Although they have known each other for years, it wasn’t until they were sitting together at actress Eyka Farhana’s wedding that GRAZIA Malaysia editor-in-chief Ian Loh and Christinna Kuan became close friends. Bonding over the topic of love, the both of them spoke of the joy and hardships of finding love—something apt, considering the setting. Since then, the friendship has prevailed, and we find the two sitting down once again, this time at the cover shoot for GRAZIA Malaysia’s June/July issue. What topics will be brought to the table?
Ian Loh (IL): I’ll start. Sometimes I feel like things get twisted easily on social media.
Christinna Kuan (CK) I’ve reached a point where I feel like the less I say, the fewer mistakes I make. Do you ever feel that way?
IL: Yes, I get that. I used to post a lot too, especially during KL Fashion Week, and I was very honest about everything. But afterwards, the whole situation kind of got misunderstood, and I was quite attacked for it. Now, I also feel like… maybe it’s better to just say less. So how do you see your social media compared to your real life?
CK: I think my social media is actually quite similar to my real life. But I’ve noticed that my energy is sometimes seen as a bit “premium”. So, people think I’m not very relatable. But when people actually meet me, they say I’m quite bubbly—I just don’t always show that side online. I think for a lot of people, when they hear feedback about their online persona, they’d tend to overthink it and try to change. But it doesn’t make me feel like I need to change my online persona to be as bubbly as I am in real life. As I grow older, instead of trying to fit into society’s mould of what people say I should be, I just create my own mould.
IL: I recently read something about Emma Chamberlain—that creators start off very relatable, but when they grow bigger, they become less relatable. Do you feel that applies to you?
CK: Maybe a little, but I still think my intention is the same. I just continue doing what I love. I put in a lot of hard work into my job, but I never ask for acknowledgement. Despite that, I’m surprised to know that people around me—especially those in a similar industry—do notice it.
STYLIST’S OWN, Top
COS, Trousers
Right
BVLGARI, Earrings, Necklaces, Bracelets, Rings
JUSTIN YAP ATELIER, Dress
CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN, Shoes
COS, Shirt
bottom
BVLGARI, Necklace, Bracelets, Rings
ALIA BASTAMAM, Dress
A-JANE, Dress
IL: In the fashion industry, do you ever feel like opportunities are unfair? For example, some people get invites to big-name fashion shows easily, while others work for years.
CK: Of course, everyone thinks about that at some point, especially if it’s something they really want but couldn’t get. But I try not to compare and think I’m not good enough. I’m done with the era of thinking I’m not good enough. Everyone has their own journey. If you keep comparing, you’ll never be happy.
IL: What was a moment you really felt like you made it?
CK: I remember one moment very clearly. I was in Hong Kong walking on the streets when I received an email inviting me to a Louis Vuitton trip to Tokyo. I thought it was a scam at first, because I didn’t even have a team then. When I realised it was real, I actually cried on the street. During the trip, I was extremely shy and barely spoke. I kept asking myself, “Why me?”
IL: Did that change how you see yourself?
CK: I think I’ve never been the type of person who’s loudly ambitious. I just believe in doing my own thing and allowing opportunities to come naturally. I also tend to push people around me a lot creatively—I like to bring people out of their comfort zone.
IL: Do you have any regrets in life?
CK: No, I don’t think I have regrets. I live by a “just do it” motto. I try not to think too much about mistakes. When I was younger, I attended a seminar where they asked us, “If today was your last day, what would you do?” Since then, I’ve told myself I want to live without regrets.
IL: Has that changed now that you have more responsibility?
CK: Yes, a bit. Now that I have a team, I can’t just do things freely like before. I have to think about others too. But I still love what I do in fashion. I also hope people can appreciate fashion more, because I feel many people think it’s superficial—but it’s actually a lot deeper than that.
KHOON HOOI, Dress
BVLGARI, Watch
COS, Shirt, Jeans, Belt
Right
BVLGARI, Necklace, Bracelets, Rings
ALIA BASTAMAM, Dress
BVLGARI, Necklace, Bracelets, Rings
A-JANE, Dress, Shorts
Right
BVLGARI, Watch
COS, Shirt, Jeans, Belt
SANDRO, Shoes
IL: In marketing and content creation, do you think social media reflects real life?
CK: Not really. Many real buyers and customers don’t even post anything. It’s a different world. Social media is just one layer. People experience different stages in life, so their understanding of things also changes over time.
IL: So do you think it depends on age or the stage in life?
CK: When you’re younger, you think a certain way. When you’re older, you start to understand how things actually work: business, teams, everything.
IL: Do you think social media is fake, then?
CK: It’s not necessarily fake, but it’s not the full picture. People choose what they want to show. I’d say maybe 80% of my social media is real. The 20% is mainly my funny side, which I don’t really show because it doesn’t always translate well online.
Honestly, people are too busy with their own lives to think about you constantly.
IL: Do you care if people misunderstand you?
CK: Not really. I feel like time will prove everything. Also, honestly, people are too busy with their own lives to think about you constantly. But I don’t like it when people completely fake who they are online. I find that quite uncomfortable.
IL: Do you feel pressure as a content creator to always perform?
CK: Sometimes yes. There’s a template now—how you should post, how you should behave, what gets views. But I think people forget that you don’t need to do everything. Focus on what you’re actually good at.
IL: Do you feel like your life is very different from regular people’s?
CK: Yes, I’m quite aware of that. My life isn’t normal—it’s travelling, fashion weeks, and meeting celebrities. It took me time to adjust to that. When I was younger, I only focused on work. I didn’t really go out much or socialise. Now, I try to balance it more with friends, but I don’t regret my past.
IL: What about relationships—how do you view love now?
CK: I think love should be easy. If it feels forced, then it’s not right. For me, it’s more about shared values. You don’t have to be exactly the same, but your principles need to align.
IL: Do you think timing matters in relationships?
CK: Yes, definitely. Everything has its timing. If it’s meant to be, it will be.
IL: What do you want people to understand about you at this stage of life?
CK: That life is not perfect. Social media is not the full truth. People only show parts of their lives. Time will always reveal things. So just live your own life and don’t overthink other people’s opinions of you. I’m also trying to read more about mindset and mental discipline—how athletes control their thoughts. I think the mind is very powerful. In general, I just try to stay real and not care too much about unnecessary opinions.
WEIHAOYONG, Dress
Photography: Chee Wei
Creative Direction: Ian Loh
Styling: Joseph Cheng
Art Direction: Nadia Aswardy
Makeup: Bao
Hair: Juno Ko
Styling Assistants: Sarah Chong, Lorraine Chai, Yang Sophia
Model: Danial Wong
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