All eyes were on Doja Cat when the rapper showed up to Schiaparelli’s spring/summer 2023 couture show last week. Dressed in a custom red gown by designer Danielle Roseberry, the star took the look to the next level by covering herself in 30,000 red crystals. The dramatic look, with beauty by Pat McGrath, begged for attention – and deliberately so. “I’m glad it got the attention it did, because everyone involved worked so hard to make it work,” says Doja. “It took a really, really long time to get ready for that one. It was something I have never done before – sure we have done crazy glam looks, but that one was a big jump.”
It wasn’t the only bold ensemble Doja wore in couture week. Taking in the new collections from Jean Paul Gaultier, Valentino, Viktor & Rolf and more, the musician saw an opportunity to take risks. “Couture week is all about experimentation and pushing boundaries,” says Doja. “That is the point of it, to me. Designers are showing the best of the best – pure art in fashion, which I love. I like making art in all forms of what I do.” Dojo’s go-to stylist, Brett Alan Nelson, was equally game to embrace the avant-garde. Though it’s nothing new for them. “I have dreamed of a client like [Doja] my whole entire career,” says Nelson. “We share a magical synergy where we both understand each other fully, and are both willing to take risks and try new things.”
While Doja’s Schiaparelli moment certainly kicked off couture week with a bang – “we set the bar high,” says Nelson – the pair went on to deliver some equally headline-making looks at the shows that followed. At Viktor & Rolf, Doja sported fake eyelashes as a beard and goatee. “I was able to have a bit of fun with my lashes,” says Doja. “They wanted lashes, so I gave them lashes.” At Valentino, Doja went sleek in a black minidress and overcoat. At Jean Paul Gaultier, she embraced colour in a sharp-shouldered cobalt-blue coat. The latter show, by Haider Ackermann, was a favourite of hers. “The details were so insane, and the production, from the music to the way the models interacted, was just so cool,” says Doja. “In every show there were pieces that I loved.”
With the Grammys coming up next, can we expect to see Doja wearing any of the couture creations she saw come down the catwalk? Nelson hints at the possibilities. “The details at Jean Paul Gaultier were absolutely insane,” he says. “There is also a photo of me with the biggest grin at the Viktor & Rolf show – they just have so much fun with fashion.” Whatever she ends up sporting on the red carpet, the rapper says we can look forward to something memorable. ”I’m just looking forward to bringing that level of art and creativity to my music and live show.”
Below, an exclusive closer look into Doja’s couture week.
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