ll artists suffer for their art and Michael is no exception. His devotion to fashion was frowned upon by his tradition-bound Chinese father, who refused to approve Michael's unconventional ambitions. Undeterred, the boy child furtively honed his creative skills and stuck to his dreams, willing himself to succeed. He needed to convince his family that being different is not wrong. At 17, Michael got lucky and found work at a local boutique. Hungry for experience and unabashed by the daunting task of hard work, he began to realize his dreams.