Annisa Lutfiyah—a Management student at Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus)—has been interested in modeling since her childhood. Annisa, known as Aleyy, thought that modeling had always been her way to express her true self. Moreover, photoshoots and runaway fashion shows constantly push her to take her role seriously in the designated themes and costumes.

Aleyy’s modelling career started from a happy accident leading her to a grand scheme of things. At that time, she was in a coffee shop, and there was a photographer offering her a test shoot.

“Everything started from a tiny coincidence. Thence, I became well-known among photographer circles within Semarang, and my network would continue to spread,” Aleyy, born on November 20th, 2002, stated.

As her modeling network began to expand, Aleyy actively participated in various beauty contests, including the 2022 Denok Kenang and the 2024 Miss Mega Star DIY. Furthermore, she also emerged as the runner-up of the 2024 Miss Mega Star. Recently, Aleyy embarked on her career even further by being nominated as one of the Top 17 Contestants of Miss Indonesia, representing West Papua.

Her Journey to Miss Indonesia

Aleyy’s struggle in the Miss Indonesia contest was a tough one. Many obstacles and hardships would befall her along the way—the preparation for this contest dates all the way back to 2023. The contest preparation started with a written test for general knowledge. It continued with an interview session with the judges.

“This interview session was the most important one, as it could determine whether we would pass or not. Upon passing this session, the contest continued with a makeover or photoshoot phase. The next phase was a talent show and data filtering,” she explained.

After those series of sessions, the participants who made it had to undergo a quarantine process. The quarantine lasted for sixteen days. Aleyy’s dedication and struggle in these long processes finally came to fruition. In addition to being nominated in the Top 17, Aleey also won the Fast Track Art and Photography categories at Miss Indonesia.

Aleyy claimed that she gathered a fair amount of insight at the contest. The model also underwent a spiritual journey, allowing her to be closer to God. By remembering God, Aleyy could compete fairly and focus on herself rather than others.

“Furthermore, I also get to learn the entertainment industry, ethics, and make-up. But most of all, I learned how to control my emotions, face myself, push my limits, face reality, and hone soft skills , as well as hard skills,” highlighted the owner of the @aleyy.aledszki Instagram account.

Managing Time for Work and School

Amidst of her busy job as a model, Aleyy does not abandon her obligation as a student. She manages to properly fit her work affairs with her studies.

“In some instances, I can attend class in the morning and attend the photoshoot in the afternoon. Even if there was an evening class, I would somehow attend the class. In other words, I do my best to balance my modeling career and studies despite it being difficult to do,” she uttered.

In the future, Aleyy stated that she would like to play a role in a movie and be the main character. Moreover, she also advised her fellow students not to be afraid of starting positive things. Even if one did not have enough resources to do so, it would still be worth a try.

“See your failures and mistakes as your best teacher. Most importantly, it would be best if you believed in yourself. However, before believing in yourself, you have to know yourself first. Everything starts from our personal selves. Just keep being positive and spreading love to others,” she concluded. (Humas Udinus/Ika. Foto: Dok. Pribadi)