little girly; custom-picked and tailored to her petite frame and vibe. They played up that sweet, understated Asian beauty.
The photographer was obsessed. "These are going to turn heads."
He kept glancing at her between setups. On the street she looks tiny and ordinary, but once hair and makeup are done and she's in the clothes? Total transformation. Not drop-dead natural gorgeous; more like the kind of girl who blooms when you put effort in, and the result is stunning.
No wonder H&M picked her. She's relatable, the girl next door, but styled up she's got this captivating, exotic charm.
A few days later, without anyone really noticing at first, the old posters started coming down.
Subway ads, bus shelters, mall billboards, the giant signs outside H&M stores; all swapped out.
For an Asian face.
Most people had no idea who she was. At first it felt jarring. "Since when does H&M put Asian girls front and center? Doesn't really match their usual aesthetic…"
But then people actually looked.
Petite. Cute. Elegant. Sweet but confident.
Okay… the more you stare… she's actually really pretty. Different pretty. The kind that grows on you.
A lot of folks Googled "H&M new spokesperson" and discovered she's Joey Wang, the director behind Juno and Source Code.
Oh. Talented, independent, gorgeous in her own way; America eats that up.
Overnight, Joey's name recognition skyrocketed. H&M is a household brand; suddenly everybody knew her face. People who couldn't have picked her out of a lineup last month now went, "Wait, that's the Twilight director!"
Her fans lost their minds:
"OUR QUEEN'S CAMPAIGN IS HERE AND IT'S PERFECT."
"She looks so sweet and approachable on those bus ads; instantly brightens my commute."
"Beautiful, talented, zero ego; I'm speechless."
H&M watched the numbers like hawks. After Joey's face went up, daily sales in most stores jumped noticeably.
The executives were popping champagne. They'd struck gold. Her down-to-earth energy matched the brand perfectly, and a good spokesperson makes regular people feel good about shopping there.
Once the full campaign rolled out, Hollywood finally caught on.
"Wait… Joey's the new face of H&M?"
"Isn't H&M usually all supermodels? What's the story here?"
A bunch of actresses were straight-up salty. "Seriously? They picked some plain director over me?"
Then the photos dropped.
And suddenly everyone shut up.
The girl who directed Juno and Source Code; that legendary young Asian director; looks like the world's coolest, sweetest neighbor with a dash of mysterious Eastern allure?
Yeah. Nobody had a comeback after that.