FASHIONFAGUETTE WANTS MORE MAGIC!

@FASHIONFAGUETTE WANTS MORE MAGIC!

New York City is constantly in a state of turnover; it’s hard to tell exactly who or what is coming next. What will the next trend be? Who will be the next it-girl? Enter: @fashionfaguette. With a collective 135k followers across social media platforms, aurora (aka “fashionfaguette”) has made herself into a fixture amongst the queer new york nightlife scene and beyond. As an emerging stylist, fashion curator, and all-around it-girl, aurora follows a long lineage of superstars and club kids that have made their mark on the city. You want to know, what’s next? She is! We got together with aurora to talk about finding herself in her childhood divas, the current state of New York nightlife, and why she thinks the scene could use a little more exclusivity. 

BRYCE RAY: I want to start at the beginning: what did you dream of being as a kid?

AURORA LUIS: As a kid, it was either one or two things. I was either hoping to become some type of artist, like through music or acting, or it was fashion. My whole life, that’s what I wanted to do. I would sing The Little Mermaid, and things like that. I’d make dresses out of newspapers. It was always something in the art atmosphere.

BR: Who were some of the cultural influences and people that you looked up to?

AL: Within fashion, I really love Thierry Mugler. And Alexander McQueen. But really it was the models: Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Gisele. The high fashion girls of the time. I watched a lot of Disney growing up, so I was always obsessed with Hannah Montana and The Cheetah Girls. I remember being so gagged by their stage presence and their fashion. Those were my girl icons. Growing up gay and eventually realizing I was trans, I think I really wanted to be them in a way. 

BR: Totally. I had a very similar upbringing. My first concert was The Cheetah Girls. [Laughs.]

AL: Wait! Mine was, too!

BR: Literally in first grade.

AL: How old are you?

BR: I just turned 25.

AL: Oh my god, so we’re the same age. We were probably at the same concert. 

BR: I’m from Texas, so I would’ve seen them in Austin, but gag!

AL: Dorinda, the blonde dancer one, I gave her flowers. My mom got me really nice tickets. I was obsessed with her and Chanel, Adrienne Bailon’s character. I was obsessed.

BR: I mean, of course. You gotta love the fashion girl. I was also a Dorinda girl, but mainly because I’m white. [Laughs.] It just made sense. 

AL: Dorinda was fierce! She was a little annoying in Cheetah Girls 2, but I was still obsessed with her. 

BR: At least she got to dance with that hot dancer guy. 

AL: Yes! I was like, oh, she’s taking it!

BR: A lot of what I’ve learned from researching Andy Warhol for this issue is that Warhol grew up using pop culture as an escape, and I think a lot fo queer people grow up doing that. You mentioned a little bit about your queer journey and becoming the woman that you are now. I’m wondering how much you think pop culture played a hand in that. 

AL: I mean, a diva is a female version of a hustler, as Beyoncé once famously said. I think a lot of the icons we’ve already mentioned have played a huge hand in shaping who I am today. Even Andy, his influence in the NYC nightlife and art sphere. Seeing these people stay true to who they are, regardless of any controversy, and how they push through, absolutely shaped me into who I am today.

BR: Absolutely. Let’s pivot to your social media for a bit. What inspired you to start “fashionfaguette”?

AL: This is going to be a shocker. [Laughs.] I always had a fashion account on Twitter--that’s where I started--but I ended up deleting it one day. I was going through it or focusing on school or something. Then one of my friends and I got into a little tiff one day. He said some nasty things to me, and it reignited my passion and what I wanted to do in life. It inspired me to restart “fashionfaguette.” So, in a way, my account is lowkey made through hate because he was really saying some hurtful stuff about being in New York my whole life and not having done anything. I was like, you know what? Let me show you what I’m really made of. That’s how this iteration of “fashionfaguette” really came to be. 

BR: Wow. Sometimes really good things can come out of conflict. And to look at where you are now. 

AL: I know. Part of me is still kind of shocked. I never thought it would turn into what it turned into, but I’m really happy that it did. I really think it’s solidified myself and what I want to do. There was a time after high school where I just felt a little stuck. I was traveling, but I wasn’t really doing anything. I think there was a little bit of truth in what my friend said, and it really woke me up. I’m thankful he said those things because it got me to where I am now. 

BR: And now you’re proving him wrong everyday. Social media has become such a full-time job--how do you balance that with everything else that you have going on in your life?

AL: Well, it’s definitely hard to navigate work and social media at the same time. Especially with all the nightlife stuff on top of it. When I was starting off, I was in school and it forced me to learn how to manage my time better. It’s something that I still struggle with, but I’m working on it. There was a point where I was posting three or four times a day, and now it’s more of a once a week situation. I’ve created such a backing and cult following, that I’m able to relax a little more and still get the kind of engagement that I would get when I was posting every couple of hours. Time management has been something I’ve had to learn to keep it all together.

BR: How do you stay on top of the ever-changing algorithm of it all? 

AL: I think that once you’ve built your cult following, you’re able to grow from that. I’ve established a nice backing of people that like the page and want to continue to see what’s going on. It’s all about finding your niche. There are a ton of moodboard accounts out there posting similar things as me, but if you can’t crack the code, you’ll get stuck. I kind of figured it out. In terms of the algorithm, it’s true that you’re supposed to post three times a day, four to five times on stories a day. 

