Karrueche Tran Is a Trendsetter

Just how much in demand is Karrueche Tran? Put it this way: she could only squeeze in this interview during a car ride home from LAX.

The actress-producer-entrepreneur was just in from New York City, where she'd attended Fashion Week events via her brand partnership with Coach. The next morning, she was heading back to work on Peacock's Bel Air, where she appears as Ivy, a social media influencer. And that day alone, she posted seven photos to Instagram, where she is approaching 13 million followers.

"I'm blessed to have a lot of avenues," Tran says. "But I'm always looking at the big picture."

She uses many of her talents as host and executive producer of Upcycle Nation. The competition series — now unfolding on Fuse — stitches together fashion and creative recycling. Contestants take everyday items, from ratty jeans to sleeping bags, and repurpose them into unique designs. "It opens your mind," she says, "and teaches you to protect the environment."

Though her sewing skills are lacking, the L.A. native boasts style cred to spare. She started her career as a personal shopper before becoming a stylist's assistant. She has since collaborated with cosmetic and fashion brands and, in 2020, launched a jewelry line.

As a producer, Tran has collected three Daytime Emmys for the web series The Bay; she was also a cast member, and in 2021 became the first Asian-American Pacific Islander to win in the lead-actress category.

"I was blown away," she says of the honor. "But I take pride in that award, and I want to make sure I'm fulfilling the title of it."

To that end, Tran is adamant about adhering to her favorite piece of advice: never settle. "The Emmy pushed me even harder to perfect my craft," she says. "I'm going to work on getting better."

This article originally appeared in emmy magazine issue #12, 2022, under the title, "Move to Improve."