Kathy Tan Her Lin, age 13, at the Cloud Lounge, the iconic Landmark 81 in Vietnam.
Born in 2012 to a Vietnamese mother and Malaysian father, Kathy’s artistic journey began with her first professional photoshoot at just six months old and her first magazine appearance at age two as Little Fashionista, her first fashion title win. At age 4, she won the Top Vote Little Supermodel cash prize and became a child model, appearing on the covers of many child magazines, including world magazines Harper’s Bazaar. Her first international runway show was Vietnam Junior Fashion Week at age 5. She won Tiny Princess Malaysia 2017 at age 5 and Tiny Miss World 2018 in Greece at age 6.
She modeled in Junior Look Book Kuala Lumpur campaigns for luxury brands Kenzo Kids, Emilio Pucci, Lanvin Paris, Young Versace, and Moschino Kids. She was modeling for the Barbie x Mattel x BTS campaign in Malaysia and appeared in an acting role in the Disney Asia “Mickey Minnie Greet and Meet” event in Vietnam in 2019. She walked in Malaysia Fashion Week 2018 for Junior Look Book Lanvin Paris and Emilio Pucci as an opening model, as well as the Barbie Asia Collection, and more. She was a Face of Malaysia Kid Idols and a Face Of Asia Junior 2020 finalist.
She made a unique modeling appearance on the iconic Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower during Covid-19, and in 2020, she made history as the first Asian child model to receive the ICON Award at age 8, the highest recognition in the child modeling industry.
Kathy Tan Her Lin’s in her teen 2025
The achievement set the stage for a successful celebrity child model. In November 2023, at age 11, Kathy became the youngest face at Kuala Lumpur Men’s Fashion Week, an adult fashion show for ages 18+. She was the only child to walk the runway, a true honor. She also attended adult events, including front-row seats at Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week, the Malaysia International Film Festival, film premiere Gala, and movie screenings.
In 2024, she walked for CIMB Artober Art & Soul x Malaysia International Digital Fashion Week. Over the years, her name became synonymous with major fashion events across Asia and beyond, and soon she made a seamless transition into music.
Kathy’s passion for music blossomed early. She began learning piano and singing at age 6 and dance at 8. At six, she performed her first Disney cover at the Little Miss World 2018, Little Miss and Little Mister United World festival in Greece, winning the Olympia Laurel Gold medal.
Encouraged by her mother, who produced all her music videos and helped with photos and videos, Kathy continued to hone her musical skills. By age 7, she had recorded four covers, including A Million Dreams and Girl On Fire, filmed at Mercure Danang French Village Bana Hill in Vietnam. On her 9th birthday, her music video cover You Belong With Me was filmed at Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur.
In 2022, Kathy achieved a significant milestone by releasing her debut single, Say You Love Me, at the age of 10. The music video, filmed at Vogue Lounge Kuala Lumpur, showcased her collaboration with Malaysia’s top K-Pop dance crews, marking her entry into the professional music scene.
In 2024, she signed with Universal Music Malaysia, becoming the youngest Asian artist to join the label at just 12. Her second single, Winter Dream, with a music video filmed in Japan’s Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, has been featured on Universal Music Group Italy, solidifying her growing international presence. Her path has been documented by 13 print magazines, 6 covers, and 30 online articles, markers of a young energy growing between fashion and music.
Stream songs on Kathy Tan Her Lin’s Youtube, Spotify, Apple Music and @angelkathytanherlin
Kathy wrote the lyrics for all her songs. She started writing poems at a young age; in international school, she won third place in the Creative Writing Competition at age 7, and won the champion Story Telling Competition at age 9. She began writing lyrics for her first song at age 9. The first two songs were co-written with her production team.
Her latest third single, $W€ETE3N, a creative blend of pop and rap, was written entirely by Kathy and filmed at Arte by Thomas Chan in Kuala Lumpur on her 13th birthday. The song $W€ETE3N celebrates the independence and confidence of a teenager, emphasizing the importance of healthy friendships and self-reliance over romantic interests. The metaphor of ‘thirteen’ symbolizes a pivotal age of self-discovery and empowerment.
