What does personal style mean to you? To many, it’s more than just the clothes off their backs — it’s the freedom to express who they are on the inside before even saying a word. While we all have a personal sense of style, no two individuals are exactly the same when it comes to the way they dress. In this column I Want Her Style, we speak to the stylish individuals of Singapore, and find out what makes their minds tick when it comes to fashion, and the people who inspire them.
Known affectionately to her fans and 29.2K Instagram followers as Farah Farz, this 26-year-old has been a part of the local nightlife scene since 2015. Her open-format DJ style mashes up an array of genres from hip-hop and urban to throwback and EDM (electronic dance music). She credits this musical dynamism to her mum, who introduced her to various kinds of music growing up.
As fate would have it, Farah signed up for an electronic music production programme while she was undertaking her diploma. This was a serendipitous turn of events brought about by a missed dance audition that would ignite her curiosity and passion for deejaying, and go on to pave the way for her career.
However, her journey to where she is today – ranking third runner-up at global DJ competition Queen of Mashups 2019, and playing in countries like Australia and the Netherlands – did not come as easily as her musical talent. It was her drive, coupled with a savvy sense of style, that made her stand out among her contemporaries.
She reveals: “During the early stages of my career, I didn’t care much about the outfits that I wore for my shows.”
But Farah eventually learned that performing is all about showmanship. “Your music can be great, but if you don’t have a visual impact on your audience, they might just forget you. So that forced me to rethink, replan, and rebrand,” she says.
A spin queen on and off the decks, Farah tells us about her relationship with fashion, and how she incorporates a fusion of audio and visual elements.
Music and fashion go together because…
My work influence my sense of style and vice versa. I find joy in planning my outfits for my shows. It gets me super excited and gives me a reason to shop!
What’s great about fashion today is…
That everyone can wear practically anything they want. It’s awesome because no matter what size you are, you can rock whatever you like.
Wear whatever and anything you want. Life is too short to care about other people’s opinions.
Farah Farzana
A styling tip I’ve picked from my job…
Never be afraid to pair random things. Sometimes the combo may seem odd, but it might just work!
My favourite designers are…
Iris Van Herpen and locally based designer Lisa Von Tang. Lisa’s pieces are edgy and unique, and I love how she reinterprets Chinese elements into her work. And, it would be a dream of mine to wear Iris Van Herpen’s pieces one day.
I make the best of an outfit by…
Making sure that I document the look on the ’gram, otherwise it’s like I didn’t wear it. Also, if I really like an outfit, I will wear it multiple times, but only when I meet different groups of people [laughs].
My advice for wearing statement pieces is…
Just do it, like Nike says! Wear whatever and anything you want. Life is too short to care about other people’s opinions.
My most flamboyant fashion item is…
This fluffy pink fur coat which I impulsively bought off Depop. I love that it’s big, pink, and fluffy, plus I feel so extra in it! [laughs]
An outfit is not complete without…
A cute pair of shades!