Business Of Beauty

What does it take to sell beauty in Kuala Lumpur? Men’s Folio turns to the keen-eyed observers of Malaysia’s modelling industry for an unfiltered reality check: where we stand, what’s shifting, and whether the allure of the profession matches the romanticised ideal.

- by Asha Farisha

Attractiveness is currency. It always has been, as dystopian as that sounds. In the fashion industry, its value is determined by bookers, scouts, casting agents and editors, as they arbitrate which models or looks best carry the brands’ clothes and the narratives. To the untrained eye, standing in front of a camera looks easy, but to be the face of a runway, a campaign, or an advertorial, you need more than good angles. Height, symmetry, presence—the ever-elusive It factor. For decades, these standards were dictated by a handful of gatekeepers in the West, deciding who gets seen and who fades into obscurity. But the Internet rewired the system. The globalisation of fashion didn’t just redefine beauty—it changed who gets to participate in the conversation.

Malaysia's modelling scene resurged in the late 2010s, with agencies such as Top Boi Citizen and Models Lab KL. It also marked a shift away from the dominance of fair-skinned Eurasian models on billboards and catalogues, towards a greater appreciation of Southeast Asian characteristics such as deeper complexions and sharper, more diverse faces.

Fast forward, and Ridzman Zidaine is walking the runways of Milan, Paris and London in 2025 — a Malaysian name carving space on the global stage. But in Kuala Lumpur, a world away from the fashion capitals, there’s no playbook for breaking in. No well-trodden path, no guarantees. Instead, brands, agents, and models are making it up as they go, building the industry from scratch. Men’s Folio Malaysia speaks to the ones who have witnessed the shift — those who saw the tide turn, the old rules crumble, and a new era take shape before their eyes.

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