Precious Lee Always Bets On Herself—From Taking the LSATs to Opening Harris Reed’s Debut at Nina Ricci

Did you know Precious Lee wanted to be a lawyer since she was in the 7th grade? The recent British Vogue April cover star even took the LSAT, but she later decided to put off law school to chase her dreams of being a model. “I took the leap of faith to bet on myself,” she explains in this episode of “Diary of a Model.” “There was no one who looked like me, but I always wanted to be in Vogue, and I always wanted to be on runways. Being here in Paris is a full-circle moment.”

For this video, Vogue followed along as Lee got ready to open designer Harris Reed’s debut collection at Nina Ricci. She begins with an ice bath to help her achieve that “snatched” look. Afterwards, she needs to tend to her brows—at the Off-White show the day before, they bleached her brows so she could channel “hot alien vibes.” She tints them back to her natural color by herself in three minutes, which she spends reading and drinking a green juice. “But don’t try this at home,” Lee emphasizes. 

“I love a great coat and [a] boot in Paris; I try to make everything match that vibe,” says Lee as she begins to get dressed. “Should I go with the custom pants or the Norma?” she asks before deciding on the Norma Kamali pants, which she tops off with a fur jacket, boots, and oversized sunglasses.

The radiant personality we see on social media proves to be more than just an online persona. As Lee makes her way to glam, everyone from models to the casting director makes sure to say hello or give her a hug. Her charm and kindness are especially treasured by Reed. “I think Precious symbolizes beauty, fluidity, and confidence in such a strong, powerful way,” reflects the designer. “It was a real big dream come true that she said yes to walking my first debut.” After Lee and Reed give each other some quick pep talks and hugs, they both set off to make their own history. 

Watch Precious Lee get ready for the Nina Ricci show above. 

Director: Talia Collis
Director of Photography: Etienne Baussan
Editor: Katie Wolford
Audio: David Amselem
Senior Producer, Vogue: Jordin Rocchi
Production Coordinator, Paris: Tara Lengyel
Supervising Producer, Paris: Nikki Petersen
Filmed on Location: Le Bristol Paris
Vogue Runway: Nicole Phelps, Laird Borelli-Persson, Irene Kim, Laia Garcia-Furtado
Production Coordinator: Ava Kashar
Production Manager: Kit Fogarty
Line Producer: Romeeka Powell
Senior Director, Production Management: Jessica Schier
Assistant Editor: Billy Ward
Post Production Coordinator: Jovan James
Supervising Editor: Kameron Key
Post Production Supervisor: Edward Taylor
Global Talent Casting Director, Vogue: Ignacio Murillo
Director of Content, Production, Vogue: Rahel Gebreyes
Associate Director, Creative Development, Vogue: Billie JD Porter
Senior Director, Programming, Vogue: Linda Gittleson
Executive Producer: Ruhiya Nuruddin
VP, Digital Video English, Vogue: Thespena Guatieri