Meet our BAZAAR Women of the Year 2022 as they work the camera behind the scenes of our shoot, all resplendent in fine jewellery and high jewellery selections from Tiffany & Co.
Videography & editing: Hazmiljapilus
“I know you,” said Susan Lankester, breaking our conversation as she spotted Eyka Farhana leaving the studio (who’d just wrapped a campaign shoot). Eyka stopped in her tracks, wide-eyed, caught by surprise that Susan recognised her. “You were in that TV drama where your hair was a bob,” Susan continued, “Oh, you were very good.” Eyka’s face beamed as she bowed her head and thanked Susan, clearly dazed that a screen and stage legend had just praised her acting.
That was on Day One of this ambitious endeavour, and we would go on to shoot Eyka on Day Three. This project was spread across five separate studio sessions across four days, involving five MUAs, five hairstylists, five fashion photographers, four videographers, and of course the ten women who make up our inaugural BAZAAR Women Of The Year list for 2022. Eyka’s session was shared with Amelia Henderson who was only able to spare three hours of her packed schedule. “Don’t worry,” said Moogs, our stylist. “She’ll get it done in half the time of everyone else.” And impressively, she did (yay to all those years of modelling!).
Susan was paired up with producer Elise Shick, who so effortlessly carried off the Bottega Veneta halter dress we styled her in that she could very well be mistaken for a model. The dress exposed the turtle tattoo on her chest which piqued Susan’s interest seeing as coincidentally, she has a pair of turtles inked on her abdomen as a tribute to her parents.
On Day Two, Jasmine Suraya and I exchanged stories about growing up in Kuching while director Nadiah Hamzah tried to channel big bawse energy in front of the camera. “I’m not used to being directed,” she laughed nervously. “Now I
know what my actors feel like when I direct them.”
The first half of Day Four was reserved for Sangeeta Krishnasamy–a vision of elegance–and Sofia Jane, who arrived on set with her left arm in a sling due too a bad tumble while running downhill in Mont Kiara. “Don’t worry,” she assured us, “I can take off the sling but I won’t be able to move this arm.” Not that she needed to. To quote one of our videographers, Mel, “Wow, that Sofia Jane has such an aura about her. She just sits there and you can just feel this energy coming out of her.”
Then for our last session, Scha Alyahya and Vanidah Imran (who came straight from an acting class in UiTM, where she lectures) rocked Dior and Valentino respectively as they talked shop in the make-up chairs, trading stories from their latest film projects.
A storyteller each and every one of them, our screen queens injected drama, mystery as well as romance into their portraits, and we at BAZAAR are ecstatic that we’re able to finally unveil the results to everyone. It was such a privilege and honour to be able to create magic with these artists.
Eyka Farhana, Susan Lankester, Sangeeta Krishnasamy and Nadiah Hamzah
Amelia Henderson, Jasmine Suraya and Vanidah Imran
Scha Alyahya, Sofia Jane and Elise Shick
