DJ And Producer Lauren ‘Kittens’ Abedini On Style, Identity And Queer Culture
To celebrate Pride Month, DJ and producer LAUREN ‘KITTENS’ ABEDINI speaks to AMELIA ABRAHAM about her coming-out journey, the evolution of her style, and what queer visibility means to her
Ask Iranian-American, LA-based DJ and producer Lauren Abedini – aka Kittens – what Pride means to her, and the answer comes quickly: “Having the bravery to continue being yourself when society tells you not to be.” It’s an ethos that resonates when LGBTQ+ people around the world continue to fight for acceptance, and one that does not just apply to Abedini’s queer identity, but to her decade-long music career and sense of personal style.
As a female DJ in the male-dominated world of electronic music, Abedini has carved out a reputation for dropping hip-hop and trap alongside future beats on the club and festival circuit. While her career has been supported by Usher, who spotted her opening for Kid Cudi and became a mentor, Abedini’s passion is encouraging more women into DJing through PWR, the all-female DJ workshop she created in 2017. By proudly owning the labels of lesbian and woman of color, she acts as a symbol to those who see themselves in her when she’s on stage or candidly sharing pieces of her life on social media or her podcast, She/Her/They.
As for her style, growing up in LA has shaped a laid-back approach to dressing. Pair that with a busy schedule and Abedini has honed a uniform she can rely on when she’s on the road; one that leans on items from her favorite designers Balenciaga and Rick Owens – a nod to her love of alternative subcultures as a teenager. Here, Abedini opens up about how her coming-out journey played out alongside the evolution of her style, as well as why queer visibility is so important.
“I used to dress to try to fit in, but then slowly began to mix in things that felt more like me
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When did you know you wanted to work in music?
At club nights, I was around DJs and producers. I ended up buying turntables and a mixer. Then, in 2011, I was in a car accident and wasn’t able to get out of bed for weeks. It hit me that I was not where I was meant to be. I ended up getting a job at a big nightclub, a huge bottle-service spot. My boss heard that I’d been DJing at smaller lesbian clubs and said, “Let’s get you opening”. I became Kittens in 2013. There was a viral video of cute kittens on a turntable that everyone was sending me because I love cats. I was risky with [track] selections and I was playing things that weren’t so feminine, so the name felt like a good contrast.
Does that sense of contrast play out in your personal style?
Yes – I’ve never been someone who stays in one lane, always dancing between what felt right and what was expected. In the DJ world, we say “Two for you, one for me” – if I’m playing to a room that doesn’t ‘get’ me fully, I’ll play a few tracks I know they’ll vibe with then throw something in – something that I love to educate or challenge them. It’s been the same for style; I used to dress to try to fit in, but then slowly began to mix in things that felt more like me. At this point, I’d say I dress “two for me one for you”. If I’m wearing all baggy clothes, I’ll have my makeup done and wear more jewelry to give a masculine outfit a sense of femininity. If I’m wearing a smaller piece, like a tank top or crop top, I’ll wear an oversized or leather jacket or chunky boots.
Are there brands you feel more comfortable in?
I really like Rick Owens. Color is a big thing; I don’t wear much of it. For me, wearing white is spicy! With Rick Owens, everything is simple yet interesting. I like how the brand plays with silhouettes and fabrics, and that no matter how things are worn or paired, I feel sexy but beautiful in a nonperformative way. It’s like a uniform.
I love my Saint Laurent and Loewe bags, and vintage Gucci and Fendi sunglasses. I feel like I’m constantly acquiring a new pair of cat-eye or chunky rectangle frames because I can dress up some jeans and a plain white tank easily with them.
How does your uniform vary from daywear to when you’re performing?
I’m such a uniform person because I have ADHD and a massive closet. Making decisions can be taxing and distracting, so I wear the same three outfits in different forms. I have so many pairs of jeans, especially low-slung baggy jeans, and I subscribe to the queer white-tank-top stereotype [laughs]. I wear that every day at home with black Calvin Klein boxers. At night or when I’m performing, I’ll wear the same thing as during the day but make it either leather or sheer.
White tank tops and leather feel like references to lesbian and queer culture – have those cultures informed your style?
Definitely. In college, I studied queer and feminist theory and I feel like learning about gender as a construct and the male gaze helped me think about the way I dress critically. It helped me embrace that as long as I feel good in something, that’s all that matters.
Being queer to me is all about learning that you don’t have to do things to impress other people, as long as you’re confident in it and being authentic to yourself.
Your podcast She/Her/They touches on these subjects too – can you tell us about it?
It started because I made a playlist of queer female and gender-expansive artists for Pride – based not on genre but identity. I knew a lot of these people personally and wanted to take the conversations we had in person and put them online. How did you find the courage to be yourself? How did you come to terms with your queer identity or gender-minority identity? How does your art and creativity tie into that?
I hope that when kids from small towns hear Syd from The Internet, Demi Lovato or Kehlani talking about what they’ve struggled with, expectations-wise or insecurity-wise, it permits them to keep going.
You’ve said that being honest and intersectional is important to you – why?
I have a lot of people reaching out to me from Middle Eastern or Arab backgrounds, saying: “There’s no one I see in our community representing us and it means a lot.” They will share things with me they don’t feel comfortable sharing in their town, family, or social circles. It’s important to me to be open about my identity if it gives people a little empowerment and a push to be less concerned about what others think, because ultimately, they will be happier.