ALEXANDRA Tran may have walked catwalks in Milan and solved problems for BMW, but she says serving the Capalaba community sits at the heart of her success.
Ms Tran grew up helping at her family business, Melin Vietnamese and Chinese Restaurant in Capalaba, where she learned the foundations that would later guide her dual careers in fashion and engineering.
“I learned about nutritious and delicious food. I learned to work long hours. And I learned to care about each person who walked through the door,” she said.
Ms Tran has gone on to build an international career working across Asia, Europe and the United States as both a model and an engineer.
This year she walked runways in New York, London, Milan and Paris, and appeared at the Cannes Film Festival, sharing the red carpet with international designers and filmmakers.
She also produced a show at Paris Fashion Week as founder of Fashion Week Network.
She said the experience gave her a deeper understanding of the industry, not only from walking the runway, but through working behind the scenes to bring designers, models and creatives together.
Off the catwalk, Ms Tran has worked as an engineer with BMW Group on autonomous vehicle projects and now runs a technology consultancy called Lexis Labs, helping industry partners turn new ideas into real products.
She has also recently completed research with MIT in America.
“I enjoy solving practical problems,” she said.
Her latest project has brought her back to Australia, where she is working on automated kiosks that serve healthy drinks before and after workouts.
She said the beverage robots were designed to make it easier for everyday people and athletes to choose options that support their bodies.
“The kiosks can support people who are training and competing at the highest level, along with local communities who feel inspired to become more active,” she said.
“I hope to have the robots on the market in the lead-up to the LA and Brisbane Olympic Games.”
Ms Tran said her early years in hospitality continue to shape how she approaches health and service.
“My parents taught me that when people sit at your table you look after them properly,” she said.
“That idea has never left. Whatever you create, it should leave someone feeling better than when they arrived.”
While her story may combine brains and beauty, Ms Tran said she preferred to see it as using all her strengths.
The confidence and creativity she found in fashion sits alongside the problem-solving skills she developed in engineering and business.
“It can sound like two different lives, but to me it is one story,” she said.
“Fashion gave me confidence and global experience. Engineering gave me tools to build things that last.
“Now I want to use both for something that helps people live healthier lives, including here in the Redlands.”
