TikTok Star Maha Gondal Lands Her First Fashion Campaign With Coach

It’s no surprise that TikTok is taking over the fashion world. From setting style trends to sitting front row at runway shows, the platform’s best-dressed users are the influencers to watch (and follow) at the moment. They’re garnering coveted industry gigs, too, and Maha Gondal is the latest TikToker to land her first-ever fashion campaign with Coach to debut its new collaboration with Champion. The partnership between the two heritage brands will feature a limited-edition collection of apparel and leather bags, showcasing Champion’s signature C-logo and Coach’s storypatch symbol.

Toronto-based Gondal, also known as @moxeb, joined TikTok in June of last year and has already amassed a loyal following (109.3K and counting) for her fashion-forward modest style, which she shows off in her videos, sometimes alongside her friend and fellow TikToker Nemah Hasan. For Coach’s campaign with Champion, Gondal joins another fashion TikToker Wisdom Kaye, model Paloma Elsseser, and singer and actor Jeffrey Tung.

“This was my first time doing a Zoom shoot, since most of the creative team was present virtually, while I was on set,” Gondal tells NYLON as she recalls shooting the campaign, which was photographed and directed by Alessando Simonetti. “The Coach team managed to do all of this remotely, which was honestly so impressive. Overall, I had a lot of fun on set and met a lot of great people that are from my city.”

Ahead, we caught up with Gondal about the TikTok challenges behind the Coach x Champion campaign, her fashion tips for modest style, and what’s inspiring her to get dressed right now. Read on for more and check out the rest of her campaign shoot, below.

The Coach x Champion collaboration comes with a few TikTok challenges, as well. Can you tell us a bit more about them?

I did two "How to Coach a Champion" challenges. One was the Uniform Challenge, which was basically a quick change of several of my favorite Coach x Champion looks. I had so much fun doing that because I styled all the pieces in my own unique way. And the second was a free-throw challenge, which was to toss a lipstick into my purse from across the room. Let me just say, it took a few tries until the lipstick landed in my bag. But I think, overall, the Lipstick Challenge is something new that TikTok hasn't seen yet, so it might become a trend and go viral.

Do you have any favorite pieces from the Coach x Champion collection?

I absolutely love the red sweater I wore on the campaign shoot and I'm waiting until it comes out. I styled that with leather trousers and slides, just keeping it very simple and minimalistic. I had my hair down and paired it with gold jewelry. I think it was a chill, nice outfit, especially during these times where we really like to dress in the most comfortable way that we possibly can.

Do you have any early fashion memories of Coach?

I was born and raised in Pakistan and back in South Asia, Coach has a really, really big presence. I remember my mom owning several Coach bags back in the day, which I think she still does have. Honestly, it's a luxury to own a Coach bag in a third world country. And it still has a very big presence in Asia.

How does it feel to grow such a large following for your personal style since joining TikTok?

I joined TikTok back in June 2020 when COVID restrictions had me really uninspired and limited. I honestly just wanted to get up and get dressed even if it was just to create videos or take pictures. So I started creating fun fashion TikToks to pass time during the pandemic and here we are! In a way, TikTok really did inspire me again to just experiment and get creative, so honestly, it played a huge part for me in 2020 to just feel inspired again.

Are there certain pieces that you’re really loving at the moment?

I'm currently loving anything that elevates loungewear because I like getting dressed even if I'm going to the post office. I think that's a big key for me — elevated loungewear — I love that. And you'll see some of those pieces with Champion x Coach, as well, where it's all about being comfortable in whatever you're wearing.

What are your top styling tips for those who want to make their modest style more fashion-forward?

My biggest thing is layering. I love to layer and that's what I usually recommend for anyone who wants to dress modestly. Another big tip is to mix patterns and textures — that makes a huge, huge difference when it comes to dressing modestly. And just have fun with it because fashion should never be taken too seriously. Experiment with the pieces that you already have in your closet, play around with it. That will help you better understand what you like and what you don't like.

Being mostly at home for the past year has most likely put people in a fashion or style rut. What advice do you have for them when it comes to getting dressed?

My advice would be that it's a new year, we made it to 2021, so let's clean up those closets and start fresh. Change your look even if it’s just as simple as dyeing your hair or getting a new haircut. I think that most definitely inspires the person. Put together your favorite pieces and create outfits that will push you to get up and get ready. Just have the outfits ready, so whenever you go into your closet, you have something to work with. And lastly, allow yourself to experiment and let this pandemic be your inspiration to reinvent yourself.

What's inspiring you right now when it comes to getting dressed?

What's inspiring me right now is the upcoming fashion week and fashion shows. I'm filming the new TikTok challenge “What I Would Wear to the Front Row” and that really inspired me to really get creative with the stuff that I already own in my closet.

Visit Coach's website for more on the Coach x Champion collaboration.