Rina Sawayama’s debut album, Sawayama, is one of the best pop records of the year. Equally as good? The Japanese-British singer’s style. Working with stylist Celia Arias, the star has cultivated a compelling look. She often supports smaller artists and collaborates with them on special, one-off pieces for her various projects. For her “XS” video, for instance, Sawayama and Arias worked with special effects designer Natasha Lawes on a custom “Swamp Creature” costume. (Monstrous, but stylish). Last night, the music also performed “XS” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon—and she had yet another distinctive fashion look to go with the smash single.
Working yet again with Arias, Sawayama wore an opulent ensemble that was equal parts retro- and fetish-inspired (an interesting combo, no less). For the latter inspo, Sawayama wore a red leather bodice and garter-style harness by Fleet Ilya, pairing the two pieces with a crystal-embellished latex bra by GCDS. For a more romantic and retro feel, the singer accessorized with floral-print leggings by IA London, a sustainable womenswear brand, and printed opera gloves from Rose Sanford-Phillips, a “nature-obsessed” designer. A decadent jeweled necklace by Vickisarge, a costume jewelry brand that also outfitted the Savage x Fenty shows, gave it a fabulously over-the-top feel, as did the crystal masks worn by her backup dancers, by British designer Magdalene Celeste. The whole visual feast proved that Sawayama is in a league of her own when it comes to performing and serving up a look. The fashion is a performance in itself.