Our First NYFW Featuring Amina Salahou of Les Adore
Written by Gianna Di Cristo and Maddie Pope
Image courtesy of @aleenasconcepts
The Les Adore Fashion Week Event was hosted in the Gem Saloon, a perfectly dimmed bar featuring exposed brick, checkered and hardwood floors, and forest green walls that made you feel like you were in a not-so-secret-speakeasy. Cocktails and mocktails were available at the bar, putting a twist on some classics that perfectly fit the Old Hollywood meets Art Deco theme (ever had orange in your espresso martini?)
So many of the attendees were sparkling, literally, not figuratively, from head to toe. Painted red lipstick and dramatic, accentuated eyes were everywhere. Quick bites were provided for guests including quesadillas, chicken fingers, fries, and some nachos. A Photo Booth with props, provided by The Chobi Co., was the star of the show, and the line stayed steady all night long. Guests were also given gift bags with electrolyte drink packets and cans, some snacks, and shampoo and conditioner from Odele, as well as an opportunity to enter a SkinFix raffle (spoiler alert, we did not win, but still awesome).
The night was an absolute pleasure. Being able to talk to creatives and showcase all of our work being dressed up the way we were made networking fun and easy going. It wasn’t sterile and nerve racking, and instead, provided a welcoming space for femme creatives across New York City and beyond to gush about our hard work, but also make new friends!
Now, without further ado, read our interview with Amina Salahou, the founder of Les Adore!
Image courtesy of @gm_ag
Q1: Alright so, for anyone who may be unfamiliar with you or your work, could you just give us a quick rundown. Age, education, anything like that?
A: Yeah, of course! I’m Amina, I recently graduated from Harvard in May where I studied the History of Science and Computer Science. I'm currently living in New York, working, and just enjoying a new city and trying new things. I have been here for exactly two months now but, growing up in New York state I would come down to the city with my family. It is definitely super different living here full time!
Q2: Can you tell me a little bit about Les Adore?
A: I’ve always just found French to be such a beautiful language for the arts. It was actually, I think, junior year in my French class that Les Adore came up in our textbook once and I wrote it down it just really stuck with me honestly. I just liked the way it sounded and the way it translated at the time, the way it would be translated to“ love them” or“ they love.”
I think for me, part of why I named this initiative Les Adore is because I think art is the largest form of self-expression and of self-love. I think all forms of love are conveyed through art in one way or another. So I just really wanted the art I was gonna put out there to be behind this large label of love you know?
Q3: That’s so beautiful! How did you get started with Les Adore?
A: [There’s this] friend of mine, Casey, who’s based in LA. We were like Instagram crush friends, like I thought she was really cool, she thought I was cool, and then we started talking one day like, hey we should maybe, like, do something. I feel like Instagram stories [are] an aesthetic right? It’s a form of art. So, the whole idea was to actually take Instagram more seriously, not just Instagram, but styling, fashion, being edgy. Casey helped inspire and motivate [me]. We tried to figuring out something together and it didn't fully work out but I was like, this still sounds cool and I kind of just hunkered-down [in the fall]. I remember [I was] in my room, and I was like, you know, I’m gonna make a magazine.
And I thought [for] the first issue it would be super cool to kind of explore the juxtaposition of being a girl, and being super cute and dainty and dressing up, while also studying bio-engineering and dancing, [just] doing a bunch of things. But it was a lot, like the first issue, if you look at it, it’s not the best but it’s been fun to see how we've grown.
Q4: I was wondering how you got from computer science and history of science to fashion and all of this!
A: I just have always loved art and fashion. Growing up with two sisters definitely helped. My older sister let [my twin and I] have her hand me downs and all of those things; I definitely appreciated it. But yeah, I think I’ve always have loved expressing myself. I’m very expressive, so I definitely found that through fashion. I think naturally my family is somewhat artistic in that sense, but I think during COVID is when things really kind of sparked. Being at home I got into makeup, I was doing like cloud eyeshadow, just like random stuff. I even had a whole e-girl phase where I went to school with a striped long-sleeve and a graphic tee. I don’t know, I’ve always just loved trying new things, I don’t really know how to explain it. I think it is really more of a feeling honestly.
Q5: Love that. I know you mentioned girlhood briefly, something DWG deeply resides with, of course. Can I ask you a little bit more about how that connects to Les Adore and to your personal career?
A: My identity growing up was really painted by this picture of being a girl, in the sense where things were different as a woman. But starting in 7th grade, pretty challenging years, my English teacher, Mrs. Wood introduced me and my sister and friends to Girl Up, which is a United Nations campaign for global gender equity.Prior to this I didn’t really know what being a feminist meant, I didn't really know it was a thing.
Girl Up has been super transformative in my life, knowing the power of girlhood, knowing the power of advocating for others, knowing the power of just being a girl's girl right? That’s a common term we hear now, but whether it’s advocating for girls in your friend group or in different countries, I think Girl Up really helped install a lot of those values. I think society has painted women in so many different ways, and especially when I think of editorial media/high fashion, typically I don’t see women that look like me right? I think the media still has a lot of work that needs to be done. The media is everything right now, so for the media to not be diverse or representative isn't the best.
Photo Booth: The Chobi Co.
It is also just fun being in a little girl’s group, we don't have any male members, probably won't ever. I think it’s super important to have female spaces, like for people who identify as a woman. I think it is just so important to have these spaces and to kind of protect them.
Q6: Absolutely! So we are here right now for Les Adore’s second NYFW event, can you tell me a little bit more about the goal of this event and how it went last year, how it has changed and so on?
A: Last year was definitely our first time doing something like this, so it was hectic. Because of the event going really well last year, the venue was willing to host us again, and they are so amazing here. The support from the venue really has helped us and is honestly why we are doing it again.
Also, I met so many girls from [last year's event] that I am still friends with and some girls have told me they met their roommate there and things like that. I also think things like fashion week can be very exclusive so I think it’s [about] making it inclusive.
“things like fashion week can be very exclusive so I think it’s [about] making it inclusive.”
Q7: Well thank you so much for inviting us! What are your goals for the future with Les Adore, or personal career goals even moving forward?
A: I think we really [want] to push this idea of being a vibrant community. I think that’s probably my biggest goal and priority right now, just to really build our community and really strengthen this network of like minded individuals that support each other. I think the nice thing about Les Adore is since we were founded so recently, we have limitless potential.
