What is the story behind Neelofa, one of Malaysia’s hottest Instagram influencers?

Sep 27 , 2019

Malaysian celebrity and Instagram influencer Noor Neelofa binti Mohd Noor, known as Neelofa, has won over big name brands such as Chanel and Dior. Photo: Instagram

The beloved actress and Muslim icon known as Lofa boasts 6.1 million followers, was the face of Dior, Lancome and Swarovski and sits front and centre at most fashion shows

When a dear friend from back home sends you a text message telling you a mega celebrity and Instagram influencer has named a design of hers after your own name, you can’t help but fire up Instragram and check it out for yourself.

Noor Neelofa binti Mohd Noor, the Malaysian actress, television host and founder of fashion brand Naelofar – who is endearingly known as Lofa, or Neelofa, to her fans – named one of her brand’s headscarves (hijabs) the Liying.

I decided to set up an interview to find out more.

“I wanted to celebrate the diverse cultures that can be found in Malaysia, and I initially wanted to bring the whole team to China to shoot the campaign,” she told me over a video recording of our interview. “But in the end we managed to find a beautiful spot in Penang that really reflects the Chinese heritage and culture, and the campaign ended up becoming one of our most successful campaigns.”

But there is a lot more to Neelofa’s intrigue than just creating headscarves. Clocking 6.5 million followers on her Instagram handle @neelofa, she is one of Malaysia’s most-followed personalities (ranking second behind only singer Siti Nurhaliza, according a Silver Mouse survey earlier this year).

Neelofa began her entertainment career as a contestant in Dewi Remaja 2009/10 (loosely translated it means “teenage goddess”), a beauty contest run by Remaja magazine in Malaysia. She sits front and centre at various international fashion shows – seen last at Dior – because she has her very own brand of style that appeals to the Gen M and beyond.

“For the past five years we have sold more than 10 million hijabs, and it’s been the biggest achievement for me and the team. This year, we are in the process of restructuring the company and rebranding,” Neelofa reveals. “We will unveil the new look in February 2020, my birthday month.”