For the first time since 1999, Alexander McQueen took to New York City to present their Fall/Winter 2022 collection. Naturally, the brand brought together an eclectic creative community of fashion industry insiders and celebrities.

Among the crowd was Selah, a Brooklyn-based artist and musician making waves in fashion for years now. Fashion and music run in her blood – the daughter of Lauryn Hill and granddaughter of Bob Marley grew up exposed to levels of music and style that most only see from afar. Still, Marley is forging her own path – with the release of her EP Star Power last year, she is carving out her own name amongst a new generation.

Ahead of designer Sarah Burton’s collection, we got ready with the style star at her Brooklyn abode to hear more about her fashion inspiration and new music.

Tell us about your look. What inspired tonight’s outfit?

To the McQueen show, I wore this pale yellow tulle corseted gown and it was absolutely beautiful. I love how the color bounced off of my complexion in the golden sunset! I felt like Belle from Beauty & the Beast. We chose this look because the day prior, I went to the McQueen studio to fit for the show; in which, I worked with the McQueen team and my multi-faceted hairstylist, Raheem, to choose a look for the show. We quite honestly played dress up for hours. It was actually extremely hard to choose! We tried on a denim gown, a white Oxford dress, another pale yellow mini dress, amongst a few other looks and couldn’t help but feel compelled towards this pale yellow gown. The McQueen team really loved this one and interestingly enough, it was the first piece I noticed when I first walked in. I think it was just made for me! I felt so regal in it, but I love how we punk’d it up with the buckled combat boots & leather trenchcoat. It really added a layer of edge & modernity that created the look’s necessary complexity. Overall, I genuinely enjoyed being a part of this dress’ creative process & I’m elated that the McQueen team enjoyed me in this look as much as I did!

At the show, I spoke to Alice, one of the ladies on the design team, and she told me that the skirt and bows were hand-dyed to match the color of the corset, as well as the fact that the pleats on the skirt were hand-stitched, to which I was absolutely blown away! That type of attention to detail, care and consideration to the architecture of this design is what makes it so phenomenal.

What is it that draws you to the Alexander McQueen brand? 

I’ve always been drawn to structured silhouettes & I think that’s something Alexander McQueen has absolutely mastered. Not to mention, I’m absolutely obsessed with the fashion of the Victorian and Edwardian eras, which I think has always been a key stylistic facet of this fashion house. I love the drama of the high waistlines and bell-shaped skirts, as it just creates this feeling of enchantment and formality. What’s so amazing though, is how the atelier adds these layers of complexity with dope graphics, prints, patterns, textures, and details that pull you into the future whilst the silhouettes keep you reminiscent, even nostalgic of a past epoch. Alexander McQueen has always been masterful at striking that perfect balance between the past & the future & it’s beautifully represented in both the architecture & design of each collection. I can’t help but be in awe.

How would you describe your personal style? 

I’d describe myself as a chameleon. I love to jump into different characters stylistically. I even love to use my style to channel different time periods—dare I call it cosplay! I think fashion is a form of cosplay when done well. Using your body and its protective garments as a form of artistic expression is a ravishing experience that I enjoy indulging in. For me, I have no bounds when it comes to expression! Over the course of my life, I’ve seen myself go through an infinity of phases with my personal style that I think is continuing to form and evolve; so I find it quite difficult to put a title on it.

I’ll also note that my style is absolutely informed by a mixture of my imagination and world culture! So many times have I been inspired by cinema and architecture and sound and engineering and I find that fashion design fits right into this world as a facet of the larger experience! When you think of Parisian streets, what do you imagine yourself wearing? When you think of the Congolese river, what do you imagine yourself swimming in? Are you wearing anything at all? Even that possesses a level of artistic design because the body is art itself! I find adorning the body to be a sacred process that exists as a form of subconscious expression going far beyond words can behold. I’m just a vessel for that experience.

Do you have any getting ready rituals? How do you prep before a big night out?

For me, it’s extremely important that I’m able to enter a state of zen before any impactful event, so I like to start by carving out a few hours for preparation. For me, my body is a temple; so, I can’t help but take my time when caring for myself. I need to go through the entire process of properly washing and moisturizing my face and body before I can even look at an article of clothing. Once that’s done, if it’s a big event, hair and makeup may arrive and I’ll welcome them into my home & get to know them a bit before we start discussing creative. Once we feel nicely connected, I’ll show them the potential looks and a few starting references, to which they’ll bounce back with a few complimentary ideas that’ll help see the full vision come to life. Once we’ve landed on an idea we’re both pleased with, we jump into our glam session!

I have to say glam is a meditative experience in and of itself. We start with priming and prepping and then jump right into definitive styling—in this case, it was a strong black reconstructed cat eye with a curly updo! It took a lot of refining & tweaking, but in the end, we definitely left with something the whole team loved. After hair and makeup is done, I’ll jump into the look and off we go! Oh and if I have enough time, I’ll have a snack and tea in the process and I can’t help but mention how necessary it is to have music playing in the meantime. For me, I may create a playlist or play my own tunes—probably both!—just to really keep the ambience sweet. This time I was listening to my new single that’s coming out in the next couple of days entitled “Safety” and a couple of my other unreleased songs!

What was your favorite part of the show?

It’s honestly so hard to choose! I really loved getting to view the show, but I also deeply enjoyed connecting with the designer [Sarah Burton] and the entire team at Alexander McQueen. Getting to know the background story of each piece and really working with the team on constructing my look really made me feel like I was a part of the entire experience. I was blown away by the overall concept of this collection as well as each detail that went into the design and artistry, and I think it’s quite visible when you look at the clothes. Not to mention the modernity of the set design creates an almost opposing force between the set & the collection, which almost feels visceral! It leaves me in awe.

Talent: Selah

Photographer: Mike Vitelli for BFA

Brand: Alexander McQueen 

Talent PR: Ketia Jeune

Hair: Raheem Robinson

Makeup: Carolina DaIi

Styling Assistant: Raheem Robinson & Team @ Alexander McQueen