Every show with an ensemble cast has a specific member that viewers connect with. At a recent birthday party, I overheard a group of 30-something entrepreneurs musing about Bravo’s newest series, Blood Sweat & Heels. Debut curiosity more than anything drew them in for an early episode or two, just to check it out. And there was one personality that the women were drawn to.
“That girl is wild.”
“She stays with a glass of wine in her hand. I love her.”
“I want her at my next dinner party.”
“No, I want to be at her next dinner party.”
Mica Hughes. Harlemite. Goofy former model. Hair-flipping wild child. Business owner. Rocky’s long-legged momma. The anti-fur chinchilla champion.
She often laughs at herself (“I probably do that more than anybody”) and is taking this new-found adventure in stride (“I’m still kind of in a daze”). Yet as much as Hughes might giggle at some of her own cringe-worthy moments and even laughs with some detractors, she has her limits. (Hughes recently questioned how the network made light of her father’s illness in the most recent episode.)
We sat down with the multi-hyphenate and learned a little more about the business side of Mica, how she’s hip to the “realities” of reality TV, who her real friends are, and candidly addresses the rumors about her being a “drunk.”
UPTOWN: What made you get a pet chinchilla? How did that come about?
Mica Hughes: Rocky came into my life at a time when I was single. I was meeting up with a friend of mine at her house. She was like ‘I’m gonna be about half an hour late.’ So I thought alright, I’ll just go into this pet store hang out here til you get back. They had these chinchillas. I was like (goes into high pitched squeal) “Oh my gaw – you sell chinchillas?” and I just kind of fell in love with Rocky. Put him in a box, got a cage, went to my girlfriend’s house with him. And that’s how Rocky came into my world. He’s just the sweetest. Like , if you want a pet that’s low maintenance that has a personality, get a chinchilla.
U: You’d be the first person to ever tell me that. I have been looking into getting a pet. Do they shed a lot ?
MH: They shed once a season but it’s not a lot. But the big thing – you know how hamsters have that smell? [Chinchillas] don’t have that smell at all. AT ALL. No smell. They use the bathroom in one area. They’ll run down to the bottom and then come back up and hang out on the levels. They’re very organized in that way. They’re easy. They have this diamond dust, and they roll around in it and that’s how they clean their fur. But every once in a while I put Rocky in the bathtub. Only because I just feel like, everybody needs a little water on them here and there.
U: How did you get involved with the show?
MH: Through the production team at Bravo. They found me through the circles of fashion – that’s how I was introduced to them.
U: In some of the early episodes it seemed like you and some of the girls already knew each other.
MH: Yes, some of us knew each other. I didn’t know Geneva and I had never met Melyssa.
U: Oh. It seemed like you already had a rapport with Brie, Geneva and Melyssa, especially since you were giving Melyssa career advice.
MH: That’s just my personality. I’m a really friendly person so if you ever see me and you need advice or anything, I’d take the time to give it to anybody I just met. Even if you just met me out at a restaurant. Brie yes I knew – I guess it’s been a couple of years. Demetria I knew of through social circles but we weren’t really close. And Daisy and Brie, we became close over the past year and a half. Well not close close. (laughs) You know. But Daisy and I are close-close now. Is it really confusing how I described that? (laughs)
U: Makes sense. About your entrepreneurial side…I found a clip of you on a CBS segment from a couple years back. You had on your white jacket, and [had] all the equipment. What made you want to become an esthetician?
MH: When I was thinking about ending my career as a model, I was thinking of other things I could transition into. And I’ve always loved, you know – taking care of my skin and finding all the new things I can do to keep myself looking young and fresh. I had my own esthetician that worked on my face and she is the one that really encouraged me to go to school an do it for myself. I thought “ Why not?” I’ve been into this stuff for years and being in fashion it’s just part of the business. So I just went for it.
U: You studied in New York?
MH: Yes, I went to Atelier Esthétique here in NYC. I went the fast track. 9-6 everyday for about five months including Saturdays.
