Beloved Utah fashion designer killed during ‘No Kings’ protest remembered as pillar of community

As tributes for Arthur Folasa Ah Loo pour in from across the globe, those at home in Utah are remembering the renowned fashion designer not only for his creations, but for what he meant to the community.

Utah Rep. Verona Mauga said she will miss her friend’s “heart, laughter, big smile and the way he cared for people.”

Ah Loo, known as “Afa” to friends and family, was shot and killed at Saturday’s “No Kings” protest in downtown Salt Lake City. Police said that Ah Loo was not the intended target of the gunshots, but was fatally wounded after a member of the protest’s “peacekeeping team” fired at another man, Arturo Gamboa, who police said was running into the crowd of protesters with a rifle drawn.

Mauga said her family and Ah Loo’s come from the same village in Samoa and both of their parents went to school together. Ah Loo, she said, often designed items for her.

“He did that for a lot of people and never accepted payment. He did it out of the kindness of his heart. That’s just who Afa was,” Mauga said. “He focused his energy and he centered everything around helping others and the community.”

Mauga, along with Rep. Jake Fitisemanu Jr., issued a statement in wake of Ah Loo’s death. Mauga also told The Salt Lake Tribune that his loss leaves a “gaping hole” in the tight-knit Pacific Islander and Polynesian community in Utah.

“He was so much to so many people, and him not being here, and that tragic loss is something that I think we’re going to be processing for a little while,” she said.

Take for example the NuaNua Collective, a local Pacific Islander LGBTQ+ community collective. The organization said in a statement that Ah Loo had volunteered his time to help dress NuaNua members participating in the Utah Pride Parade.

Ah Loo was born and raised in Samoa, in the villages of Lotopa and Falelima. He attended Brigham Young University-Hawaii and served a mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City. He lived in Clearfield and died at the age of 39, the day before Father’s Day. Ah Loo is survived by his wife, Laura, and his two children Vera and Isaac.

Ah Loo was a self-taught fashion designer and the first Samoan featured on season 17 of “Project Runway.” More recently, his creations were seen on the red carpet premiere for “Moana 2.”

According to Bravo, Ah Loo’s mother introduced him to the world of fashion. His first fashion project was creating a Sunday dress for his sister. One of his creations was even displayed at The Buckingham Palace in 2018 as part of The Commonwealth Fashion Exchange.

Ah Loo also co-founded the Creative Pacific Foundation, which helps support Pacific Islanders in the arts and brings workshops and education back to the islands.

Ben Powell, who co-founded the foundation alongside Ah Loo, said he will remember Ah Loo for his creative mind and his signature look — low key, casual, and always wearing his hat.

“The thing about Afa is, once you’ve had a signature dress by him, you want to get another one, because he just [had] that gift,” Powell said. “He understood your body. He listened to what you’re looking for. He wanted to kind of also get the character of who’s going to be wearing what he’s going to design.”

Auliʻi Cravalho, who made her acting debut in “Moana,” mourned Ah Loo’s death on Instagram, praising his creations as “powerful portrayals of Pacific culture.”

“I am still amazed to have worn his custom designs for the most significant event of my career; the world premiere of Moana 2,” she wrote.

Dave Derrick Jr., one of the co-directors of “Moana 2,” shared clips of Ah Loo at work via his Instagram stories. Derrick Jr. called Ah Loo a “pillar in the community” and a “passionate artist who spread joy.”

Powell said Ah Loo was “culturally in tune” with his designs — unafraid to incorporate his Samoan culture and the culture of America into his creations.

“Afa was quite an innovator in what he did, so he always wanted to make sure that he was at the next level of what he did,” Powell said.

In 2019, Ah Loo told The Tribune he liked to create “clothing for “any type of body, height, gender ... I design for anyone and everyone. It’s just who I am and I’m proud of it.”

Tributes continue to pour in for the late designer in wake of his sudden death. Ryan McDonald, a sports writer and editor at the Deseret News, tweeted that he served alongside Elder Ah Loo.

There are two separate GoFundMe’s for Ah Loo’s family — both made on behalf of his wife and family. As of Monday afternoon, over $212,000 has been raised.

Mauga, the state lawmaker, said that she wasn’t surprised that Ah Loo was at Saturday’s protest.

She said that Ah Loo often said things like “we have to be on the right side of history.”

“He said things like that because he recognized that we are lacking equity and equality in a lot of spaces and communities, and he always felt like people should be treated well and kind and good,” Mauga said.

“He cared about people, community, his neighbors,” she added. “He always talked about being on the right side of history, Afa marching was also being on the right side of history.”