Text Maya Abuali

“Put this in a museum.” That’s a pretty standard comment under one of Yasmin Hero’s TikTok’s—a profile suffused with impossibly clean transitions, insanely fly fits, and enviable dance moves. If you’ve spent any time scrolling through the app, chances are you’ve already seen her handiwork (credited or not). And if it wasn’t her seamless transitions that caught your eye it was probably her slouchy streetwear outfits—cue the inevitable swarm of ‘where are her pants from???’ comments clamouring below every post.

Yasmin, 25, is a Sudanese-Norwegian creative based in Oslo, where she works full-time as a content creator and creative director alongside her equally stylish boyfriend, David Vu. Together, the duo makes content that’s the joy-inducing iteration of cool—the kind of videos that leave you smiling as you scroll, hoping to see them again. Having shot to fame from her viral ‘Get Into It (Yuh)’ dance, the two amassed 17 million views from vibes alone. Yasmin is also credited with creating some of the platform’s most iconic trends, including the ‘360 Outfit Check’ that left no feed unconquered in 2023. Dazed MENA speaks with the rising star on creative beginnings, self-actualising moments, and reckoning with her identity growing up in Norway.

What got you into content creation?

Little Yasmin was always interested in the world of creation. When I was eight years old, I always used to have my nose in books, which inspired me to start writing. My dream back then was to become an author and open a small coffee shop where people could have a coffee break while reading my books. What I learned from this was that I loved translating what was in my head into something physical that could be seen, interpreted, and hopefully appreciated.

What’s your ‘I can’t believe I did that’ moment of your career so far?

It would have to be when I first created something for myself, by myself, a couple of years ago. The ‘360 outfit check’ I created became one of TikTok’s biggest outfit check trends of the year. This was the first time I incorporated my creative direction with my social media platform, which was mainly fashion-oriented.

What impact do you hope your work has on people navigating multicultural identities like yours?

I was born and raised in Norway, although my ethnicity is Sudanese. Growing up in Norway, I used to feel like I didn’t have anyone to look up to and be inspired by who physically looked like me and was brought up from a similar background. This is what it was like for me growing up as a minority there.

What I later found out was that this was what made me kind of special, having a Scandinavian as well as an Arab background. This became my fuel to push myself out there creatively, adding elements from both beautiful influences. I hope that people who find themselves in a similar situation will feel inspired to chase their dreams, whatever that might be or look like.

What’s your process like for creative output?

My creative process can be messy at times. As I go about my day I can suddenly have an idea for a visual, which I always write down in my notes, and these can ultimately become a full-blown concept after sitting down and writing around that idea.

As for my content creation, I usually test out numerous different ways to do a seamless camera movement that can be made into a cool visual that anyone can do with their phones. Easy recreations that look smooth are very fun and engaging to make!

What excites you the most about the rise of voices like yours in the creative sphere?

I honestly hope to see creatives with multicultural backgrounds involve themselves more in this cultural scene. It would be amazing to see how people will connect back to their roots with their own twists!

What’s next for Yasmin Hero?

I can’t say too much, but I’m excited to show what I can bring to the table as authentically me as possible!