Tia Lee on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam February 2026 issues. Top, cardigan and shorts, Louis Vuitton.
In the evolving landscape of C-pop and contemporary Asian pop culture, Tia Lee stands as an artist defined by transformation. From her early beginnings in a girl group to her work across acting, fashion, and a deeply personal solo music career, she has consistently chosen growth over comfort. Rather than conforming to predefined archetypes, Lee has spent years building a creative universe shaped by introspection, courage, and an insistence on authorship.
That universe came sharply into focus with Goodbye Princess, the fastest C-pop music video to reach 100 million views. Yet behind the milestone lay a creative journey that challenged her on multiple fronts, technically, artistically, and emotionally.
“I think the MOST CHALLENGING part was from the MOMENT I started recording the song to SHAPING the entire storyline. It was also my FIRST ATTEMPT at an EDM style, and presenting the MV’S CONCEPT through a VIRTUAL WORLD was something COMPLETELY NEW to me”.
For Lee, the project demanded more than musical execution. It required her to rethink what music itself could become. “Throughout this process, I learned that making music is not a singular act. It can be an artistic fusion that brings together music, art, and animation”.
In Goodbye Princess, bold colors and fantasy landscapes serve not as spectacle, but as metaphors. The princess is not erased, she evolves. Asked which animated version of herself she would bring into real life, Lee’s answer reveals the heart of the narrative.
“I would CHOOSE the version of MYSELF seen in the MV – the princess LIVING COMFORTABLY in a CASTLE who steps out of her COMFORT ZONE out of curiosity, EVOLVES through the journey, and eventually BUILDS THE WORLD she dreams of”.
Discipline, dreams and the quiet work of becoming
Top, cardigan, skirt and socks, Shushu/Tong. Boots, Burberry.
Moving fluidly between acting, singing, and fashion, Lee’s career has never followed a linear path. What anchors her, instead, is clarity of purpose. “I believe that finding your goal is extremely important. As long as you are on the right path, you don’t need to fear the distance. Fulfilling a dream is a very difficult process, and anything can happen along the way. So being able to persist until now, I am very grateful to myself for not giving up”, she told us.
Fashion, often perceived as a realm of surface glamour, becomes a language of inner alignment for her. One such moment came when she was invited to wear a custom Julien Macdonald design before the collection ever debuted on the runway. “I was incredibly grateful and honored to have the opportunity to wear a custom Julien Macdonald piece. Once I put it on, I felt instantly more confident and charismatic”.
Dress, Burberry. Boots, Louis Vuitton.
Behind the scenes, however, are moments that reveal the human reality beneath the polish, including one backstage memory that remains unforgettable. “For one brand, I had intentionally eaten less to maintain my figure for the show. They provided sizes based on what I normally wore, but on the show day, I found out backstage that everything was too big. We had to quickly sew in the waist on the spot”.
Lee’s world, though disciplined, is never devoid of softness or humor. An animal lover at heart, she believes fashion criticism might be best delivered by those with the keenest instincts. “Definitely dogs. My own dog can tell the difference in texture and fabric. He’ll only lie down on something that’s soft and silky enough”. When reflecting on her early days in a girl group, the memory that surfaces is not applause, but warmth found in solidarity.
“Being able to DISCUSS performances and ENCOURAGE one another in THE GROUP was something I TRULY CHERISHED. I remember one time we PERFORMED IN KOREA, it was freezing, and our hands and feet were COMPLETELY STIFF. The moment when we HUDDLED TOGETHER backstage to keep warm is still VERY VIVID in my mind.”
Reclaiming identity, sharing strength
Coat, cardigan and shorts, Max Mara. Shoes, Fendi.
The themes of rebirth and courage that permeate Lee’s recent work extend beyond art into action. Inspired by Goodbye Princess, she launched #EmpowerHer, a campaign supporting women-centric charities and global awareness. “Goodbye Princess inspired me to start the EmpowerHer campaign. While creating the song, I reflected a lot on my own experiences and past. It made me realize how important encouragement, support, and empathy are”.
For Lee, strength does not need to be grand to be lasting.
“Even a small BIT OF STRENGTH in the heart can last a LIFETIME. I hope to use MY OWN ABILITIES to help those in need and use music to CONNECT with and UPLIFT others, supporting ONE ANOTHER along the way”.
As both an artist and a woman, her understanding of “becoming yourself again” is rooted in acceptance rather than perfection. “To me, it means embracing my true self and accepting that I don’t need to be perfect at everything, rather, I should aim to become a more complete version of myself. Becoming myself again means acknowledging my strengths and flaws, letting go of unnecessary expectations, focusing on growth, and reclaiming the life and strength that belong to me.”
And if there is one message Tia Lee hopes women take from her work, it is both simple and resolute. “What I want to express most through my music right now is the sense of strength that girls develop as they grow up. No matter what difficulties you face, I hope everyone can stay brave, be themselves, and find their own light.”
Tia Lee has stepped beyond the castle walls, not to abandon it, but to reimagine what it can become. In doing so, she has turned transformation into authorship, and vulnerability into quiet power.
“What I want to EXPRESS MOST through MY MUSIC right now is the SENSE OF STRENGTH that girls develop as they GROW UP“
Top and skirt, Fendi. Boots, Louis Vuitton.
***Production Team***
Talent: Tia Lee @leeyufen.
Photography: Karl Lam @shotbykar.
Visual & Fashion Direction: Sean K Studio @s.e.a.n.k.
Stylist: Camilla Lee.
Hair Stylist: Zhou Xueming @zhou_xue_ming.
Makeup: Lee Hsia @wenlee___ .
Props & Set: Louis Parker.
Production: Karen Tsang.
Hair Assitant: Zhang Hao.
Photography Assistants: John Yan, Leung Wai Leung.
Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam
