She walks - no, glides - into the room, ready to take on the anticipated barrage of questions from the media.

But it was a quiet reception that Anne Watanabe received - almost a reflection of the person that she is.

It could be that the press conference was held during the day, at the end of a very hectic Singapore Fashion Festival week, or she spoke in hesitant English, often assisted by a Japanese translator, which did not make for juicy soundbites.

But Anne is a rising international model who is a regular on the runways of Milan, Paris, London and Tokyo and has walked for designers Anna Sui, Marc Jacobs and Karl Lagerfeld, and is difficult to ignore despite her quiet demeanour.

Having just arrived the night before, she looks surprisingly fresh, with dewy skin and a jaunty step as she steps out onto the runway to meet the media.

Before the press conference began, she greeted everyone present with a slight nod and a shy smile.

But as soon as the cameras are done, she looks slightly like a deer caught in the headlights.

Then the PR person signals that it is time for the photocall first, and Anne obliges with very natural poses as the cameras clicked away.

Anne Watanabe "He's just a father to me, and I'm a daughter to him" - on her father, Ken Watanabe

At 20, she has about two years of experience as a model in the fashion industry, and is enviably in the "in" circle already.

But throughout the session, the one refrain that kept popping up in one's mind is that she is such a sweet girl.

Just like your average girl-next-door.

No supermodel airs, no diva behaviour. Just nice.

And when she answers questions about her life and hobbies, she tells you that she likes to entertain friends at home and cook for them when she's not jet-setting off to yet another fashion capital, listening to music, singing karaoke, and of course, shopping.

She favours Anna Sui, as well as some Italian labels.

Favourite foods - all things Japanese, favourite singer/band - Queen, favourite song - little known song from said singer, Queen, Save Me.

And she was an art student before she was spotted and became a model.

After all, her childhood ambition was to be an artist, or an art teacher.

Her father, celebrated thespian Ken Watanabe, she says, is "just a father to me, and I'm just a daughter to him."

Works gets pushed aside she when gets together with family, although her parents are divorced. She has an older brother, Shin Shinitiro, who is also an actor.

And although she doesn't speak English fluently, she makes an effort to learn on the job, whenever she's on yet another modelling assignment.

You can tell that fame has not gone into her head.