From the recording studio to the runway, New York Fashion Week sets the stage for some of music's best and brightest to strut their stuff. Jersey queen (and 2022 PAPERcover star) Coi Leray hopped across the water to make her own mark on fashion's busiest week for the second year in a row.
Best known for her hyper-active cocky and raunchy raps, Leray flexed her versatility on the catwalk and the streets. She made her walking debut on The Blonds runway and served a sexy Y2K look in a bedazzled tube top and matching jeans decked in bling, paying homage to the effortless swagger of early icons such as Eve and Aaliyah.
Related | The Evolution of Coi Leray
Always down for a bare midriff moment, Leray also donned a number of outfits for her packed Fashion Week schedule, ranging from plunging ruffled bodysuits accented with her eye-catching name chain to an all-pink number complete with some furry boots that would make T-Pain do a double take.
The rapper's career has exploded even more since PAPER covered her NYFW debut in 2021, so it's only right that we teamed up once more for a look at Leray's jam-packed return, and the looks that defined it.
On her overall experience this season:
My NYFW experience was epic. I pulled off so many trendsetting looks that I was excited to wear and really show off my personality. Plus, I walked in the fashion show for The Blondes.
On her biggest highlights:
A highlight for me was the iconic slow motion walk that Saucy Santana and I did after the Area fashion show. It went viral and lit up the internet. We looked so good. I bumped into him a ton during New York Fashion Week and it’s always a moment when we link up.
"I love that I’m not boxed into one thing."
On her favorite looks:
My favorite looks included the vibrant Marni outfit, the tom boy-inspired Luar outfit and the fresh off the runway Coach outfit. I think that one was really unexpected for my fans. Everything I wore showed off my versatility. I love that I’m not boxed into one thing.
On walking The Blonds:
For The Blonds show, I was nervous because I never walked before in a fashion show. The pants I wore had chains all over them that made it hard for me to walk with heels, but I prayed and did the best I can. It came out great.
Photography: @directedbyrj