BR: That’s crazy.

AL: I know it’s not necessarily the ideal situation. That’s why you see a lot of these full-time influencers and celebrities posting so much. That’s what is going to keep them at the top. That’s what I was doing in the beginning. I was posting as if I was an influencer. Once I did that and built my following, I felt that I had laid enough groundwork to sit back a bit and trust that things will continue to move slowly. 

BR: For a while you refrained from showing your face on your account. I’m curious as to why you decided to pull back the curtain and what it’s been like for you since.

AL: Being trans and having the username “fashionfaguette” is obviously a gag--it’s a little twist--but for a long time no one knew I was trans. When I did reveal myself, it was a little bit of a struggle because I didn’t know if the people who liked the account would still like it. I assumed that everyone already had a pre-interpretation of who they thought was running the account. No one really thought it was going to be a doll. Luckily enough, I felt very accepted by the reception. I can’t lie, it was a gag moment! I don’t really think anything changed. If anything, it just made me grow and people loved me for being me. 

BR: I think it solidified you as this real person in people’s minds. They could finally see you as the fierce as fuck tastemaker that you are. You’re finally letting people into your world. 

AL: The reason why I even decided to go out and pump it and show my face is really because I didn’t want people to go up and try to use my name at the door. There was a time last year when I really started to get invited to things and going to parties, so I was like let me start to reveal myself because I’m not about to have someone use my name at the door. [Laughs.] You gotta think about it. I’ll call a spade a spade. Being from New York, I definitely snuck into a party or two growing up, so if anyone is smart like me, they’ve surely used my name at the door once or twice. Not anymore!

BR: You’ve definitely become quite the nightlife mainstay since revealing your face. How would you describe New York City nightlife today? 

AL: I definitely think nightlife has changed significantly since covid. Nightlife was at its peak in 2019. Since covid, everyone’s rebranded. I don’t know, it’s different. I mean, NYC nightlife will always be THAT girl. I grew up admiring the club kids. I’m happy that I’ve now solidified myself in that community. NYC nightlife really gives you the upper advantage because you’re in these rooms with the most iconic individuals—people that have worked on sets and are friends of friends of so many people. 

BR: A lot of people say that New York nightlife is equal. In New York, you can arrive in the city in the morning and be dancing with Amanda Lepore that night. Nightlife in cities like LA is so much more exclusive and “if you know you know.”

AL: In LA you really have to network and know the right people if you’re hoping to get anywhere. Yeah, you could’ve moved here yesterday, you’re this iconic twink, you wanna pop it, you wanna slay, and boom! Amanda Lepore will take you under her wing! That’s really just how it is. Nobody knows what’s going to happen tomorrow, so you gotta pump it today. 

BR: When did you start going out in New York?

AL: I actually had my nightlife start pretty late. I wasn’t really a kid who wanted to go out and party. I didn’t really start to go out until I turned 21. I think the people that start going out at an early age, you get burned out by the time you’re actually of age. I feel appreciative every time I go out because I’m not burnt out yet. Everything still feels fresh. 

BR: What would you say New York City nightlife is missing? 

AL: I know we just touched on inclusivity, but I actually think NYC nightlife needs exclusivity. [Laughs.] I really do. I think you have to leave something up to the imagination. It would be fun to make things exclusive. Give the girls something to work for. I wanna see people really pump it and turn looks. Back in 2019, everything felt a bit more exclusive. You really had to show out if you wanted to turn some heads. Now people have stopped doing that. People rely on being hot and expect people to be obsessed with them. Sure, it works, but you have to offer something more. All the legends that came before us were giving us something that had never really been done before. That’s what made them so iconic. I don’t think we really have that right now. I feel like I’m one of the only people that’s really offering that right now. We need more of it! You have to do more in order to be more. 

BR: I completely agree. And I think it’s always been the dolls that have consistently been giving. 

AL: Yes. It’s always been the dolls, and obviously, the dolls will continue to give. But I really want more from everyone. You can’t just rely on a pretty face. If you have it, give it. You have to pump it. 

BR: In twenty years time, what do you hope to accomplish? 

AL: Oh my god. Period. In 20 years time, I will be 45. If I am not the iconic influential legend that I know I’m going to be, if I’m not that, then I’m currently in school right now for PR and would want to open up my own PR agency. I’m kind of doing the PR for myself now, so I’d love to do it for someone else. 

BR: I love that. It’s giving Samantha Jones.

AL: Exactly! I wanna be a mix of Samantha and Carrie. Just without Carrie’s judgment. 

BR: Right, we’ll leave her neuroticism at the door. [Laughs.] This is one of my favorite Warhol questions, “why can’t it just be magic all the time?”

AL: Exactly! What can’t it? That’s exactly what I was trying to say before about exclusivity. There needs to be more magic. I wanna see people really find their inner star power and show their magic to the world. Warhol was right. Why can’t there be more magic? 

*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and your viewing pleasure. 

Lensed by The Friend (@nonbinaryangel)

Styled by Aurora Luis (@fashionfaguette)

Photo Asst: Andy Roelofs (@andyxroo), Lunetta Green (@lunetta.pdf)