From vulnerably sharing her heart with the rest of the world through her latest song Penat, Daiyan Trisha gets real with Alisha Azuddin on life during lockdown, volunteering and defining her style.
STORY BY ALISHA AZUDDIN PHOTOGRAPHED BY EDMUND LEE STYLED BY ABDUL AZIZ DRAIM
Coat; sequined top; inner blouse; denim trousers; knee-high boots; and earrings, all from Louis Vuitton. Galaxy Z Flip3 5G smartphone in Cream, from Samsung.
Can you hear me?”—Like most meetings of 2021, the familiar phrase rings through the room as these were the first words I was greeted to when jumping onto a video call with Daiyan Trisha. Once the connection had stabilised, we opened to the topic that’s never too far away—COVID- 19. Checking in on each other’s mental and physical health, the state of our country and what we can do to motivate ourselves, our short introductions quickly spiralled to a comforting chat with a friend.
Graphic coat; knitted top; skirt; and earrings, from Louis Vuitton. Galaxy Z Flip 3 smartphone in Lavender, from Samsung.
Unknowing of when we’d return to what we last remember of normalcy, Daiyan shares her one favourite coping mechanism during the lockdown: writing music. Having released her first Malay ballad, Penat, at the end of August, she reveals that making music, composing and writing is her preferred emotional outlet.
“Being in lockdown was one thing, but to go through it on top of a break-up was just another level of s**t, if i’m being honest,” referring to the story behind her latest sorrowful release. “Living alone in a house…it just got so challenging and so tiring, but writing helped me a lot. It sucked because I couldn’t go out and have that escape to my girlfriends. Instead I just had to sit there with my feelings. But I guess the silver lining is that I could cathartically put my emotions into a song, and it really helped in dealing with the situation.”
Shifting from music to fashion, our conversation drifts to our common adoration for micro bags. Discussing the impractically but equally adorable Jacquemus Le Chiquito, to figuring out just how many items we can fit into a Micro Lady Dior, Daiyan is a bubbling fashion icon in her own right and her love and appreciation for fashion is telling.
When asked how she would define her style, she mentions the words “effortless, minimalistic and a statement- piece.” A fan of a more neutral palette, she prefers to stay amid earth tones when dressing but isn’t afraid to throw in a funky bag or splashes of colour to tie her look together and let that stand out as a moment maker. “Because I prefer more plain colours on my outfits, I love that a bag can add that drama and colour to my look.”
Her fashion icons include the likes of Zendaya and Dua Lipa. “I love Zendaya. It just seems like she knows how to dress to make her look good and feel good, because at the end of the day, that is all that matters. I really like Dua Lipa as well and I think she is just one of those young fashion icons. Even though I don’t get my personal sense of style from her, I just feel the confidence she exudes with everything she wears and I love that.”
