The model and content creator is of the opinion that style and confidence come from being comfortable in your own skin
The first time I saw Nalisa Amin was at the KL Fashion Week 2018 in Pavilion KL when she opened the show in Min Luna’s collection, dressed in a rust-coloured jumpsuit that flattered her curves. The crowd went wild at the sight of her, as well as the rest of the models of different shapes, ages and skin colours who walked out after her. The show was a resounding success as it showcased model diversity representing real people, with Nalisa herself being the first plus-size model to open KL Fashion Week.
It was her debut in professional modelling, although you couldn’t tell as she looked so confident and sexy. She let out a burst of laughter. “Of course I was so nervous because I never walked a runway before especially in such a big event as KL Fashion Week where all the important fashion people in Malaysia are there. On top of being nervous, Min Luna told me backstage, ‘Oh you’re opening the show.’ I was like, excuse me? ‘Yes. I want my show to have an impact.’ And I’m like, okay fine, you want impact? I’ll give you impact. At the time I was just an up-and-coming model, so it was very nerve-wracking but exciting at the same time.”
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She’s known Min Luna since the stylist’s days working at a fashion magazine, and they’ve kept in touch since then. Out of the blue, Nalisa received a text from her: “Hey, I’m doing a fashion collaboration with FashionValet and I want you to be in my campaign.” Nalisa agreed and during the shoot, Min Luna dropped a bombshell, “Oh, I also want you to walk for my show.” And the rest, as they say, is history.
Since then, Nalisa’s done fashion campaigns with local and international brands, such as Zalora, FashionValet, Xixili, Levi’s, Syomirizwa Gupta, Adidas, Hugo Boss, Fred Perry, Summer&Peach, Sometime By Asian Designers, Handmade Heroes and most recently, Wanderlust + Co, the Malaysian high-street jewellery label inspired by intuition and individuality— characteristics which Nalisa seem to have in abundance.
Scroll through her Instagram feed and you’ll see snapshots of her day-to-day, practising what she preaches about self-love as well as body confidence and acceptance—a far cry from the shy girl who used to be insecure about herself that she would cover up with loose outfits. After a devastating debacle involving a picture of her in a swimsuit that went viral, she made a decision not to let others’ view of herself affect her anymore. Her decision to finally be happy and comfortable with herself was the turning point she needed to let go of past insecurities, and she just blossomed.
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Perhaps without intending to, the 32-year-old became the poster girl and role model for body positivity, because her personal experiences are relatable to a lot of people. In a past interview with The Sun newspaper, she shared a compliment that came from a random stranger who told her that ever since his sister began following her social media accounts, she developed more confidence in herself. Seeing Nalisa express her style through her distinctive way of mixing and matching clothes, and not being afraid to be seen in bodycons and bandeau tops, is a game-changer for anyone who has issues with their own body types.