A new era of the Malaysian creative forces you are about to see everywhere. Get to know them now before they take over.

For Hariz Izu, modelling wasn&rsquo;t a gamble, it was timing. After years of keeping the dream on pause, he finally took a chance at The Models Lab KL&rsquo;s open casting in early 2024. Within weeks, he was fronting shoots and hitting the KLFW runway, and also landed a spot in a &ldquo;Model of the Year&rdquo; competition. Fast, validating, and almost fated, Hariz isn&rsquo;t just catching up to his dream; he&rsquo;s living it in real time. Every model has a signature presence on the runway or in front of the camera. How would you describe yours, and how did you develop it? Funny enough, I think my &ldquo;signature presence&rdquo; is something other people notice more than I do. I&rsquo;ve always been the type to shrink myself, so learning to actually take up space is still pretty new for me. If I had to pin it down, I&rsquo;d say itcomes through in different ways &mdash; my personal style, my demeanour, the androgyny and boyish charm that give me a kind of duality people seem to connect with. But it&rsquo;s not just physical. I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;ve fully defined my &ldquo;signature&rdquo; yet. Right now, I&rsquo;m building it piece by piece, every shoot, every show, every interaction. Ask me again in a couple of years, and maybe I&rsquo;ll have a clearer answer. Modelling often requires balancing the creative vision of the designer with your own individuality. How do you merge the two without losing your essence? That&rsquo;s the fun part about modelling, you&rsquo;re constantly shifting. Sometimes you&rsquo;re embodying a whole character, slipping into a persona that pulls you out of yourself. Other times, you get the rare privilege of wearing something designed with you in mind, which is always such a treat. For me, the balance comes from trust &mdash; trusting the designer, the creative team, the photographer. It&rsquo;s not always about me; my job is to be the vessel for the vision. But even then, my individuality sneaks in, through how I move, how I carry the clothes, the energy I bring. At the end of the day, I put my full trust in the team to make me feel and look good, and they always do.

What&rsquo;s one misconception people have about modelling in Malaysia that you wish you could correct? People think it&rsquo;s all glamour and ease. They see the final images, the runway moments, the polished Instagram feed, but not the 14-hour shoot days, the rejections, the dry spells, or the unpredictable nature of the job. Modelling takes discipline, flexibility, and a lot of hard work. You really have to want it. At the same time, it&rsquo;s also a deeply collaborative gig. You&rsquo;re side by side with photographers, stylists, makeup artists and other models, all working to bring a vision to life. The glamour is real, but it&rsquo;s built on effort, teamwork and moments that most people never get to (or even want to) see. The industry is becoming more inclusive and diverse globally. How is Malaysia keeping pace, and where do you see room for growth? Malaysia&rsquo;s definitely moving in the right direction. We&rsquo;re starting to see more variety &mdash; different faces, body types and backgrounds showing up in the scene, and that&rsquo;s encouraging. From my own experience, the modelling and creative community here has been super welcoming. The models who came before me, the stylists, the photographers &mdash; everyone&rsquo;s always down to share advice, which builds a real sense of community. That said, there&rsquo;s still room to grow. Opportunities need to be more accessible, and representation has to keep expanding. But as more brands and publications lean into that, the local scene&rsquo;s only going to get richer and way more exciting.

"There are definitely behind-the-scenes realities, long waiting hours, tight budgets and last-minute changes, that can throw anyone off. But honestly, it&rsquo;s all part of the game. At the end of the day, you&rsquo;ve really got to want it." - Hariz

How do you keep yourself inspired and creatively stimulated in an industry that can sometimes feel repetitive? I honestly never get bored, because nothing ever feels truly repetitive. Even if the setup looks the same, the people always make it different &mdash; their energy, their methods, their personalities. I live for...

Get the latest issue of <a href="https://www.magzter.com/MY/AMTD-Digital-Media-Solutions/LOFFICIEL-HOMMES-Malaysia/Fashion/">L'Officiel Hommes Malaysia</a> for the full story

Photography Floyd Grey Creative Direction, Styling &amp; Words Syazil Abd Rahim Hair &amp; Makeup Joey Yap Photography Assistant Sze Yang Styling Assistant Fekar Khairul

Malaysia Day Special: Hariz's face card never declines

Tags

Recommended posts for you

Personalities