Today we’d like to introduce you to Andie Le
Hi Andie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up as a STEM kid in Houston; I remember my dream jobs jumping between teacher, engineer, chemist, accountant… Boring, I know, but I was so very aware that I had a uniquely high level of intelligence and believed that I couldn’t let that go to waste. After earning a near full-ride scholarship from my top choice school in Texas, I was determined to earn a BA in Chemistry so I would be able to break into the cosmetics industry through the back end and learn to formulate the products I spent my adolescent years playing with.
To fill out my class schedule, I took up a minor in dance. I was fortunate enough to have a dance program at my high school and enjoyed it so much I continued to pursue it in higher education. It was a wonderful change from the quietly still lecture halls and I really gained a lot of confidence from being required to perform on stage.
In the spring of 2020, 3 years into my college career, well, you know what happened. My family essentially forced me to move up to Minnesota, where I was born and where my entire family currently resides, at my dismay. My mental health declined so quickly and severely in a very short period of time, and in order to save myself, I had to drop out of college. I was devastated and felt a lot of shame despite my family being very supportive and kind, but after a few years of therapy and readjusting to a new life a couple of times, it slowly started getting better, and eventually I became okay enough to start exploring art again. And that’s when I brought myself to modeling.
I took a leap and attended the Coco Rocha Model Camp in November after deciding that I finally wanted to try being serious with modeling. I think the biggest thing I needed was to know that someone wildly successful believed that I had the talent. My past lives in dance performance and makeup artistry have been put to use again and I’ve been working on building my portfolio and finding my way onto runways ever since.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
If you can find someone who’s had a come up that was easy and problem-free, I would be in disbelief. I struggle with socializing and networking, I have a hard time asserting myself, and being Asian and queer can sometimes make me feel like a target of exploitation or novelty. As of right now, I’m making all of my moves alone, I have no clue what I’m doing, and I’m relying on the kindness of folks in this community to help me navigate my way through. It’s honestly quite terrifying to be without a plan laid out in front of me, but I’m taking it all one day at a time and celebrating my wins whenever they come by.
I think the best way to take on struggles is to learn from them. Even if it’s the smallest thought, I always have some experience to gain for the next time I’m found in a similar situation. While it seemed impossible at first, asking for support from my friends has made an incredible difference in my confidence. Even if I can’t believe in myself, I have someone in my corner who can help me ease that weight off my shoulders.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I decided to start modeling in November 2023. Personally, I feel most in my element doing editorial and glamour shoots, but I’ve also found my way into commercial, boudoir and shibari modeling on occasion. I’ve been able to take my skills in makeup artistry and dance performance and transfer them into a different art form, and I’ve never been prouder to showcase my abilities.
I want to be known for my versatility and adaptability; I want to be able to reach into corners of the world that I wouldn’t normally find myself in and really explore as many different ideas as possible. I really do find being a Jack of All Trades the most rewarding, since in a pinch I can hop in where I’m needed, whether it’s adjusting makeup or clothes, fixing lighting, or being an on-the-spot backup model if necessary. I thrive off of seeing collaboration and teamwork in motion, and am always ready to help keep the project going in any way I can.
My choosing to become a model is, in a sense, an expression of self-love. As a kid, I was made to believe that I wouldn’t be able to find success in modeling. I, a young, queer, child of immigrants, had so many demons to overcome at the time and couldn’t even dare consider a career in artistic endeavors. Years of growth, patience, resilience, and fight have brought me here, to a place where I can actually believe in my abilities to work for something that I find true joy in. I gave myself the opportunity to become the kind of person I admire, and I am beyond proud of that above everything else I have accomplished thus far.
How do you define success?
Of course, I have these huge dreams of making it big in LA or New York, where I can be found on a Times Square billboard or on the front page of Vogue, making tons of money and living in a ritzy home. Realistically, however, I think I can find success when people will know my name, and the first thing they say about me is about how kind and helpful I am, or how I can bring a safe space for unadulterated joy to those I meet. Success, to me, is being able to bring light to dark spaces and returning the humanity to creativity, no matter how small the difference. Being a petite, AFAB nonbinary person of Vietnamese heritage, I know what it’s like to be made to feel invisible and forgotten, and I do everything in my power to lend those in similar situations my voice and my audacity to get things done in a manner that respects everyone involved. I find success in being able to create an environment where everyone can be heard when they speak.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theybiedoll/
