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Edited by Yunalis at 18-2-2017 02:38 PM
Yuna Walked Mara Hoffman's NYFW Runway Show With a Message
For Yunalis Mat Zara’ai, the Malaysian singer-songwriter known better for her stage name Yuna, fashion is about more than image. The artist has worked with music’s finest – Pharrell, Usher, Jhene Aiko and a teased collaboration with Kaytranada – and founded her own chic e-commerce lifestyle brand November Culture in 2015. But despite her undeniably cool résumé, Yuna grounds her work in modesty and empowerment.
As a devoted Muslim women, Yuna’s personal style is a statement against Western ideals of femininity and expression, which made her the perfect choice to walk Mara Hoffman’s political NYFW Fall 2017 show on Feb. 13. Hoffman’s show opened with remarks from the national co-chairs of the Women’s March on Washington – civil rights activist Carmen Perez, Brooklyn-based designer Bob Bland, Muslim activist Linda Sarsour, and social justice activist Tamika Mallory – and featured a diverse modeling cast in colorful, flowing pieces.
“What's great about walking for Mara is that it means so much more,” Yuna told Billboard of her NYFW experience. “You’re not just a model walking down the runway as a hanger, you're walking with a purpose.”
Billboard caught up with Yuna on her runway debut and her powerful relationship with fashion below.
How did you become involved with Mara Hoffman's NYFW Fall 2017 show?
Mara reached out to me. Fashion and activism has gone hand-in-hand for some designers, but Mara has been one of the pioneers [of this movement] for the longest time. It was really refreshing to be able to work with someone like her – she's super nice for someone who is so successful and very established, she's supportive, and she’s really chill. It was fun!
Tell us about the look you walked the runway in.
I was really happy to wear one of her designs. It was something that I would actually wear – the color, the cut, everything was loose-fitting. [With the look], I think what she had in mind was a really modern, kind of stylish Muslim woman, and that's the reason she picked me to be a part of her fashion show. She tailored everything for me – she custom-made my headscarf.
Mara Hoffman’s show aimed to “shine a spotlight on what’s going on in society.” Which issues did you feel the show was confronting?
Definitely women's rights. I'm a huge fan of [Palestinian-American, Muslim racial justice and civil rights activist] Linda Sarsour. The fact that she invited Linda to open her show is pretty amazing. I don't know a lot of designers who would do that.
Women’s rights are something that I feel very strongly about in my music as well. For example, I have a song called "Rescue" about a powerful, strong woman. I was talking about my best friend, but somehow this song resonates with women from all over the world. It's cool to be able to do that with music, and now I'm also able to do it through fashion with this amazing designer.
What role do you believe fashion and style have in politics or activism?
With fashion, it has a lot to do with someone's identity. Fashion designers support strong personalities and enable them to find their right style. For me, my sense of style – how I carry myself, how I treat people, and what clothes I like to wear – is a representation of the kind of person I am. [Mara Hoffman's designs] suit my personality and character as this modern Muslim woman who believes in modesty and empowering other girls – you can be stylish and still keep your identity as a Muslim woman.
How has your own fashion venture November Culture been an outlet for expression outside of music?
It's been pretty incredible. We just relaunched the site in January, so it has a sleeker, nicer, more grown-up look to it. We kind of ran away from the young Yuna with all the colors [laughs]. I still love colors, but now it's just more muted and classy. I'm 30 this year, and I'm moving on to more refined things in life.
It's something I like to do besides creating music. [For the site], I literally did the lookbook photo shoots myself. I love photography, fashion, and web design – I get to put everything together and it’s a lot of fun.
Billboard
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