Shimizu went on to work with photographers like Bruce Weber, Steven Meisel, Richard Avedon, and designer Calvin Klein. But the mechanic-cum-model wasn't in it for the fame — especially not the attention from the tabloids. She wanted to represent everyone who looks or feels different, and to challenge the traditional rules of gender, age, sexuality, and race. That confidence would eventually carry her to the runway of Prada, where she became the first Asian model to ever walk for the Italian house. But with exposure eventually came self-doubt, a desire to be popular, and a need to find beauty within. After four years of working as a model in New York, Shimizu returned to L.A. to pursue her passion for acting.