Calista Cuaca - A Star Is Born

Calista Cuaca makes her cover debut as a rising social media star, marking her arrival as a fashion It girl. She tells Nafeesa Saini how she is coming into her own as the second-generation face of high society in her first major interview.

Calista Cuaca is draped across a Chesterfield sofa in a suite at The Fullerton Hotel. With her wavy, tousled locks – fiery red and extended to her waist for this photo shoot –and doe-eyed gaze, she resembles an entrancing woodland nymph.

The strobe lights flash and minutes tick by with her neck arched over the sofa arm. It is an uncomfortable position and the blood is visibly rushing to her face. Yet she holds the pose, never complaining or wavering. She is a consummate professional.

Fittingly, she is dressed in the same Miu Miu crystal-embellished halterneck and skirt combination worn by Lila Grace Moss, daughter of supermodel Kate Moss, when she made her runway debut at the Spring/ Summer 2021 Miu Miu show. Like Lila, Calista is a bright young star waiting in the wings to fly.

Online, she is soaring, as 300,000 followers on her Instagram lap up her fashion and beauty posts. Her YouTube channel is subscribed to by almost 40,000 adoring fans.

It’s fair to say that Calista has one major advantage: She is the daughter of Jamie Chua, the wealthy socialite and unofficial “Instagram queen”, and Indonesian billionaire Nurdian Cuaca. Instead of jumping headfirst into the spotlight, however, she has taken on a more measured approach towards coming into her own.