Spotlight On… Karrueche Tran

Vivian, THE BAY, 2013-present

- Stephanie Sloane

As a “regular, normal kid” growing up in Los Angeles, Karrueche Tran didn’t have dreams of making it big in Hollywood. “It’s funny,” she reflects. “A lot of people grow up wanting to be an actress or a singer. I used to be kind of shy, so I never expected to get into acting.”

Tran was working in retail before she ever thought about breaking into the biz. “I had two jobs,” she says. “I actually worked for Nordstrom for three years as a personal shopper, and I was also a personal assistant. I like to be practical, so for me, it wasn’t a reality to think, ‘Oh, I’m going to be a star or famous,’ or anything like that.”

However, the natural beauty ultimately found herself in front of the camera. “I modeled in my early 20s for local companies, local brands in L.A. on a smaller scale, and then I had the opportunity to work with Wilhelmina [Model and Talent Management Agency], which worked out great,” she recalls. “So, I’ve been signed with Wilhelmina L.A. and New York for the past three years.”