Love First youth fashion show lifts Twin Cities youth voice and style
Rondo-rooted nonprofit Love First hosted its first youth fashion show, celebrating creativity, confidence, and community while highlighting programs that connect teens to college pathways, safety training, and leadership.
Love First, the Rondo-rooted nonprofit dedicated to empowering young people in the Twin Cities, held its first-ever youth fashion show this past weekend, a celebration of creativity, confidence and community. The event, part of Love First’s broader mission to “rebuild the village” around young people, brought together students, families, and community members to highlight the talents and potential of local youth.
Chauntyll Allen, founder of Love First, has spent two decades working in St. Paul Public Schools and 10 years in child protection, forming deep bonds with the students she supports. “We have to build this village,” she said. “Young people can’t rely on just two parents to find their path to success… It requires a coalition of organizations, a network of support, and opportunities to see what they can achieve.”
The fashion show was more than a showcase of clothing; it was a platform for self-expression and empowerment. “Being able to tell young people what they can be and what they can do gives them a whole different vision about success,” Allen explained. “Once they find their purpose, they no longer return to hustling or survival modes… They pursue their dreams.”
Satara Strong-Allen, Love First’s executive director, emphasized the importance of community investment and her own commitment. “Investing in Love First means investing in the school-to-success pipeline,” she said.
“Young people need folks who will believe in their brilliance and their ability to create their own success and futures. When you invest in this pipeline, you’re investing in mental, financial, educational and cultural stability for youth.”
The fashion cohort, one of the nonprofit’s newest initiatives, has already seen remarkable results. Strong-Allen shared that four young participants, who began with no prior fashion experience, now have headshots, modeling opportunities, and film experience. Two to three of them have been picked up by modeling agencies, and one will even travel to New York for further fashion opportunities.
Love First’s programming extends well beyond the fashion show. Its HBCU tour takes around 25 students each year to historically Black colleges and universities, exposing them to opportunities they might not otherwise experience.
The organization also runs youth-led community safety initiatives, including Narcan and Naloxone training programs across the Twin Cities, helping teens address challenges like opioid use in their neighborhoods. Additionally, the Glow and Grow after-school program provides Black girls with a safe, affirming space to develop resiliency, confidence, and leadership skills.
The fashion show featured student models and youth vendors, including high school graduates and local entrepreneurs, giving attendees a chance to support emerging talent while learning about Love First’s initiatives. “If Love First is thriving, the community will thrive,” Strong-Allen said. “You see revitalized communities, young people believing in themselves, and intergenerational healing replacing trauma.”
Supporters can donate monetary contributions, clothing for the community closet, or volunteer their time at lovefirsttc.org/donate, helping strengthen the village and ensure ongoing opportunities for local youth.
Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.