Miranda Yeoh Bids Adieu
Fashion Editor Miranda Yeoh has been culling in the most fashionable KLites to JUICE and discarding the faux pas-ignorant from the lot for 4 years now. JUICE’s collective experience dictates that that length has past the standard expiry date of our Editorial team – most would leave after just 2 years. It takes a special kind of loyalty (and belief in us as a brand) for someone to stay that long. For that, we will always appreciate our now former Fashion Editor. Greener pastures await.
The year was 2009. After a 6 month mourning over my 1st real failed venture (a defunct Envy Magazine founded by Shahrezzan from Alia Bastamam, Ishaq of the band Custom Daisy, and yours truly), I begrudgingly stepped out of the house 1 day to accompany a friend who was going to visit the Catcha office. “JUICE has an opening. Try it out,” said then JUICE writer Kevin Yeoh. As an avid fan of the magazine, I thought to myself ‘Why not?’ And the rest, they say is history.
As a writer, my 1st few months at JUICE were a real eye opener. Working with any established company like this one teaches you plenty about the industry. For me, it taught me to stop sulking over the past and to put my bruised ego aside to start from the beginning of learning the ropes to running a magazine. It dawned on me where I went wrong in the past. Passion is only half the battle, even with the right intentions, without experience, you will not go very far. Past failure aside, under the tutelage of then Ed-in-Chief Muna Noor (whom I both feared and admired during those years) I was lucky to play a part in the creation of another new magazine, HANGER by JUICE. A year later, I eventually grew to take on the role as a Fashion Editor.
But my stint with JUICE wasn’t just a lengthy Publishing 101 class. It was also a rojak bowl of adventures. In my 4 years I’ve done things like bungee jump, learn how to surf (both with Senior Account Manager Ledwina In), experienced 300km/h on a Ducati Desmosedici on the Sepang track during Moto GP, as well as had the pleasure of crossing paths with people from the coolest places from Tokyo to KL. Most importantly, the opportunity of getting the “best seat in the house” to observe the KL scene grow from strength to strength the last few years. But those things are trivial compared to what is most valuable about this street culture rag.
The JUICE family. We’ve pulled each other’s hair out through stressful deadlines, and have held each other’s hair back during the mabuk times – when you spend your working hours and weekends together, sometimes, you are bound to learn a lot more about each other. From relationship heartbreaks to breakdowns, heck, we’re even familiar with everyone’s berak schedule (yes you, Alif) and even us womenfolk has had our periods synced. I have nothing but genuine respect and love for everyone that has walked through JUICE‘s revolving doors. Now it’s my turn to make that walk.
What I take with me now from here onwards is an invaluable amount of knowledge, colleagues that I can now call as friends and a sh!t load of memories. And 4 years worth of actual sh!t. I really should start packing.