100 Malaysians, 100 Milestones – Our LSA100 Gen Z Icon of the Year is Kasih Iris Leona, who has been making a mark on social media. With her natural charm and bubbly personality, she constantly keeps it real — and it is a refreshing welcome, especially in this age where the online world feels so curated.
Three minutes into our conversation, Kasih Iris Leona uncrosses her legs to make herself comfortable, and then immediately lets out a gasp. “Oh my god, I’m sorry,” she laughs, “I think I just flashed you.”
We’re seated on the couch and Leona is clad in a ultra-mini dress, its hem stopping shy at her thighs. Yet she leans back anyway, stretching her legs forward as she attempts to find the right position. She’s completely unbothered with anything else that might be going on outside our little bubble. In this moment it’s just me and Leona, and whatever she might be willing to share with me (which, as it turns out, is plenty).
Within the past year, Leona has made herself an icon in the realm of social media. At 23, she might seem like your typical Gen Z-er, but her upbringing has given her an early reality check and keeps her grounded for the most part. Her father is the famed actor Azhar Sulaiman, whose rise to prominence was meteoric from the late 1990s to the early 2000s, so Leona knows firsthand about what that’s like. “Fame is fleeting, and it doesn’t last forever,” she muses. “I have firsthand experience of knowing the life cycle of fame through my dad, right? So, I want to do things differently.”
What Leona means is that she will not be dependent on fame. She has more or less established herself as an online content creator in the last few years, but she only really blew up in these last few months, after she finally moved back to Malaysia for good. (Leona had been studying in the UK and graduated from university in July, and later spent a hot Euro summer with her friends, travelling across the region.)
Ever since she returned home, Leona has been on a roll. She quickly found a 1.2 million-strong following on TikTok that propelled her into the influencer life, and the marketing opportunities soon followed: from launching her own clothing line, Mekna, to working with various fashion and beauty brands including Coach, Chanel and Rimowa among others. Last month, she also hosted a star-studded Halloween party with some of the buzziest people in the industry and got everyone talking.
But this is not your average influencer success story. Even as she’s all glammed up in front of me and fully rocking the fierce dress, Leona’s bubbly personality shines through. She’s immediately at ease, The thing about Leona that really draws you in is that, whether she’s sharing a funny anecdote in her life or walking us through her morning routine, she toes the line between being approachable and still having a grip on her audience, earning her followers’ trust through her funny, candid and unscripted antics. And in an age where social media feels more ‘polished’ and curated by the day, Leona is a breath of fresh air.
How has the past year been for you? Are there any standout moments that meant a lot to you personally?
This year has actually been a roller coaster. I feel like I’m in the ‘transition’ phase of life. The first half of my year was all about graduating. And I had the summer where I travelled around Europe, of course, with my friends. And in July, I moved back to Malaysia. The first month was really hard, being back for good, but I’ve decided to embrace this new chapter of life. And I bought a new car! I started this whole independent journey, that’s what I’ve been up to this year.
And how has that transition been, re-establishing yourself into the scene?
The transition was a little bit hard at first, because I was so used to being in the shadows when I was in the UK. I was in my own little world. And when I came back, I kind of forgot that I was an influencer. I’m someone in the public [eye]. So, having people recognise me was a little bit hard at first. But also mentally, I think I was just not ready to get into this chapter of life. When I was about to start, I had to make so many big decisions, so that was weighing on me. But I realised like it’s okay to take things one step at a time, and I have been slowly figuring it out. I’ve just been doing shoots here and there, and discovering what I like to do.
Last time, I would come back, but just for a short break, so I would fill my time up with a lot of shoots. And I would be like, ‘It’s okay if I’m tired, because once I go back, then I will get to rest, right?’ But now that I’m back here for good, I just have to make sure to not burn myself out so quickly and pace it out. Like, you don’t have to do everything. You don’t have to be everywhere. So, I decided to do what’s most meaningful to me.
Would you say you’ve kind of found your niche already?
