Allia Akhtar describes fashion as something that is creative, couture, inspiring and exciting. A student of Communication at University of Wilfred Laurier, she feels that we have ended up going back in time to the same old fashion of wearing the little black dress or pencil skirts. For herself she tries to be unique in her outfits and colours she wears. Her advice is “always have black in your closet, you always need black just in case because it is just so classy! Lastly, you need to have accessories.”

Her favourite fashion designer is Marciano because it is couture stuff so it is just in fashion, or Hollister because it is casual but still not bummy casual.

Audrey Hepburn is her best woman as she was the first women on TV to bring back the feminine look when at the time females tended to wear clothing that was more male oriented.

To Allia beauty is being able to stand in front of the mirror and be happy with what you see not what anyone else sees or says. She believes people don’t think gothic fashion is very beautiful. While on the other hand people who do wear these clothing find it beautiful. I really think fashion is someone’s perception of beauty, and people who agree or do like the clothing will follow suit in wearing these particular articles. She is still searching for someone who she feels would be the prettiest soul on the planet.

Environmentally conscious, she feels having garbage around can change the very environment you live in to a place of filth, so we have to ensure that the place we live at helps the environment.

There is still a stigma associated with South Asian girls who aspire for careers in modelling. But Allia encourages the youth by saying “Go For It. Being a model doesn’t mean you have to compromise your morals at all. If you know wearing something is going to make you uncomfortable improvise, if a certain posture doesn’t feel right compromise. I really think that South Asian parents just stereotype modeling as something beshram or like wrong when it really doesn’t have to be. Just know when to say no and if you think its worth fighting for than you should.”

Article by: Kiran Takrani
Photographs by: Jonny Jii