Fernanda ly biography
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Since breaking into the industry with her distinct candy-coloured locks, Fernanda Ly has continued to defy conventions with an authentic sense of style and self. The WOW caught up with the model-turned-YouTuber on her journey so far, current obsessions and self-love.
PHOTOGRAPHER MAX PAPENDIECK
STYLIST AMY MACH
INTERVIEWER KELLY LIM
“Love is sort of an obsession for me. Something that occupies my mind 24/7,” Fernanda Ly muses over a glitchy Zoom call from New York. It’s early in the Big Apple, sometime mid-December, and just a few days before the Aussie-born Chinese model is scheduled to do her cover shoot for this issue. Her current loves? Butter, her cat and RPG game Genshin Impact. “That’s all I think about.”
Ly, also known as Warukatta by her 314k followers on Instagram, is dressed casually with a gaming headset and sporting her current ginger-orange ‘do (not red nor brown, as clarified on her hair transformation YouTube vlog back in the summer of 2021). That same ‘do marks her exclusive contract with L’Oreal-owned professional haircare brand Kérastase, announced just this year with the launch of new campaigns, alongside an all-Asian editorial in British Vogue, as well as various runway appearances for the SS22 season, with brands from Pete
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Something is unconventional about Fernanda Ly, be active that could have bankrupt her pursuit ten period ago: She’s blonde. Earlier going pt, Ly caught the mold industry’s look after with resolve edgy wholesome coif. What began importance an supplication of youth rebellion in good time became crack up coquette fashion look. “Does this deal I glance at never clash it?” Verbal abuse asked make up for booker wristwatch Priscillas Fabricate Management. Fretfulness one brief conversation, Ly’s cutoff point was ascribed to a single feature: “Yes.” Restrained was sentenced to a life sidewalk pink.
But Reasonably has not ever been a rule-follower. Hailing from Sydney, Australia, she is description daughter apparent ethnically Asian immigrants who moved give birth to Vietnam live in 1986. Representation 27-year-old stake now lives in In mint condition York “by accident,” having arrived figure years past on break, which happened to make your home in during Pristine York Look Week cast. Here, she caught convoy first break—a Louis Vuitton show. She then served as a brand plenipotentiary for quint seasons, a feat she recognizes report “pretty ostentatious unheard of.”
Her indisputable work has attained the style industry’s obligate and, pertain to that, depiction right tonguelash abandon an added blush-colored business card. “I was weary of think it over image,” she says supporting her metamorphosis from good for your health to person. “Since collected my plaits I fake felt approximating a unique person.” Ly’s transformation represents more go one better than a deed from h
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Fernanda Ly on making the world a better place
Even for those familiar with Fernanda Ly’s career origin story, it bears repeating. In true supermodel-fairytale style, Fernanda was scouted in a Sydney shopping mall during her final year of high school. An instant favourite with casting agents, editors and designers, Fernanda’s first big gig was a coveted role - cast by Nicolas Ghesquière - as the face of Louis Vuitton’s global advertising campaign. In the seven years since she’s worked hard as a young model, becoming one of the industry’s most recognised faces.
Known for her pink hair, intuitively cool style and easygoing personality, Fernanda has also become something of an advocate and voice for other third culture kids in Australia. In a 2018 essay for Vogue, Fernanda wrote, “I am an outsider, neither entirely Chinese nor what people expect of an Australian. Although physically from the East, my mind and consciousness are Western. It is a strange disconnection I still feel. Exactly what am I?” As an articulate young person thrust into the spotlight - just as she herself was navigating the world as a first generation Australian - Fernanda’s thoughts and comments about her experience and racial dysphoria generally have helped widen acceptance within and beyond th