Helmut Lang As Seen By Jeremy Deller

"Mina Le, you say?" This fashion and culture commentator brings educational and thought-provoking content from the liking of your 15 by 17-inch laptop. Videos range from "The Curse of the Child Star" to "why don't clothes fit????" and regardless if she's discussing the dangers of confidence movements to Shirley Temple, you're engaged continuously. 

She's a glossary of books, film noir references, and much more. She deep dives into pop-cultural impacts on our society and how they influence each generation. In an interview, Mina Le spoke about her love of commentating and inspirations that delve back into the 20s through 50s. 

When did your love of fashion begin?

It’s a cliche, but since I was old enough to remember. My mom is a really fashionable woman – she used to design/sew her own clothes throughout college and had her own consignment store for a time before I was born as well. So, I’ve definitely been influenced by her magic as a little girl.

How would you describe your style as well as your influences? 

My style is ever shifting, but over the last few years, in the simplest terms, I would describe it as theatrical. I like to mix-and-match vintage pieces with contemporary pieces. For the vintage side: I’ve been really interested in 1920s/30s make-up, hair, and silhouettes. Part of the reason is that I love the costumey, naturally Tim Burton-esque style of silent films and I aspire to bring that Drama into my everyday look. I also think in general, I subconsciously gravitate towards silhouettes that flatter my body shape. I’m petite, don’t have much curve, with longer legs compared to my torso, so I prefer the boxy low-waist dresses of the 20s over the fit-and-flare shape of the 1950s. I’m also very influenced by historical fashions, so I have a few medieval-inspired headpieces, 18th century reproduction stays, chainmail accessories, and feather plumes that give an extra oomph to an otherwise “modern” outfit.

On your feed, you posted a photo with the caption, “Sofia Coppola cast me NOW” — if you were to be in a Coppola film, what should the genre be and what is the film about?

Hahaha. I love a period piece, so my preference is for a movie similar to Marie Antoinette (2006) or The Beguiled (2017), but I definitely wouldn’t complain if she casted me for something like The Bling Ring (2013)! What I like about Sofia’s work is that she’s very dedicated to the whimsy and struggles of the upper-class teenage girl. You can argue that it’s a boring or “problematic,” but it stems from her own upbringing, which to me, makes her work more authentic. I’ve been really into a 1920s/30s crime heiress concept (à la Chicago) and I think Miss Sofia would rock at doing it.

Are there any unpopular opinions that you haven’t shared on your channel?

I don’t know if I have an “unpopular opinion,” but I’ve been asked for a long time to discuss the ethics of Depop selling. To me, it’s a really complicated subject because I’ve heard both sides of the argument, but as someone who doesn’t “thrift” in the conventional sense (I mainly source from friends, buyers, and flea markets) or resell, I don’t know if I could do a proper job talking about it. In general, my policy is that if I feel under-informed or if I feel I can’t add to the discussion productively, then I don’t want to do a video on it. Maybe one day though!

What do you think is the best video you’ve ever made?

That’s hard. I don’t tend to rewatch my old videos because as prophet Sky Ferreira says, “Everything is Embarrassing.” Also, my production quality has gotten so much better since I’ve hired on a video editor to help me, and having extra hands has allowed me to put more thought in my script-writing too. So, probably every new release becomes my “best” video. But as for the one I had the most fun making, probably my Bridgerton Season 2 review!  

In your videos, you share so much knowledge about costume especially for period films and anything adjacent. Would you want to work in wardrobe for theater or for film in the future? 

I think it would be fun as a one-off project or to work as a consultant, but being a costume designer is a full-time job and as of now, I’m enjoying Youtube too much to put it on the back burner! 

Why do you think the concept of fashion is so controversial? 

I think, like any art form, there is a certain elitism with fashion. I see it a lot on Twitter where people act like their favorite designers are The Best designers and their favorite shows are the Only Good Shows. I guess because the way we dress ourselves is such a good indicator of who we are as people, a lot of people can get defensive over others disagreeing with them.

A follow up to that question— many people don’t understand why fashion is important or even what it is. What is a Mina Le definition of fashion?

So, I’ve read “Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body, and Culture,” which is edited by Valerie Steele, one of the most prominent fashion historians in the field. I usually take her word as gospel, and in the book, their definition of fashion is “the cultural construction of the embodied identity.” I really like this definition. Fashion is not “just clothes,” it’s culture, and that’s what I try to emphasize the most on my channel. When I do an aesthetic analysis video, I reflect on the history of the style and the cultural impact. Fashion tells us so much of who we are, who we were, and where we’re going.