Style Watch: Malaysian artiste Claudia Tan just wants to have fun with fashion

For Claudia Tan, fashion is part and parcel of her life. She believes that has always been the case for those working in the entertainment industry.

“It’s a way for fans to connect with you,” the 26-year-old singer-songwriter enthuses. “Like how they dress up according to the artiste’s vibe when attending a concert.”

Tan, who hails from Sarawak, recently linked up with record producer Anderson Paak in Ireland, where she created new music as part of the Jameson Distilled Sounds mentorship programme.

Her collaboration with Australian-based, Papua New Guinean artiste Kaiit there resulted in the release of their track Draw Me.

“With Jameson, Kaiit and I really wanted to bring the vibe of the song and translate it into what we were going to wear for the performance, and I think we really nailed it,” she says.

Tan first gained widespread recognition in 2020 for her viral hit Bodies on TikTok.

In July 2023, she achieved a significant milestone by appearing on a billboard in New York City’s Times Square as part of Spotify’s Equal Global Music Programme, which promotes female artistes globally.

Her style is all about the fun side of fashion. She is frequently seen in pretty and flirty outfits – both on and off the stage.

Can you describe your personal fashion style? I believe that you’re into the whole coquette aesthetic trend?

I love anything with bows and pinks. Definitely brings out the feminine side of me.

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What are the fashion trends that you hope will stay on and what are some you wish would just go away?

I hope vests will go away. Brings too many painful adolescent memories. I love corsets on sports jerseys – what a way to tie in feminine and more masculine aspects of fashion.

As you travel a lot, can you give us a few tips on looking stylish all the time, even while on the go?

The whole airport outfit thing is huge at the moment among celebrities.Definitely pack clothes that you’re able to pair with multiple pieces of clothing. If there’s only one top that I can only wear with one specific bottom, I don’t bring it with me.

That’s what I kept in mind when I was packing for my trip to Ireland for the Jameson Distilled Sounds programme.

Can you give us your take on the fashion influence of K-pop stars? Why do you think K-fashion has become such a global phenomenon?

People love seeing crazy outfits that they may not necessarily be able to wear themselves on a daily basis. It’s kind of cool to see all these K-pop stars killing it in the most out-of-pocket clothes.

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How do you see fashion and trends differ between generations? What’s your take on the whole Gen Z versus Millennial fashion thing that’s going on social media?

That Gen Z-ers shouldn’t make fun of Millennial fashion because that era is where they get most of their fashion trends and inspiration from!