U: Did you have the modeling company first or did you start your esthetician practice first?
MH: It was kind of around the same time. I went to school thinking I wanted to start my own spa business. I did work in a couple of spas first and then I just started my own thing.
U: Are you still active as an esthetician? I looked for links to the practice but didn’t find anything.
MH: I’m looking for a space – so it (Mica 2M Spa) is more of a high-end concierge business now.
U: Getting into the show. In every group of friends everyone seems to adopt a role. There’s the mother hen, the party girl, the voice of reason, the one who starts stuff. In this group who’s who?
MH: Oh gosh. I think I’m a bit of everything you just mentioned. Party girl would be all of us except for – well – me and Daisy definitely like to have a good time. Melyssa as well. Work hard, play hard is my motto. So me, Daisy, and Melyssa usually hang together the most. Brie, Geneva and Demetria – they have more in common with their personalities. I don’t know how I would add those descriptions to each girl. There’s a little bit of all in everyone.
U: In early episodes, we see a lot of you guys out at events and they’re social events so of course there’s drinking. There’s a lot of you doing the drinking. Did you give your friends and family a heads up about how this might play out once the show aired?
MH: It’s funny, some of my friends and family have already come to my defense on Twitter and Facebook saying, “This is not Mica.” I guess there has to be controversy somewhere and somebody has to start it. And you know the things about drinking about me are not true. You’ll see throughout the season I was going through some tough emotional family issues. And yes, at times did I drink a little too much dealing with this stuff? Umm – yeah, I’m human. I’m not perfect. Do I have a playful personality with and without alcohol? Yes, I do. My friends know me, my family knows me and they know this is reality TV and they know things can kinda be inflated and it’s not necessarily true.
U: For the episodes that have already aired, have you looked at yourself and looked at interacting with the other girls and laughed about it? Winced at it ? Or a little bit of both?
MH: Oh my gosh. When I looked at the first episode, I could not stop laughing. There were probably parts I shouldn’t have been laughing at but – it was just funny to me. Even at times when it was kind of hurtful – it was still funny. Thank God I can laugh at myself watching this. Do I sometimes wince like “Oh my God did I just do that?” Because you’re filming so much and such long hours and everyday – of course ya know – things are gonna happen.
U: You’re at least aware of what could be captured when filming [with everyone] but everyone’s confessionals are not something you would know about until they aired. As you’re seeing some of them, have you guys called each other and said “Did you really say that about me?” Or do you just laugh about it?
MH: For now, I just rock with it and laugh it off. I haven’t really approached anyone. Its’ still all so new and so raw right now that I’m still taking it all in. It takes me a little time to absorb it all. Then I can go back and think about it and go “wait, what did that really mean?” But right now with so many things coming at me, I’m just going with it.
U: You mentioned friends coming to your defense on Twitter. Obviously if they’re coming to your defense it’s because people are saying things that are pretty harsh.
MH: Oh yeahhhh.
U:What is the harshest thing you’ve heard thus far that’s completely unfounded?
MH: The comments about ‘oh she’s a drunk’. It’s hurtful. It’s not true. To label and judge someone when you’re in no position to do that is just rude and disrespectful. That’s the one I’m looking at and not too happy about. But I expect that with this journey. You have people out there that love the controversy and that’s all they want to comment on. All they want to speak about is the negative and blow things out of proportion.
U: Do you have any projects launching after the show? I know the esthetician practice is more concierge – but do you plan on pushing that more?
MH: Some new things are coming with that. A product line. Maybe a machine line. I’ve been asked to write a book about my life. Gosh – [there's] just a lot of things coming [up] that I’ve been working on and new things that have popped up. I used to have a model search and seminar company years ago. I’ve been asked to do that again. I’m planning on building my agency [Mica Models] out into a school because I have so many people who are interested but just need development.
By Colby Carrington | Photos courtesy Mica Hughes
The next episode of Blood, Sweat & Heels airs Sunday, 9pm ET on Bravo.