Selected from thousands of nominations across 130 countries globally, Kathy Tan Her Lin is honored as the first Malaysian-Vietnamese winner of the Global Child Prodigy Award 2025 in music and singing, sponsored by Hindustan International Universities and Charles Group. The Global Child Prodigy Awards (GCPA) is an international platform that honors the world’s brightest young minds with extraordinary achievements across various fields and social impact; the 2025 award ceremony was held at the prestigious House of Commons, British Parliament, London UK.
Despite her rising fame, Kathy retains a rare humility. She credits her parents, especially her mother, for their constant support, mentorship, and motivation. Her mother, Scarlett Pham, is a former Miss Fashion Vietnam 2006, Top 30 Mrs. Vietnam World 2009, Vietnam National Director and International Judge of Little Miss and Little Mister United World from 2018-2020, and a businessperson. Driven by her love for fashion and photography, Kathy’s mother aims to capture childhood memories and youth beauty through her camera while also educating her daughter. Kathy’s songs reflect self-discovery, personal growth, self-love, self-empowerment, the next generation’s well-being and maturity.
She is a Grade A student who prioritizes education and a healthy lifestyle, maintaining an overall academic grade A each year. In school, she was a Prefect Board, awardee in Science and Sports, and her art drawing showcased at the LIDICE International Children’s Exhibition of Fine Arts in Czech Republic. Outside the classroom, she plays piano with enthusiasm and performs with elegance, practicing pieces at Grade 6 contemporary level and beyond. She also enjoys drawing, anime, stays active with swimming, badminton, go-karting, ice-skating, and more. Her story is not only remarkable but also deeply human and relatable, being bold with a modern mindset of Gen-Alpha, bringing joy, courage, hope, confidence, and kindness.
Harper Bazaar Vietnam has exclusively catched up with Ms. Kathy during her holiday in her mother’s hometown.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: What motivated you to keep going? Who trained you?
KATHY TAN HER LIN: My life mentor and trainer is my mom, she teaches me a lot and love me unconditionally.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: Any interesting stories about your journey?
KATHY TAN HER LIN: Each story is unique and made with love, is all I can say.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: What does your “a normal day” look like?
KATHY TAN HER LIN: A normal day is basically my school day. Even as someone who’s popular, we all have our own personal lives to go on. I study hard, to ensure I can have a good future ahead, and at home, I usually finish my homework first, before leisuring with my devices.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: What are your hobbies apart from the main talent that you excel in?
KATHY TAN HER LIN: I like to play piano. Hundreds of songs I can learn and play keeps my passion thriving for piano. It is something I can enjoy when I’m not studying, and hearing the finished piece of what I have learnt, just makes it worthwhile the wait and hard practice. In my free time, I love watching anime, reading stories, and drawing lots of pictures using both pencil and digital pen. Go-karting, I was once luckily 3rd place against 7 boys.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: How do you think you impact your society and inspire other kids through your talent/skills?
KATHY TAN HER LIN: Keep learning, and doing what you love for one day to look back, it would be impossible things. Persistent effort is a key ingredient in achieving goals in any field and making dreams a reality. Be humble, stay true to yourself and be a sunshine.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: What are your key principles or rules that you abide by in your life?
KATHY TAN HER LIN: Love yourself, be kind to yourself and be kind to others. No matter who they are, what they are going through, I personally think it’s important to be kind and warm-hearted to others. It makes you feel warm when you say something nice, or say something positive. It feels like a weight is being lifted off your shoulders.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: What are your long-term goals/plans?
KATHY TAN HER LIN: This should be confidential and personal. Learning is unlimited, be happy with what I do. I will make sure to study hard, so it will pay off in the future.
HARPER’S BAZAAR: How do you feel after being named a Global Child Prodigy Award Winner 2025?
KATHY TAN HER LIN: It feels refreshing, empowering, something that I didn’t imagine I could accomplish. It feels very rewarding and grateful to be recognized for the hard work that my parents and I had worked together.
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
