'Many things will change... we need to be ready': Malaysian digital creator Andre Amir

Andre recently made the brave move of leaving his job, as it was taking up a lot of his time, and went into content creation full time. Andre Amir

It has been an uncertain few weeks due to the Movement Control Order, and while we find ways to keep busy, stay on top of our work and spend quality time with our loved ones, many are trying to spread positivity during these challenging times.

For Life Inspired's mens’ issue this month, we connected with personalities who excel in their respective professions, while maintaining a good balance of work and play. they spoke to us about their careers, reflections during this period and how they are preparing for the month of Ramadan.

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Andre Amir, digital creator

Andre, 39, worked for a brand consultancy in the corporate sector for 17 years, but juggled being a content creator and his full-time job for the past four years.

He recently made the brave move of leaving his job, as it was taking up a lot of his time, and went into content creation full time.

The fashion personality has made it his mission to share his interest and knowledge in men’s fashion with his audience, winning numerous awards including many best dressed awards from magazines as well as garnering accolades for his fashion blog.

“I have also expanded my genre/niche into men’s beauty/grooming as well. Since the majority of my viewers are urban male (71%) between the ages 18 to 44, I aim to cover more topics that interest men, ” says Andre, who is a “friend” of several watch and fashion brands and also works closely with beauty brands.

“There are plenty of projects in the pipeline for me but some have been delayed or postponed indefinitely due to the current situation, hence I’m not able to talk about them yet.

"But recently I was featured on a Kansai TV morning show in Japan when they featured fashion personalities around the world, ” says Andre. “That was an exciting and memorable experience.”

What inspires you, and how do you keep yourself motivated and passionate about your career?

Andre in Lord's Tailor.

I’m a perfectionist and have a high drive to be different and to do better. My mind keeps thinking about what else can I do, how can I do better, what else am I missing. Receiving messages, questions and compliments from my audience inspires me to do better.

I’ve been doing it since I started. It is not easy when you have set a certain standard, a persona, a brand for yourself and have to maintain that.

I have never been a funny one, so I rely heavily on my need to inform and educate. When you want to be a leader, you must do better. I believe in that and I have learnt to always be positive, ignore the negativity.

Most importantly, I read a lot on my niche (fashion, beauty etc.) and the latest in digital marketing.

During this time of uncertainty, how have you been keeping yourself busy at home? What are the challenges you’ve faced?

This pandemic doesn’t just affect me, but everyone, every brand, every business all over the world. Everyone is trying to find a different approach, a different strategy.

While I wait for my next project, I am currently keeping myself fit, doing a lot of home workouts and maintaining a good diet. This is important because when this is all over, I know I’ll be busy again.

So I want to ensure that my fitness level and body is being well maintained. Fortunately for me, besides projects being on hold, I have yet to face many challenges at home. Plenty of pitches and proposals have been going back and forth. So right now, I’m focusing on my well being.

Have you been self-reflecting a lot during this time? Do share a little about what has been on your mind.

I’m thinking of ways to be better. What else have I been missing? I look at what inspires people, trends and where we are going once the MCO ends.

So plenty of things will change, and I need to be ready. This current situation has already changed the way the brands reach the audience and I must know what and how they are doing it. Always keep myself on my toes, what I should do next.

On the topic of time, in your opinion, how is time best spent?

Time is short. You need to do what you can with time, with work. I’ll always be satisfied to learn how much I have done for the day. But at the same time, I need to know how to balance my time.

This means that I must always allocate time for myself, and time for my loved ones. No matter how busy it gets, there must be a balance. Only then my time is well spent.

As the month of Ramadan approaches, how are you, and your family preparing for this time?

Andre Amir with his mother Nik Zalma.

There are many uncertainties of course. But I’m guessing this Ramadan and Raya will be very humble compared to other years.

I usually have a simple Ramadan, which is how it should be. We should be observing the fasting and refrain from overspending.

A simple but good diet is enough for me when it comes to breaking fast. And I think it will be the first time without a new baju raya (no fabric store and no tailors are open right now) and that is fine too.

The same applies to my family. What’s most important to us is being together and spending time with loved ones.

Could you describe your personal style, tell us about your dream car and what are your favourite travel destinations?

My style is structured. Most of the time I’ll be wearing my suits (but not the business type) as a sartorial look is what I’m known for. But I love athleisure, and structured or innovative outfits as well.

I love BMW and Mercedes-Benz, but if I have to dial down my dream car right now, it would be Porsche Macan S. I like a city car, stylish but still large enough because I do sometimes carry a mobile wardrobe in my car for all those back to back events.

I’m an urban guy, so my favourite travel destinations are Bangkok and London where the transportation is good and shopping is heaven. Both feel like a second home to me. But my dream destinations would be Switzerland, Osaka and Istanbul.