Shirt; shorts, Salvatore Ferragamo. Hat, H&M. Boots, Onitsuka Tiger. Earrings (worn throughout), Lee's own
Telling Gen-X parents you're going to be a social media influencer these days is tantamount to them telling their boomer parents in the 1990s that they're off to join a rock band. The pressure is tripled if you're the only child of Malaysian parents who moved from Ipoh to Singapore to give their son better prospects, and you've just been accepted into Nanyang Technological University to study aerospace engineering.
No shocker, then, that it took more than a year for Lee Yik Keat-known to his millions-strong following on Instagram and TikTok as @yk-to get their backing. Even then, they only agreed to letting him have a year to establish himself after his National Service. His father, a meat-loving chef at a vegetarian restaurant, was less worried. But his mother, a technician in a manufacturing company, fretted about stability and sustainability.
The self-confessed introvert sees himself as a creator, storyteller or photographer, dissimilar to celebrity influencers like, say, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who has 305 million followers on Instagram and is believed to charge at least US$1 million (nearly S$1.36 million) for each post.
My main job is to put my results and visuals out there in the spotlight, not myself. Of course, secondarily, it's good to have a human personality [behind the work). Paired with that, I do a lot of 'portfolioing' (showcasing work from clients) to create a snowball effect-and build trust. As you clinch more, and bigger, clients, you have the leverage to increase your rate. When I first started, I worked with very, very small clients, he says.
Denne historien er fra April 2022-utgaven av Harper's BAZAAR Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra April 2022-utgaven av Harper's BAZAAR Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
The Great Unknown
It's a fresh chapter for Thai actress Nuttanicha "Nychaa" Dungwattanawanich as she strikes out on her own.
FINDING XANADU
Adventure, magic and freedom await in the land of the blue sky, Mongolia.
TALKING POINTS
From the worlds of Art, Culture, Travel and Design.
TIMELESS LUXURY
In Hosanna Swee and Tom Chng's stunning apartment, an eye for detail and love for horological collectibles reveals an elegant and minimalist escape.
PRIM FOR PRIMETIME
Chanikarn \"Prim\" Tangkabodee reminisces on her journey from a child actor to a superstar in-the-making.
INSPIRATION
The suave music artiste is no stranger to the world of fashion. In fact, he describes fashion as the forefront of his and his family's personal expression, as well as a form of manners.
WELL, SUITED?
As attitudes towards dress codes shift, is the suit about to exit our closets?
DARK HORSE
In his next role and what is easily his most challenging character to date―actor Brian Ng wants one thing from you: your hatred.
THE POWER OF PERETTI
In a hidden village of Sant Marti Vell in Spain, where Elsa Peretti lived, loved and created enduring symbols of design and beauty for Tiffany & Co., Kenneth Goh traces and marvels at her 50 years of legacy.
REDEFINING ROYALTY
Chaumet's Charles Leung talks to BAZAAR about the beauty and the resilience of the 244-year-old French jewellery brand in a new era.