Honouring the past, amplifying the future—BAZAAR Women of the Year 2026 celebrates the women whose music moves more than just a room. For Volume 1, we turn our spotlight to the new generation—the bold, the boundary-breaking and the ones writing the next verse. Meet Julia Amin. 

Julia Amin fell in love with music, slowly, then all at once, with Bristol being the home ground where her fuse started to spark. “Being immersed in the underground music scene there was transformative—it wasn’t just about the music, it was about the culture, the freedom and the sense of belonging.” When she came back home, to Malaysia, she did what made sense—investment banking, the traditional path, the world that rewarded the kind of discipline and intelligence she had, and she was grateful for it, genuinely, for the structure it gave her and the person it sharpened her into. But music never stopped drumming in her veins. Music was always there—a persistent, low-frequency she couldn’t reason away or outwork. It was impossible to ignore—that something essential in her was still waiting, still listening, still searching for the room where it truly belonged, especially when she noticed the absence of creativity as the day ticked on. 

So, she started learning to DJ, filling up the margins of her life, stealing hours taking small gigs wherever anyone would have her, building something in the dark, but music never once felt like more weight to carry; it felt like the thing that made the weight bearable, like relief, like air. By the time her third year in investment banking drew to a close, she knew what she’d been circling—that she felt more alive behind the decks than she had ever felt behind a desk. “Choosing to leave was a risk, but it was also the first decision I made purely for myself. I chose fulfilment over comfort.” For her, it was like finally turning up the volume on the one frequency that had always been hers. 

Julia Amin is wearing the BOVET Miss Audrey watch from Cortina Watch.

But, early on, things weren’t always easy. “People sometimes form quick assumptions about your longevity or depth,” she explained. “Growth can make others uncomfortable, and the industry can be opinionated. I learned that not every perception needs a response.” Fortunately, she had no interest in whispers. While others debated her trajectory, Julia was already behind the decks—refining, evolving, letting the work speak in the only language that had ever mattered to her. “Instead of reacting, I chose to focus inward—refining my craft, protecting my mental health and building quietly. I realised that longevity comes from consistency, not validation.” The dancefloors answered back in kind: bodies moving, hands raised, strangers surrendering to a set she had poured herself into. “Handling it with calm confidence, rather than confrontation, has been empowering. You don’t need to argue your worth—you demonstrate it over time.”

How would you describe your sound to someone who’s never heard you play? I asked. “My sound is versatile and fluid—but intentional.” Her sets are less a playlist and more a carefully constructed narrative, moving fluidly between baile funk, afro, house, UKG, hip-hop, bass and dubstep. “Each transition is part of an emotional arc,” she said. “Whether it’s nostalgic, high-energy, or bass-heavy, I want it to feel immersive—like you’re being guided through different chapters of the same story.”

For Julia, building a set relies heavily on a balance of both preparation and intuition. “Structurally, I often start with something nostalgic or atmospheric to ease people in, then gradually build tension and intensity.” As her set draws to a close, she eases the energy down with intention—creating breathing room and giving a graceful handoff to the next DJ. “It’s about respecting the flow of the entire night, not just my moment.” Where do you normally find inspiration, I asked. She responded: “Inspiration, for me, comes from texture and environment,” she enthused. “I’m fascinated by every sound. What some people consider “noise,” I hear as potential. The rhythm of traffic, the hum of machinery, fragmented conversations—these elements carry patterns and emotion. Creatively, my mind tends to deconstruct and reconstruct.” For her, it’s all about reconstructing the chaos of everyday life into a composition. “Producing feels less like creating from nothing and more like translating the world around me into sound.” And when the night is over, and the crowd filters out into the early hours, what does she hope they carry with them? The answer comes without hesitation. “Euphoric, seen and energised.” “If they leave feeling lighter, more connected, and already anticipating the next time, then I’ve done my job.”

Julia Amin is wearing the BOVET Miss Audrey watch from Cortina Watch.

The next chapter for Julia is all about refining her production and continuing to push her sound into new territory. “The next chapter for me is about expansion—not just in scale, but in depth, reach, and long-term impact,” she said. But Julia has never been someone who builds only for herself. Running parallel to her artistic ambitions is The Block Party, the organisation she founded in her first year of DJing and has since grown into one of the most purposeful platforms in Malaysia’s electronic music landscape—a space rooted in community, representation and the kind of curation that feels considered rather than coincidental. She has brought female DJs from across the globe to perform locally, creating exchanges that stretch the boundaries of what the scene looks like and who gets to define it. “Providing them with opportunities to play, be seen, and build confidence is something I care deeply about, because I understand how transformative those early chances can be.” She added: “The horizon feels ambitious, collaborative and very much ours to shape.”

Before we parted ways, Julia paused—and in a conversation that has moved through ambition and artistry and the quiet courage it takes to bet on yourself, it is gratitude that gets the final word. The community that welcomed her in, that offered her help in the early stages and the belief before the recognition came, remains the foundation beneath everything she has built. “I’ll always carry deep gratitude for those who gave me that head start,” she said, with a sincerity that needed no elaboration. Some things, it turns out, you don’t outgrow—you simply build higher, and remember who helped you lay the ground.

Stay tuned for BAZAAR Women of the Year 2026 Volume 2, coming out in October 2026. Find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook at @harpersbazaarmy for more WOTY 2026 coverage. 

Credits 

Photographer: Edmund Lee

Videographer: Syafiq Sazaly, Zakwan Taufiq

Art Direction: Khairani Ramli

Lifestyle Director: Syameen Salehaldin

Digital Director: Amalina Anuar

Assistant: Syazrel Boharin

Hair: Philex Chin

Makeup: Crystal Fong

Outfits: Urban Revivo