Coming back, I’ve decided that I will go into the mass market. I think last year, I already got a taste of the mass market, but I was still in the urban English market. But now, I’ve decided that there are so many bigger opportunities in the mass market, so I just have to push myself a bit more. Because the urban market, I am also a consumer of, so it’s my comfort zone. The mass market is a bit more unfamiliar. It’s like the rough seas, and every day, I have to navigate how to sail through it. But I like being out of my comfort zone. So, pushing myself has been a wonderful discovery of who I am, too.
Speaking of influencing and content creating, how would you describe your creative process? Especially considering you’re someone who often lets your natural personality shine through your content.
I am someone who is very stuck on my principles. So, that also reflects in my content. I don’t really like to just do whatever — I have a sense of integrity when I do content. I need things to go my way, because I know my way works. And I usually try to integrate my content with my own lifestyle. So, rather than ‘showcasing’ or promoting a product, I like to show how it blends into my life. That’s why a lot of my content is, like, ‘Get Ready with Me’ where I share very personal bits of my life and other things. I think being authentic and showing the real side of me is one of my strengths because a lot of people tend to keep their personal life private, right? But I think I found the sweet spot in showing enough, but not too much. So, I show enough to be relatable and people think that they know me so well, but of course I keep a layer to myself.
How do you find that balance, personally?
When someone knows a lot about you, they think they know you. And I just have so much to share, so people think that what I show online is me. And it is me! But it’s not everything. And I like that I have a layer to myself and the people around me. As I get older, I’m… I wouldn’t say I’ve become more introverted, but I definitely keep a little more to myself. I think it’s all part of the process of growing up, because when I was younger — I’m not saying I’m old now — but I’ve been doing content creating for about six years already. You just make mistakes and you learn from them, then you know what to share and what not to share. I think it’s just a process, you have to go through it to know what your boundaries are.
What are the challenges of juggling between the public persona you put out, while still staying true to yourself?
I think for me, my struggle with this whole thing is that a lot of people think that they know me, or think that I’m their friend. But I guess it becomes part and parcel of what I do, right? Because I’m an influencer, I share a lot about my life. That’s why most people feel very comfortable around me. But at the end of the day, it’s like, I’m human. And I feel like sometimes people tend to forget that I’m actually a real person, too. When I post online, I don’t actually think it’s the ‘real’ world. I’m just posting to my online audience, so when it translates to real life, it becomes like a clash of two worlds. I don’t realise that people who watch my videos are also real people. I think in my life, it’s like, the digital world and the real world, I think it’s two different things. And I actually struggle with that. So, when I go out and people talk to me like I’m their best friend, I’m just like, ‘Oh, I don’t know you.’ That has been one of my biggest struggles recently, actually. People are too friendly, too comfortable with talking to me. I don’t mind talking, but sometimes, the things they say, I’m just like, ‘You wouldn’t say this to like a random stranger, right?’ So, that comes as a shock to me sometimes. And because I just got my car and I post about it, I get shocked when people actually recognise it in person. I’m like, ‘Wait…’
As an online figure, you’re also prone to receiving criticism online. How do you deal with this?
I just don’t read anything. I think with being famous, there’s the good and the bad. And to enjoy the good, you have to go through the bad, so I just don’t indulge in any of it. I don’t read the comments. I mean, for sure there are compliments, but I feel like the bad comments can make you feel sad and the good comments might make you egoistic. To be humble, you’ve just got to not indulge in any of that. I mean, I do read them from time to time of course, I’m only human. But I know some people obsess over their comments and care about what people say. But I don’t care if it’s good or bad. And usually, I find out about what people are saying about me online through other people. Because someone who writes bad comments about you doesn’t actually know you. And someone who writes good comments about you also doesn’t know you. So if you put the same weight on both of them, I feel like you’ll be able to navigate life better. Compliments from my friends, my family and people around me are the ones that makes me happy.
How do you think your personality and your career resonate with your fans?
I’m very real. I show the ugly sides and the pretty sides too. A lot of influencers tend to show a very polished version of themselves — I’m not saying it’s not a real version of themselves, but it’s a ‘polished’ version. If you see my videos, sometimes I’m, like, straight out of bed. I don’t even comb my hair, I don’t wash my face, and I’m just very honest about my opinions. When I ask people what they like about me, they say I’m just very real about who I am. And I think it resonates with people because in this age of social media, it’s flooded with all kinds of content. And people feel pressured to be something they’re not. So, my intentions with my content is to just be as real as possible.
