Tyla, Tems and Six Other African Artists With Fashion Collaborations
Music and fashion are always in conversation. Now more than ever, the sartorial choices artists make aren’t just for aesthetic purposes, there are also personality representations and brand implications to consider. It’s the effect of music further intertwining with style choices, on both niche and wider scales. Since popular artists can serve as influential figures, collaborations with fashion brands are now regular fixtures.
This week, South African Grammy winner Tyla was unveiled as the face of Gap’s new Spring 2024 campaign, which centers a new linen collection. In the ad video for the campaign, Tyla is in a pair of beige cargo pants and a matching linen crop, as she glides around in a choreographed set, along with dancers styled in fits from the new collection. The dancing in the video is aptly soundtracked by British electronic band Jungle’s “Back on 74,” a viral TikTok hit that also circulated around the same time as Tyla’s Grammy-winning smash, “Water,” which the newly-minted Grammy winner has re-imagined.
In her new look and slicker dance moves, the Gap collab is a markedly different look from the shinier outfits and vigorous dance steps that have been Tyla’s trademark during her breakout year. “I’m excited for my fans to see me do a new type of dance where I’m styled in comfortable clothes with my own personal touches,” Tyla said. “It was really fun—a true celebration of music, fashion and dance.”
For the singer and dancer, collaborating with an American fashion brand and shopping mall retailer is the latest achievement on her ascent to global superstardom. Zooming out wider, these are the sort of large-scale music-fashion collaborations that have been a part of African music in recent years. In addition to Tyla, below are seven more times African artists have collaborated with global fashion brands.
Burna Boy x Burberry
For its Holiday 2022 campaign, luxury British brand Burberry brought on Burna Boy as one of the faces — alongside Latin pop superstar Shakira — in its holiday 2022 campaign. Tagged “The Night Before,” the short film for the campaign showed Burna Boy in three different looks, including a signature jacket with Burberry prints and angel wings. The collaboration has extended beyond that campaign, with Burna Boy attending the 2023 Met Gala in a custom Burberry fit, and he also graced the Burberry fashion show in London last September.
K.O x Asics
Image from Asics website.
K.O poses in a promotional shoot for his collaboration with Asics for the launch of ASICSTIGER in Africa.
Skhanda rap pioneer K.O has never been caught unfresh a day in his life. The South African artist consistently pairs his powers as a rap hit-maker with an impeccable sense of style, evident in his glossy music video. That made his collaboration with Japanese sportswear brand Asics, back in 2018, particularly appropriate. Looking to expand into Africa’s apparel market with its lifestyle brand, ASICSTIGER, Asics collaborated with K.O to roll out the line of athleisure wear. With an eye on widening his influence and legacy, K.O commented at the time that, “this is something that for the first time in my career that I felt made sense.”
Rema x Jumpman
During the 2023 NBA All-Star festivities in Utah, Rema was one of the three who performed at the Afrobeats-themed halftime live show in the All-Star game. It was a massive jump from the 2020 All-Star weekend where he performed in one of the smaller club events. Furthering his relationship with American basketball, the singer was one of the brand ambassadors for the release of the Jumpman 2023, appearing in its ad video alongside NBA superstar Luka Doncic and American R&B star Luka Doncic. “I’m now with the Jordan family at age 23, the irony,” he wrote in an X post last November, referencing the iconic jersey number of Air Jordan founder Michael Jordan.
Tems x Tommy Hilfiger
It’s almost impossible to grow up and live in Nigeria without knowing Tommy Hilfiger. The American fashion brand and retailer is synonymous with jeans wear, to the point where it continues to be consistently knocked off. “I don’t know when I first got introduced to Tommy precisely, but I do know it was definitely in my teenage years — probably high school,” Tems told Hypebeast on her early relationship with the brand. For Tommy Jeans’ Fall/Winter Campaign in early 2022, Tems was its ambassador, central to the “Play to Progress” theme. In the campaign photos, she also brought along the skateboarding company WAFFLESNCREAM, as well as artists Lady Donli and Dami Oniru.
Davido x Puma
Amongst his many traits, a defining element of his superstardom is Davido’s unwavering, loud commitment to his brand partners. Amidst Kanye West’s recent tirade on his relationship with Adidas, Davido suggested in an Instagram post that Ye should cross over to Puma, the sportswear and lifestyle company he’s currently partnered with. In 2022, the singer unveiled the Puma x Davido collection, named after his signature quip, “We Rise by Lifting Others.” In retail since then, the collection features custom-designed tees, jackets, shorts, pants, a reversible bucket hat and a cap.
Nasty C x G-Star RAW
Nasty C always shows up with impeccable swagger, which is what made him a great showcase candidate for G-Star RAW’s Exclusives collection in 2022. Premiered via GQ South Africa, the collection is, “literally the brand’s most definitive, premium offering in terms of quality, innovative fabrication and design aesthetic.” Also, with the primarily denim company’s long relationship with hip-hop culture, tapping one of the biggest rap superstars in Africa was perfect alignment for a collection that nods to G-Star RAW’s past while, “making progressive strides towards the future.”
Wizkid x Nike
It took all of 10 minutes for Wizkid’s signature “StarBoy” jersey to sell out after its release in selected Nike Stores—but you’re still likely to see knockoffs hanging in stalls in Lagos. Released in September 2018, this was the second collaboration between the singer and the athletic apparel behemoth. Earlier in the year, he helped model the jersey for Nigeria’s national football team ahead of the World Cup, which was also a much-coveted, eventually sold-out item upon release. Paying homage to his roots, the StarBoy jersey had “Surulere,” the part of Lagos where Wiz grew up, inscribed at the back. Sold for $64 at retail, the rapid sell-out rate proved that Afrobeats stars had viable power from a growing diaspora and global audience.