Today, we’d like to introduce you to Aaliya Seika.
Hi Aaliya, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I think I’ve always lived in my own little world. I never knew what was popular or cool, and quite frankly, I never really cared. I grew up listening to music none of my friends liked and wasn’t allowed to watch the same shows as my peers, which I guess, in retrospect, seems kind of isolating, but I think that was a vital part of forming my character. It made me truly form my own opinions, think for myself, and taught me how to march to the beat of my own drum. The older I have gotten, the more I have lived by this principle, and oddly enough, the same principle that “isolated” me as a child is what draws people towards me now.
A year ago, I would have never thought that I would be posting on social media, and absolutely never in a million years would have thought my niche would be fashion. I started posting to prove myself right in a way. I had just come out of a situation where I was made to feel less than for being my authentic self, and I told myself that no one would ever be able to make me feel that way again. So, it was almost like I started posting as a form of rejection therapy. I decided to post as my genuine self, knowing everyone wouldn’t like it and understanding that was okay.
It didn’t matter what they thought about me because I was confident in what I was posting and in who I was. But I would have never been able to guess that more people would love me rather than hate me, and for that, I am truly so grateful. I guess all that is to say that I’ve gotten this far by simply always being me.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
I think that the biggest obstacles I face are internal. Surprisingly enough, the people on the internet are way nicer to me than I am to myself. My biggest struggle is my imposter syndrome. Most creators in the fashion niche have been obsessed with it since they were kids and have a wealth of knowledge about different brands and collections; however, that is not the case with me.
I just started getting into fashion within the past few years, and it feels like I’m trying to play a never-ending game of catch-up, trying to keep up with what’s going on while learning its history simultaneously. Sometimes, after I make a video, I wonder why anyone would even listen to me or watch my outfits because I don’t know enough to speak on the topic. Learning to feel like I belong to a community that can be so intimidating is something that’s going to take some time for me.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I would say people recognize me most for my styling videos on my social media. I started posting on TikTok a little over a year ago, but only recently have I started to focus my content on my love of playing dress-up. I bring my audience into my process of building an outfit, with some videos having a more educational undertone and others being more experimental and personal.
Within the past few months, I decided to post my fashion content on Instagram as well, and I have enjoyed building a community of people who love playing dress-up. Though this is the focus of my work, I am also known for my styling work on photoshoots and short films, as well as modeling throughout the city.
My willingness to experiment is what sets me apart. I love being able to build looks that are incredibly different from each other. Sometimes, I find that when people style, they dress others the way they would dress themselves personally, and that’s not always what suits them best. Being able to try out garments on clients that you would never put yourself in to express a particular feeling is incredibly rewarding and so much fun.
How do you think about luck?
My grandma always told me that I’m not lucky. I’m blessed. Being blessed, by definition, means that I am empowered to prosper, and that is how I live life.
I believe that God has perfectly orchestrated my life and that I am simply walking in the blessings that he has for me as I try my best to follow his direction and obey his will. There’s no room for luck when I am being led by the maker and creator of it all.
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