“A different kind of modern woman” is Yuna’s description on Instagram. This beautiful 30-year-old musician happens to be our Woman Crush of the week, and her story is wonderful and inspirational for all of us.
Yunalis Mat Zara’ai — this is her real name — comes from a provincial town in peninsular Malaysia, and had a hard life from the get-go. The young woman grew up in a modest family, and in a social context that made it very challenging to follow her dreams and aspirations. Despite that, she never lost hope, and her passion for music was strong enough to support her, despite the narrow-minded mentality that surrounded her. That is how, in 2008, Yuna made her greatest wish come true, by releasing her first record in Malaysia. Large-scale success — as well as her degree in law! — came a few years later, when she recorded more albums, this time for an international audience, and left her country to move to L.A.
Music is this Malaysian singer’s biggest passion, and her talent led her to work with big names like Usher and Pharrell Williams. While we all know about her gift for singing, not everyone may be aware of her fantastic style: yes, because Yuna has striking, deep eyes, a beautiful complexion and a sweet smile, and also a very charming style. She always wears the hijab, as a sign of her faith: Yuna is an observant Muslim, and has been wearing the hijab for the past ten years. Until today, Yuna collected an incredible amount of turbans, in so many shapes and colors, and she proudly wears them during her concerts, too. This is also how she started some collaborations with accessory brands that make scarves and turbans. Fashion is another passion of Yuna’s, and during the New York fashion week, our WCW walked the runway for designer Mara Hoffman. And there is more: the singer also opened a store in Malaysia, selling women’s dresses and clothing — another way to show her love for fashion.
