Meet Maha Gondal, the Toronto TikTok Creator in the New Coach x Champion Campaign
Before COVID-19, Toronto’s Maha Gondal was like so many twenty-somethings — style-obsessed and spending most of her time working towards her degree, in her case in Fashion Communications. But when the pandemic forced everyone to stay home, Gondal started sharing her daily outfits on TikTok instead of going to class and 109,000 followers (and counting) later, she’s one of the app’s most popular up-and-coming style creators, beloved for her sleek videos showcasing her enviable modest style.
Now, she’s been tapped by not one but two American heritage brands, Coach and Champion, to star in a campaign celebrating their new collaboration, launching today, February 2nd. Gondal appears alongside model Paloma Elsesser and fellow TikTok stars Wisdom Kaye and Jeffrey Tung in the campaign, photographed and directed by Alessandro Simonetti, as well as a playful TikTok challenge called “How to Coach a Champion” that invites fans to partake in a series of games and tests inspired by the two iconic brands.
We spoke to Gondal about her personal style, the best outfit hacks she has learned on TikTok and how she plans to style the uptown athleisure pieces from the Coach x Champion collaboration.
How do you approach getting dressed every day?
I’m quite spontaneous with my daily looks. It really depends on what mood I wake up in. My clothing directly reflects how I’m feeling that day. So if I’m feeling sad, I’m probably going to go for darker colours.
How has lockdown affected your outfits of the day?
It has made me be more creative. Because I’m an introvert, I love being in my own space. I don’t like going out that much anyway, so if I can be in a room and just create content and play around with my wardrobe, that’s a dream come true for me. So when the lockdown happened, I thought, You know what? I’m stuck in this environment and I have to make the most of it. And that’s literally what I did. I started my TikTok account and started being creative with whatever clothes I had. I did notice that slowly, I started investing in luxury loungewear so I can be really comfortable and feel bougie at home.
Do you have any tips for embracing one’s personal style while dressing modestly?
I would say layering — you can elevate a look by layering properly. Another tip is mixing patterns and textures. I think they can really complement each other if done. And lastly, [wearing] a blazer or a long jacket or coat. Not only will you feel comfortable, but it automatically makes the outfit modest because the majority of your body is covered.
What was it like shooting the Coach x Champion campaign?
This was my first time doing a Zoom shoot so most of the creative team was present virtually while I was on set. The team managed to do this remotely, which was so impressive. I had a lot of fun shooting. I met some great people; everyone was so sweet and kind. They weren’t really strict about it and I had full freedom to do whatever I wanted to do.
What are your favourite pieces from the Coach x Champion collection and how do you plan on styling them?
My favourite piece is the tan suede jacket that’s fur-lined and has the Coach x Champion monogram. It’s so pretty. I would style that with a black Coach x Champion T-shirt, some baggy white jeans paired with white sneakers, and for accessories, gold jewellery and a small handbag. A very clean, comfortable look that would suit the aesthetic [of the collection]: comfort and luxury.
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Is there a trend within the TikTok style community that you’re loving right now?
My favourite trend is “what I would wear front row” at different designer runway shows. It gives people so much freedom to be creative with their wardrobe. It takes a lot of time [to film one], but it’s so much fun to pick your brain about that particular designer and think about whether you have similar pieces that represent that brand.
What is a top styling hack that you learned on TikTok?
There are two things that I have learned. This one might sound silly, but I learned how to tie a bow. I never knew how to properly tie a bow before — so simple. And I didn’t even know that these things existed, but collar bibs, which are used for layered collared looks without having to wear all the actual bulky layers. You can buy those off of Amazon for like $10.
Click through for some of our favourite picks from the Coach x Champion collection.
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