By Simone Robinson
Staff Writer
Solange Knowles took the world by storm when she released her album A Seat At The Table — a musical celebration of black culture and experiences. The album cemented her at number one on the Billboard 200 charts and earned her, along with her sister Beyonce, a spot on the list of solo siblings to earn a top-selling album in the same year. Upon the album’s release, Solange has proven herself to be a musical genius whose words carry poetic and political messages.
She’s a force to be reckoned with in the field of fashion, too.
From her red carpet fits to her breathtaking music videos, it is evident that she is a style icon.
Her Aesthetic
Solange encompasses a harmonious blend of simplicity and innovation. She never fails to push boundaries by incorporating bold colors and Afro-centric prints, pairing the most opposing prints successfully.
In her recent music videos, “Don’t Touch My Hair” and “Cranes in the Sky,” she captured the essence of regal style by featuring soft colors and daring structures, which were created with household and natural materials such as foil paper, plastic bags and leaves.
She also celebrated black culture by reintroducing iconic styles from various eras, including finger waves, du-rags and tracksuits.
Her Hair
Solange has always been a trendsetter when it comes to natural hair, rocking ethnic styles from box braids and afros to twists.
As mentioned, she embraced the finger waves hairstyle in her “Don’t Touch My Hair” video, and shed light on iconic styles that have gone overlooked, such as sculptural braids, shown in the form of a futuristic halo, and braids adorned with cowrie shells.
Her Stylist
Shiona Turini, celebrity stylist and Bermuda native, is the face behind Solange’s most iconic music video and red-carpet looks, including the bright yellow ensemble she rocked at the Met Gala this year. In a recent interview with the New York Times, Shiona, who began working for Solange in 2012, revealed that unlike most celebrities, Solange doesn’t focus on brand names and high-end labels.
She noted that Solange loved proportions and typically gravitates toward young, emerging designers and students from Central Saint Martens.
