By Chinazam Ikechi-Uko.
“I am so excited for my first fashion show.” – Ayra Starr to Dazed.
On the Parisian tiles walking into a garden in the city of Bordeaux, known for its famed wine-growing region, with photographers speaking with uvular consonants, wearing a black latex bra reminiscent of the 1950s favourite Cone bra, which many now associate with Madonna thanks to her Blonde Ambition Tour; the shiny bra was paired with a black latex balloon skirt, the skirt was mini as lately, that has become her signature style, by her I mean Ayra Starr.
The art of casually pulling off a cone bra without looking costume-y was lost in the 60s and can be added to the list of crimes committed by Baby Boomers. However, it has remained a staple at runway shows, a rite of passage for fashion girls which was why it was the best choice for Ayra as she made her Paris Fashion Week debut for Balmain’s Fall-Winter 2024 (FW24) unveiling.
“An artist has no home in Europe except in Paris.”
– Friedrich Nietzsche.
Philosophy might have been Nietzsche’s choice of art but his words permeate the borders of all art forms, a shared sentiment for artists. In the world of fashion, there are four vital organs known as fashion capitals; New York, Milan, London and Paris, and to every fashion figure, Paris is the heart.
It is the most competitive city, it has birthed some of the biggest names in fashion along with their scandals. It is the city that contained the famous fashion Battle of Versailles; where Coco Chanel accused Christian Dior of being sexiest for making restrictive silhouettes; the Parisian press was Yves Saint Laurent’s favourite speed dial whenever a new arc in the tale of his frenemy situation with Karl Lagerfeld developed and vice versa; it was the city where Amy Winehouse barbecued a £15,000 Alexander McQueen dress… no that was London, but it was in Paris that Coco Chanel set Elsa Schiaparelli on fire.
“My denim faded but I rock it like a baby in a cot
I put the water in the ocean in the city that I’m from
I light the room in the dark ’cause my bling is a torch
I watched fashion die today in the mirror that I saw.”
– Lyrics from Fashion Killer by Ayra Starr.
So Ayra Starr kicking off her first international fashion week with Paris is a microcosm of the fashion industry accepting her as a global It girl. This comes after her covering Numero Netherland, Teen Vogue and GQ South Africa in 2023.
Magazine covers, brand deals and runway shows are the closest entertainers often get to being accepted by the fashion community; of course, there are exceptions such as capsule collections or even getting hired as a creative director.
For an artiste who has expressed admiration for fashion, including a song titled Fashion Killer, it is exhilarating that the community feels the same about her, especially since her style has been criticised by the local media.
It is important to note that while the local media has not necessarily been favourable towards Ayra’s style choices, the local fashion industry is ecstatic, as she began her 2023 sitting front row at Arise Fashion Week, Lagos, wearing Bianca Saunders. While the Arise Fashion Week might seem paler in comparison to Paris Fashion Week, only one city had Naomi Campbell opening multiple shows, and it was not the one known for baguettes.
Ayra Starr was officially invited by Olivier Rousteing (creative director of Balmain) to the Balmain FW24 show. The FW24 collection also marked a big day for the French brand as over fifty pieces from the brand’s Spring Summer 24 collection were stolen from a truck en route to the brand’s headquarters. The brand was forced to accept its loss and make do with what was left for its last runway show. So this year was the brand’s opportunity to showcase a full and well-planned collection.
Ayra Starr equally got the chance to meet the amazing designer who had requested she witness his comeback collection. In an interview before the show, she expressed how much she loved the designer and his ability to compliment the feminine silhouette.
Mr Rousteing was not the only designer adding Ayra to its guest list. Ibrahim Kamara who succeeds the late Virgil Abloh as the creative director of Off White, did the same. In another mini attire, this time a green dress with eyelets decorated around its bust, sleeves, neckline, hips, hemline and strategically, on the Y-shaped area of the low waist creating a Whale tail allusion.
“Whale tail is a term used to describe the appearance of a thong or G-string when it becomes visible above the waistband of a person’s pants, shorts, or skirt – kind of resembling a whale’s tail poking up out of the water.”- Marahlago.com
The whale tail was the biggest trend of the mid-2000s with renowned superstars such as Britney Spears, Victoria Beckham, Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera spotting them.
In her first Paris Fashion Week, Ayra has managed to reference two cultural defining moments while staying true to her signature, mini skirts. Music and fashion are focal parts of Ayra Starr, from wearing custom Mugler to the VMAs to song lyrics. We can’t wait to see her next step in fashion, maybe a campaign with Heaven by Marc Jacobs, after all, she seems to be obsessed with its Kiki Boots.
Ayra performing in the Marc Jacobs’ Kiki Boots.
