Solange Knowles chats about her favorite L.A. stores, Tevas and more
Singer-songwriter Solange Knowles attends the Teva launch celebration of the 2016 Artist Series Collection at the Bold Room on April 19 in Los Angeles.
Solange Knowles wasn’t the only guest wearing sandals at Teva’s Tuesday celebration of their latest artist series collaboration. The artists themselves, Emily Hoy, Leah Duncan and the Jolby & Friends team, all wore sandals from the brand, as did many of the guests, most looking as if they arrived straight from their desert fun at Coachella.
And yet, Knowles managed to wear the sandals in the most striking way — pairing white Teva Original Universal shoes with Rachel Comey high-waisted jeans and a Milly blouse. The musician, style star, entrepreneur and, yes, sister of Beyoncé, spoke with us at the downtown Los Angeles event about her style, shopping in L.A., and her latest venture — not to mention how she’s influenced by the big theme of the Teva party — the art. It’s more fitting that a portion of the proceeds from this Teva collection goes to Los Angeles-based P.S. ARTS, the nonprofit devoted to supporting arts education in underserved schools and communities.
Here’s an excerpt from our chat with Knowles:
On Tevas: “A couple years ago, I performed at a festival in Baltimore and a bunch of my friends came. We were all laying out outfits, trying to be cute, and then one of my friends pulled out some Tevas. And I’m not going to lie, I was like, “Oh. OK, that’s a different approach.’ We were all in our cute little moments, but then four hours in, we were all in need of a seat, and she was still dancing away. ...
Teva Artist Series on display during the Teva launch celebration of the 2016 Artist Series Collection at the Bold Room on April 19 in Los Angeles.
“The second time, my friend Humberto [Leon of Opening Ceremony] told me they were doing a line with Teva and I was like, Oh! My friend just had them on, what’s going on here?’ He gave me a pair from the line, and they were adorable. That’s when I started rocking them.”
On the importance of being comfy: “I appreciate that fashion now has become about being practical and comfortable — women dressing for women, and to feel good about themselves, we’re all redefining sexy. This outfit has a nice silhouette and shape, but I’m also going to get on a plane in a few hours in this and still be comfortable.”
On her favorite L.A. shops: “Creatures of Comfort – I was debating between a Creatures of Comfort look and this one tonight! And my friend has an incredible store called Collection. She specializes in vintage denim. Before, I did not vibe with jeans, as crazy as that sounds. But hers are all worn in and perfect. Opening Ceremony, of course – I really love the L.A. store. My son comes with me and runs up and down the building. Mohawk General Store in Silver Lake – they have really great stuff. And then the Underground Museum – they have a gift shop in the front with all these incredible pieces they import from West Africa – books, vinyl. It’s all really great.”
On the power of color: “I have a cultural brand called Saint Heron. We focus on furthering the conversation about diversity and black artistry. We opened an online shop, and the foundation of it all is color. I was so inspired by all the color in New Orleans and how we can all emote and express ourselves through color.”
On art and style: “Art is a major, major source of inspiration. I definitely had an era of my life where I felt really connected to my African roots and wanted to express myself at my most natural state. I found art to be a huge source of influence. The artist and photographer Malick Sidibé, who just passed away, had a huge impact on my style through his use of prints and textiles. Same for the work of Philip Kwame Apagya, an African photographer.”
