What’s this winsome VJ known for her wacky high jinks, including recording Dubsmash videos on Instagram, doing in this collective? Because she’s always got her finger on the pulse of what’s in, and knows how to deliver it to today’s audience of Gen Zs and millennials.
Think of her job – she’s been the face of MTV here since 2013 – as part news presenter, part vlog star. Thoughtful research on what’s trending in the world of music, fashion and entertainment is a requisite because it’s what makes a convincing host, she says. “I’m generally interested in industry news. Every day, I’m online checking out which new singles have dropped, or what Kanye meme is trending. When preparing for interviews, I research the artist in detail. Knowing his or her background makes me more confident, and the conversation more easy-going.”
At the same time, she’s as social-media-obsessed as every other 23-year-old out there (whatever the app, she’s got it). But instead of preening OOTDs and slick photos of the good life, her account @hanlihoefer gives a glimpse into her everyday world, whip-smart hashtags notwithstanding. (Her following at press time: 14.6K.) Ask her to name her professional heroes, and she rattles off a list of Youtube personalities known better for their raw, humorous slice-of-life videos than style, including Jenna Marbles and Lilly Singh.
“These online personalities have had a huge influence on my hosting style because of their authenticity… My approach to being a VJ is to stay as genuine as possible. All my randomness and weirdness on The MTV Show is just me being me,” she says. An Instagram star who knows how to keep things real? We like.
An adapted version first appeared in Female‘s September issue, out on newsstands now.
Like this? Check out fellow F-Collective member and founder of local label Yesah Linda Hao.
