People liked it so much that now it’s going to be my regular column. I honestly didn’t expect 13 million views. With algorithms, it’s always 50/50—you never know. But then videos from other bloggers started appearing, and they were filming the same thing and citing us as an example. That was truly gratifying.
How to Tell If a Video Can Go Viral
To be honest, I just feel whether it will take off or not. I shoot what I personally like. But catching a trend in time – that’s the hardest part. They appear and disappear so quickly that sometimes I can’t keep up.
I adapt trends to suit myself: sometimes by feeling, sometimes I really think about how to do it my own way, for Tajikistan. Sometimes I discuss it with my team, and my team is my friends who always support me.
There’s this cool videographer I always have a great connection with. He catches my ideas on the fly, gets as fired up about them as I do, he’s just as creative a person. Working with him is a real pleasure.
And yes, creative videos land less frequently, that happens. So I mix it up: sometimes trends, sometimes something of my own. That’s how the balance works out.
Where to Find Inspiration
I mainly search for trends on Instagram and TikTok — that’s where everything is fresh. And when I’ve already found an idea and start planning it, I go to Pinterest for inspiration on the look.
Visual aesthetics influence me the most, and of course, the characters themselves. When I see someone, I think: “That’s what I want to recreate.” Asian culture also inspires me greatly – K-dramas, anime, K-pop, Korean and Chinese trends. It’s basically my weakness.
And sometimes ideas come out of nowhere. I can simply be talking to someone, see some object or person on the street – and an image already clicks in my head. Life itself throws ideas at you if you know how to notice them.
An Example for Others
Global trends that I came up with from scratch – there hasn’t been anything like that yet, to be honest.
But there were moments when I managed to be the first to adapt Western trends for myself and for Tajikistan. For example, that case with national clothing under a Chinese trend. After that, one blogger even showed my video on their channel as an example of how to film. And after us, many others started to repeat it: they posted our video and filmed something similar.
It was very pleasant to see that your version became an example for others.
How Much in Demand Is Cosplay in Tajikistan
Cosplay is not yet in demand here in Tajikistan, and you can’t make money from it. For me, it’s simply about passion, about the fact that I love changing myself and trying on different images.
Fashion and beauty, on the other hand, are already developing quite well. Boutiques, cosmetics stores – there’s really potential for cool collaborations here. I also noticed that Asian makeup is really gaining interest: the audience is increasingly asking about it.
I haven’t shot a tutorial yet, but I want to improve my skills and create a master class for my people.
My audience has always been diverse – both from the CIS countries and local. But recently, due to the fact that videos are going viral, the foreign audience has grown.
Hate and Misunderstanding from Those Around
I’m used to it now. But at first it was hard — I was really stressed out, worried. Especially since my parents didn’t really support me at first either. That was the hardest part. But over time I worked through it.
I understood that in our Tajikistan, not everyone still accepts such unusual images. For many, I’m simply “not for them.” There is hate, sometimes from my own countrymen, and at first it really hurt. Now I’ve simply learned to let it pass by.
Yes, I have an unconventional image, but self-expression is not a reason to offend anyone. It’s just that we may not be used to this format of creativity yet. It’s a matter of upbringing and culture. Over time, I believe this will change.
By the way, Dad still sometimes jokes: “Go work at a bank.” But Mom, on the other hand, was worried at first and tried to limit me, and now she’s my most loyal subscriber – she follows every single post.
Where to Get Costumes and Props for Outfits
I more often order images online. And if I have something specific in mind and can’t find it – that’s when sewing comes to the rescue. My mom is my main helper in this. She knows how to create everything: clothes, accessories, props. She’s truly a jack of all trades. Sometimes I make something myself too.
Collaborations are difficult for us: stylistically, we don’t align with many people. It only worked out with LukhTak – we’re always on the same wavelength when it comes to ideas. We often create looks together, search for props all over the city, and scout locations – both in the city and outside it. We really enjoy the process.
The costumes are not cheap, and since cosplay doesn’t bring in income, it’s purely for my own enjoyment and my audience. I would like to collect more different looks, but sometimes it’s really expensive.
What collaboration stood out the most
She was an ambassador for Korea Secret – a Korean cosmetics and skincare store.
There was also a cool collaboration with Hayat Beauty for Black Friday. We shot a full-fledged music video for Lalisa’s song Rockstar featuring looks in her style. It was really great to work on this.
And LukhTak for me is no longer just a brand, it’s a family. It was with them that I shot my first truly creative videos, and everything else followed from there.
And yes, I can definitely see that with each year there are more and more opportunities. Local brands are increasingly starting to shoot trends, create creative videos, and it’s really cool that we’ve made progress in this direction.
What I Would Tell Myself at the Beginning of the Journey
Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid to try, don’t be afraid of others’ opinions, because it is precisely the fear of judgment that holds you back the most. Only through trials, mistakes, and failures do you truly find yourself.
And for those who are just starting now, I’ll say this: don’t compare yourself to others. Everyone has their own pace – some people take off in a month, some work toward it for years, and that’s perfectly normal.
And find your people as early as possible – a team, friends who are as passionate as you are. That’s half the battle.
There will be hate, there will be those who don’t understand – that’s normal. The main thing is not to let them stop you. Do what you love, not what others expect from you.