Of course, there are days when I’m like, ‘I hate my life, I’m about to give up.’ But I show it. And I’m honest about how I feel. This is what I’ve been changing about my life. And people feel like they can relate to it. Because life has its ups and downs. It’s not just rainbows and sunshine, but also the muddy puddles and the thunderstorms. And when you show everything, people embrace their journeys too. Because I know a lot of young girls watch my content, and they feel very empowered and not alone in their journey of growing up. The past and future are part of the journey, but it’s the present that matters most. When I went to Bali recently, I actually spoke to an astrologist, and he was telling me that if you don’t let go of the past, the future will be a repetition of the past. And that kind of really resonated with me about how you always have to live in the present.
What were you studying in the UK, by the way?
I was studying management. My parents actually wanted me to do law. And I was like, “Hell no.” Your parents may tell you what to do, but at the end of the day, the person living your life is only you. The only person accountable for how your life turns out is you. You need to be confident. As long as you believe that you can do it, you can do it. So, I was like, ‘Honestly, I don’t believe that I can do it.’ However, I think I can do marketing. And then beyond marketing, what else could I do? The more traditional degree was to do management, and I was like, ‘Yeah, I think I can do that.’ I mean, I could have done law. I could have pushed myself to finish that degree. But if I wasn’t going to do anything with it, what’s the point, right? I felt like I was at the age where I could make my own decision and be accountable for my own life. I just applied to do management. I didn’t ask, I just told them I was doing it. And I think that’s my way of life too. I don’t really ask for permission from people to do what I want to do. And I do have my brand. Because I knew that if I was not an influencer, I would probably go into business and marketing. So, my degree was really good for that.
Can you tell us a little bit more about your brand, Mekna? How did it start, and how is it going so far?
I got one advice when I was starting out: it should be something that’s close to your heart. Because how can you promote something or how can you sell something that you don’t believe in or that you don’t consume? Because you should know the product in and out, right? And naturally, I was wearing kaftans every day, and people kept asking me where it was from. And I was like, ‘Instead of telling them where it’s from, let me make one and sell it.’ So for the brand, I actually used the same supplier as the one I bought from. And thankfully, it worked out well. Because the product was something that resonated so closely to me, it was very natural to sell it. Like, imagine if I sold a helmet! It has nothing to do with me. If I sold it, people would be like, “Why the hell are you selling it? Why would we buy a helmet from you?” But because Leona always wears kaftans, it’s a no-brainer that she would sell a good kaftan. So, building that trust from my followers, and becoming someone that always wears kaftans, I wouldn’t sell a bad product. I know what a good kaftan is. And I’ve been applying that to my other ventures as well. I always try to keep it close to my heart.
So, what’s next for you? Do you have any expectations for this upcoming year?
I think that the only way is up, and I only think of myself as my only competitor. So, I do want to push myself more. I’m definitely still expanding my business. But I’m actually going into corporate in January. I’m going to go to AirAsia, so that will be exciting. And I don’t know how I will balance everything but I believe I can, and that’s the most important. The little girl in me always dreamed that I would work in corporate. And deep down, I’ve always known I can do it. Honestly, being an influencer has taught me that fame is fleeting. And it doesn’t last forever. I have firsthand experience of knowing the life cycle of fame through my dad, right? So, I want to do things differently. I’m not saying I will stop being an influencer. I’m just gonna try to find the sweet spot in between.
editor-in-chief MARTIN TEO | creative direction MARO COLLECTIVE (MODULA LOKO STUDIO) | interview PUTERI YASMIN SURAYA | editorial team RONN TAN & MALLIE MARAN | photography MICHELE YONG | set design BRENDAN TEE | videography POR JIA JUN & STANLEY LOH | hair & makeup BERRY LOW & CHEE ING | styled by JONATHAN LIANG | wardrobe ALIA BASTAMAM, DAYJOB, SANDRO | inspired by THE AESOP ABODE
Check out LSA100 Class of 2025 HERE.
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.