We got the chance to pick the brain of a creative in the fashion world who’s killing it and leaving her mark in fashion editorial globally. Meet Maheen, a stylist and creative director from Indonesia based here in NYC who’s done amazing work for Harper’s Bazaar, WHODECIDESWAR, and Office Magazine, to name a few. In this interview, we asked her about her heritage, what her experiences as a young person in a big industry are, and what her journey in the creative directing world has looked like.
Who are you and what do you do?
I guess I'm a creative, I don’t really like to categorize myself as just one thing and I think as a creative you can be many things. I do styling, content production, creative project managing and more. Sometimes I just naturally connect people together, which turns into beautiful creations after.
Your Instagram category is “Image Consultant”, what does that mean?
I think that can mean many things. To me, it’s about helping someone unlock what already exists within them while also introducing new ideas, perspectives, and directions they might not have explored before.
What’s one of the hardest projects you’ve been on?
I had to think about this, because with a great team nothing ever truly feels impossible. That said, the weather can definitely test you. I worked on a shoot in Indonesia with the actor Bio One, dressed him in full Harry Halim. We were shooting outdoors in a truck garage in Jakarta, and the heat was close to 100 degrees; I am not exaggerating. We had to pause constantly and make sure Bio could cool down inside an air-conditioned car. It stretched the timeline far beyond what we expected.
Still, the team pushed through. Nobody joked around because the heat was intense. Everyone stayed focused and committed to finishing strong, and in the end we made it work.
How did you end up doing creative direction & styling?
I always knew I loved dressing up. Growing up, we had so many weddings to attend, and if I showed you my outfits back then, I was really killing it as a 5 year old girl. Not just the clothes, but the full look. I have to credit my mom because she is truly my fashion icon and the reason why I’m this far.
Fastforward, during my time at LIM College, I interned in many positions in the industry. It was during my internship with a celebrity stylist that I was fully introduced to the world of styling. One big lesson I learned is that you really need physical strength. It is glamorous, but it is also serious work.
Do stylists have a level of recognizable identity in their work the way a visual artist or musician might? Or is each job so different from the last that there isn’t much of a throughline?
There are awards in fashion, but they often center brands and designers. Stylists and creative directors are recognized, yet the public still does not always see the image makers in the same way they recognize musicians. Many stylists are extremely versatile, which can make it harder to immediately identify a signature. We are also collaborating with clients, so the final image is a balance between our voice and theirs. That can naturally broaden or shift the identity from project to project.
At the same time, I sometimes wonder if too many competitive awards might change the spirit of the work. When people focus on winning, they can start creating for approval rather than authenticity.
Do creative directors typically have swag or good style? Or are you an outlier?
If you work in a creative field, you probably have some sense of style. Even wearing all black can be powerful. With the right silhouette and tones, it becomes chic rather than basic. It really comes down to how you wear it.
As a young Gen-Z creative stepping into the fashion world, have you ever had to deal with imposter syndrome?
I think early in your career, you are still discovering who you are as a creative, so it is normal to feel that way. It usually means you care deeply about your craft.
It can be easy to think you need to match what others expect to hear in order to belong in certain rooms. But that is not the point. What matters is standing behind your work and believing in it, not trying to satisfy everyone else. Art is subjective, just like styling or creative direction. There’s always going to be people who don’t like it at all, and that’s just not for you.
In what ways does your Indonesian & Pakistani identity show through in your work, if at all?
My heritage strongly shapes my soft skills and my creative perspective. From my Pakistani side, I developed a deep love for jewelry, especially stacking and bold statement pieces. I often incorporate them through my creative projects. Having both cultures also allows me to move between different histories and aesthetics, whether I am exploring references from colonial periods or contemporary ideas.
If you could say one thing to all of NYC right now, what would it be?
Stop trend hopping, it shows. And be authentic.
