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Top Stylists, Haida Yusof-Yeomans and Zulvanny Andiny, Let Us Into Their Fashionable World!
March 31st, 2021 at 3:07 am
For anyone who loves fashion, shopping and experimenting with different styles, becoming a stylist seems like the ultimate dream job. We’ve always admired stylists and fashion designers because of their innate sense of how to create looks that complement their clients, as well as make them feel comfortable and confident. To round off our interview series this International Women’s Month, where we take a glimpse into the universe of creative women in Malaysia, we reached out to some of our favourite fashion stylists, Haida Yusof-Yeomans and Zulvanny Andiny. Read on to find out what it takes to become a successful woman in the fashion industry and how to take charge of your own destiny!
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What does a regular day look like for a fashion stylist?
Zulvanny: There’s no such thing as a regular day, I guess, haha. Everyday is different. The tasks might be the same though: we have client fittings, sourcing, meetings, shoots, pick ups and returns, and a lot more! Our days revolve around those activities.
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What made you choose this career path and how rewarding has it been?
Haida: The ‘path’ just sort of landed on my feet quite literally. I had no idea one could make a living from styling people, at that time as well – when I first started, stylists could only officially work behind the scenes and for magazines. I love the job as I love beautifying people.
Zulvanny: Passion and interest. Unlike some people, my interest in styling bloomed quite late – when I was in university studying science. It came from my liking of watching music videos and concerts, as well as my interest in pop culture as a medium to de-stress after studying. It just so happened that I took a chance to learn more about my interest, which eventually, and luckily enough for me, turned into a career. I gotta say, I’ve been really lucky to be able to turn my passion into a career, and it is indeed very rewarding. It gives me some sort of satisfaction when I know I did a good job on set or with a client. Of course there are days where it’s hard and exhausting, but in the end, you find yourself back at it again because it really is just something you like to do.
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What was your favourite styling job and why?
Haida: Working with Yuna for her ‘Forevermore’ music video was a memorable experience for me as she has a vision unique to her style. It’s a rarity for many celebrities to want to adopt their own heritage and identity in their look, since everyone looks solely to the West. She and her director-husband, Adam (Sinclair), were keen to listen to my suggestions to create the memorable looks in that music video. Plus, she is one of the most humbling people to work with and we share the same taste in style, which made her super easy to work with!
Zulvanny: It’s hard to pick one, really! I have a lot, but if I had to choose one, it would probably be styling Sophia Liana when she was competing in a televised dance competition last year. We did different looks with different themes every week for months. I gotta say, I was creatively challenged, but it pushed me to be better.
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How do you define a job well done? Since your styles and preferences may differ from your clients’, how do you approach that?
Haida: For me, it’s a combination, or partial combination, of positive reception from the masses, clients’ appreciation of the look you deliver, PR / designer’s approval and appreciation of the look you used from their collection, and most importantly, originality. I always make it a point to discuss or make sense of the client’s requests and to talk about what truly fits their own style – and is not copied from another person. This is especially important if it’s with a celebrity that has a distinctive personality or if they aim to project a specific image to their audience. The most iconic people are those who stick with their own sense of style and are immortal in people’s minds due to their unique sense of style!
Zulvanny: I guess you just feel it when you know you did a great job. I can tell from their gestures whether they are “feeling” the outfit or not. Me and my clients have close relationships, so most of the time, when they don’t feel comfortable or would prefer another style, I can kinda sense it or they would just straight up tell me.
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Tell us about the fashion landscape in Malaysia – what are your hopes for it?
Haida: Malaysia is slowly improving, but it will take a while until we can achieve fashion capital status. We have yet to appreciate the arts and starting a discourse on this is still unrelatable to the masses. I feel if schools start teaching kids that the arts are on the same level as other streams of education, we can advance further in the field and appreciate more talents – rather than having them move overseas to be recognized.
Zulvanny: It is small, but it’s growing. People are more open to different styles now and they are not afraid to wear them out. My hope is for Malaysia to be one of the fashion capitals.
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What makes a great stylist?
Haida: Someone who is incredibly resourceful, is able to compartmentalize the many tasks they have to manage in a day, and has a keen eye in fashion in general – not just following trends. A great stylist is also very professional in building relationships and strives to do things out of the box in developing their own unique signature sense of style.
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As a stylist, who are your idols?
Haida: I love stylists who push their boundaries. Ibrahim Kamara, Lisa Jarvis, Elisaveta Porodina, Robbie Spencer – all stylists / image-makers who are stuck to their own sense of style.
Zulvanny: I had a lot of idols growing up, but who had the biggest impact on me would be Raf Simons.
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As a business woman, what inspires you and what advice can you give?
Haida: My late mother, first and foremost, and my family. This might sound obnoxious, but it’s really my passion to shop and to see how people appreciate my finds is the most rewarding thing that continues to push me towards operating Hydefselections. I think if you truly love your work, it no longer becomes work, and it’s true when they say that passion indeed helps fuels you towards achieving your goals.
Zulvanny: Honestly, people whom I met along my career bring so much inspiration to me. I have met and am surrounded by many career women who are hustlers – they are amazing in what they do. Some even juggle being a mother, wife, and the breadwinner in their family – that motivates me to be better and go after my goals. My advice would be: keep hustling and don’t give up. Draw inspiration from your surroundings to motivate you (sometimes, something as small as a flower can bring so much inspiration) and don’t forget to take care of yourself.
Follow Haida and Zulvanny on Instagram to see more fabulous looks!
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