Adwoa Aboah is a trailblazer. Having soared to public recognition thanks to a career on the catwalk and fashion campaigns across the globe, and now as an actor, the 31-year-old British star has always used her public platform to help others struggling or simply seeking their own safe space online, which can sometimes be challenging.
After all, she knows from experience that achieving global success has not made her exempt from struggling with mental health. It's this awareness that has made Adwoa long understand that while she has come from a "privileged background" (her parents are both big players in the fashion industry) with resources at her fingertips, others haven't been as fortunate. Cue Gurls Talk, a community-led non-profit organisation which she founded in 2015, and has since proved to be a warm, welcoming place for young women to have the same options as she has had to optimise their well-being best.
And if that hasn't been enough, Adwoa has expertly combined her modelling career with her love of mental health advocacy as a Jo Malone London ambassador, a luxury lifestyle and beauty brand who have long worked to champion the wellbeing of their community with numerous charitable projects. Here, Adwoa Aboah talks exclusively to GLAMOUR about what she has achieved when it comes to dispelling the stigma surrounding mental health, as well as how her identity and coining of the word empowerment have changed for her over the years.
“No mother should be left behind to suffer in silence.”
Your Gurls Talk podcast is a safe space for young people to discuss their mental health. Did you have a similar podcast when you were growing up to talk about your feelings?
Not at all, which is one of the many reasons why I decided to start Gurls Talk back in 2015. I've always been in search of a community – one that I could share freely and would have the chance to hear someone speak from lived experience in a space where you were going to get the honest truth. And that's what we try and do at Gurls Talk. There will always be a backbone to these stories that is one of hope. I am also always trying to bridge the gap between storytelling, a lived experience, and academics. The thing is, I was like, I had no idea what was going on [growing up], and I come from a privileged background. So I was able, as the years went by, to search for professionals who could diagnose me, But lots of people don't have that chance. I know many self-diagnosed people, so it is also about that. It's like we're not about doing fluff. It's not about just some little Instagram caption that makes you feel good for five seconds. It's longevity.
We have so many resources than ever before, such as your Gurls Talk podcast. But do you feel like in the social media era that we live in now, there are still so many people struggling and a lot of disparity when it comes to women and people of colour being unable to have those resources available to them?
Of course, that's one of the biggest issues and one that is always important to make a note of when you're talking about mental health. Hence, the stuff I could access is completely different to many other people out there. Gurls Talk is always going to be free from the get-go. I've done my best to partner so that no one has to pay when they walk through the doors of Gurls Talk. You are given a meal, and you know that you're going to be looked after on that day. Because who knows how much people have spent from getting down to London or what they've done to get there to be in a safe space. I think it's always making sure that you keep that at the forefront of your mind.
How has the word empowerment changed for you growing up?
I don't think I knew about the word until that long ago. And I think I was talking about it in therapy the other day because it is a bit of a trendy word, isn't it? I do feel quite empowered at the moment, but I feel more content, actually, and that's quite empowering. I feel like I'm on the right journey, doing the right work on myself, and making the right decisions for myself as well. All that feels very empowering.
GLAMOUR: You've been a brand ambassador for Jo Malone London for over a year. How has this partnership been for you, and has it lived up to your expectations of what the brand stands for?
Adwoa: Yeah, that's a brilliant question! A hundred per cent [lived up to her expectation], and more so than a lot of partnerships that I've had in the past. There's so much more work to do, and I think we're both aware of that. This is just the beginning of our journey. Not the creative part, as I think we've already ticked the box in many ways on that front. But in regards to mental health, we've only just put our finger on certain areas. Going into this next year, we've got lots of plans. Obviously, the [relaunch of the Gurls Talk] podcast is going to come out, and they've backed that very kindly. What we've discussed is something more physical and tangible. We've done a lot of the talking, but now we are doing our work regarding advocacy, like how can we create something that stands the test of time?
How do you feel that they, as a brand, have championed their community and you personally as well?
One of the first events Jo Malone London ever did was one where we did a panel talk. We invited the community members, not only mine but also theirs. What was beautiful about that first moment, and one where I really realized that I was very excited about everything to come, was that it was split. The day after, we did the kind of press on the actual product, and then the day before, it was solely about mental health, and we invited different people to speak on that particular subject. And that was very different. I don't think many brands do that because you can say something very important, and you can send the right message out without it necessarily being tied to body lotion or perfume. Do you know what I mean? The two can sit beautifully next to each other, but I don't think they can intertwine. So it was really cool to see them do that and to be part of that.
In regards to them championing me, I just feel very looked after. I feel like my opinion is taken into account, and like you said, my identity is who I am as a person. I feel very proud to post anything I've done with Jo Malone London because it speaks to who I am as a person. It doesn't feel fraudulent. And when we're talking about mental health and when I'm partnered with a brand where I am bringing that side of my life into it, it does have to be like that. And the [relaunch of the Gurls Talk] podcast, you know what I mean, that's going to be really great. That comes out on October the 10th, and they've supported that this next season, so that's really exciting.
Lastly, when talking about championing people, how do you champion yourself now in a way you wouldn't previously have?
I think I'm just trying to sit in those accomplishments, that's how I'm trying to champion myself. I'm trying to sit more, not just move on to the next thing. That's what I mean about content. I was speaking to a best friend of mine yesterday, and she's like, "You seem like in a really good place." And I was like, as someone who suffers from mental health, I kind of just need to be in a good middle zone, not too down, not too overexcited. It's not mediocre, but it's just calm. I feel like that at the moment, and I'm just going to try and sit in that stillness and relish all the exciting things to come.
To learn more about Gurl's Talk, click here. For more information about Jo Malone London, click here.
