IGN Babes: Let me first began with saying congrats on being named Miss. HIN Chicago! Could you tell us a little bit about that experience?
Michelle: Well, I competed in the Miss HIN San Jose competition earlier on the tour and I was lucky enough to place in the top 3 along with Abby M and of course the winner, Jessica. That placement gave me that little boost of confidence I needed to go back and win the Miss HIN Chicago title. I'll be honest: I did not expect to win it! It's such a thrill to be called out onstage and I have so much fun competing. There was some tough competition there, too, so I definitely feel lucky to have won the title. I am now officially on tour with HIN; I can't wait to travel to some of the different cities around the country.
IGN: Where were you born and where do you call home?
Michelle: I was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I traveled quite a bit as a child because my father was in the broadcasting field and had to travel for various jobs. My home is mostly in the Midwest, though I spend a decent amount of time in NYC and LA. My main agency is in LA.
IGN: We heard that you are a mutt. What's your ethnic background?
Michelle: I'm a mutt and proud of it! My mother is Vietnamese, Chinese, Mongolian, and Russian while my father is German, Cherokee Indian, and Irish. My mixed ethnicity has definitely worked to my advantage in that I feel like I can relate to a wide variety of people and it's helped me not to judge others based on race or skin color. I grew up speaking Vietnamese and English.
IGN: Wow! That is sure a mix of different cultures. Do you have any ethnic foods from you background you enjoy eating? All we can think of is Pho'. Mmmmmmm!
Michelle: I LOVE Pho! Yum. I also enjoy Mi… with shrimp or beef… or both! [Smiles] I'm a big seafood lover, so anything seafood is good. I also enjoy some good spring rolls.
IGN: When and how did you get started in modeling?
Michelle: I started in 1999 working with a local modeling agency. From there, I worked my way up and began working with more and more different people outside of my local area. Much of my work is print and commercial work, and I am currently signed with over ten different agencies from all over the globe.
IGN: So you have been modeling for some time now, but recently got into import modeling. What do you think are some of the differences you see from traditional modeling compared to import modeling?
Michelle: There is definitely a huge difference between traditional modeling and import modeling. Traditional modeling is not as hands-on as far as getting to socialize with others and meeting so many different types of people. That's the great thing about the import modeling work. You get to meet people from all kinds of walks of life. I've grown to really enjoy work in the import field, but I will always continue to work as a traditional model doing print, commercial, and promotional work.