While some university students choose to enjoy their lectures in sweats and slides, there are some who hold fashion and style to utmost importance. Almost all clubs at Laurier hold creativity and self-expression as a value, and the Laurier Fashion Society (LFS) is no exception.
Upon discovering LFS, I had been under the assumption that Laurier had some secret fashion program, and this was just their student society. However, after scrolling through their aesthetically impressive Instagram page, I realized that LFS is more than just a club. — it is a melting pot of majors who have a shared love for fashion or any creative expression.
“Right when I accepted my Laurier offer, I followed a bunch of Instagram accounts, and one of them reposted an LFS story, saying, ‘Hey, we’re hiring directors.’ I clicked on that right away, because in my high school, we had a fashion show, and I was a part of it,” said first-year BBA student Alina Khawaja, the director of models for LFS. Ghamra Salman, a third-year political science student explained that she got involved with LFS after having “dabbled in it a very tiny bit [fashion] — but this year, I want to take the experience to another level, which I did by applying to become VP of models with LFS.”
While Khawaja is a first-year student, she still has a good understanding of LFS’s role as a place for those who wish to express their creativity through the medium of fashion before joining. “To be able to work as a team to recreate the process of photoshoots and fashion related events but with a twist such as guaranteed uniqueness and acceptance that society seems to still struggle with today [is the purpose of the club],” she said. Salman discussed how she wants people to “leave our events feeling inspired and empowered, whether it’s through the creativity of our designs, the energy of our models or the stories we tell through our shows and photo shoots.”
This year, the club has done monthly photoshoots which will be continued throughout the rest of the year as well as their ‘a blind date with a fit’ series. Where students receive a surprise fashion bag containing a curated outfit. Next semester may see the return of a LFS fashion show.
“It has been super fun [being a part of the club]. Especially when meeting the team in person, you realize how welcoming a community they are and how much experience you can learn from them,” Khawaja said.
Khawaja’s favorite designers are Christian Dior, Versace and Christian Louboutin. She hopes to own her own pair of red bottoms one day. Salman said one of her favourite designers is Zuhair Murad, specifically wedding coutoure.
She goes on to explain that LFS is “a platform where students can come together, express themselves, build confidence, and connect with other like minded individuals, while also gaining hands on experience in the fashion industry. I know a lot of people don’t have previous experience in this industry, but would like to get involved, and I believe that we are the perfect place for that.”
