STYLE MUSE | Leila Bani, Stylist

I admire the Creators who take it as their duty to push the envelope. Creators can allow us to see people, places and objects in a new light, which is what this week's Style Muse does. I'm excited to introduce you to one of our city's most prominent stylists, Leila Bani.

Leila not only works as a Stylist but as a Creative Consultant. She has styled campaigns for Ralph Lauren, Nike, and Hugo Boss, and her work has been featured in Office, Flaunt and King Kong magazines, among others.

My first time working with Leila was an experience that I'll never forget. Leila styled me and two others for a cover shoot where we got to watch her firsthand, play with fashion, and be a part of her vision coming to life.

Throughout Leila's career, she has been able to inspire, include her community, shed light on Canadian Designers, and do what she loves. Read below for Leila's candid interview on her relationship with fashion and where she sees the industry heading.

Q: How do you advocate for sustainable fashion through styling?

"With my wallet and my clients' money - shopping local, independent, vintage and rework as much as I can and platforming it however I can."

Q: Why do you choose secondhand?

"For the environment, to save some cash, and to hopefully sniff out that rare lil' truffle that nobody else has. Best feeling. Oink! "

Q: What is your most coveted secondhand piece?

"A turn-of-the-century floor-length black velvet hooded Cape from deLuxe Junk Co."

Q: Where do you see the fashion industry heading?

"To hell, in a handbasket, it’s such a depressingly wasteful performative industry as a whole. Luckily more and more people are choosing secondhand and realizing that fast fashion is not safe for our future. I hope for more accessibility and less Greenwashing."

Q: What fashion lessons do you want to leave for future generations?

"Doing the splits in tight pants can really backfire."

Stay tuned for more stories like Leila's with the Creator Series.
Read about previous creators here.