Rei Ami Has Faith in Herself

I arrived at Hotel Indigo in downtown Los Angeles at 9AM (yes, early indeed) where Rei was already in her chair, iced coffee in hand, as her team worked on her glam look for the big night. As Chloe Forbes worked on her clean but elegant glam, Darren Hau made sure her bangs were looking sharp. Meanwhile, Sreynin Peng worked on an abstract wave nail design which featured a touch of gold.

As glam was underway, I took some time to chat with wardrobe stylist and creative director Ayumi Perry who worked closely with Ami on her one of a kind Grammys Look.

Custom designed by New York based fashion designer Guvanch, inspired by the Korean national flower Mu Kung Hwa, the look is an homage to Korea and Ami’s heritage. Sketched in less than 24 hours, and assembled over the span of 10 days, the intricate leather woven white gown is a representation of the resilience and history of Koreans. “We’ve always worked hard and showed up no matter the circumstances or challenges” Ami tells me. The mix of the durability of leather and the lightness of the feathers plays heavily on duality, thoughtfully thought out to represent Ami’s massive time of transition in this stage of her career and to pay homage to the film and her heritage.

When asked what detail of the dress excites her the most, Ami immediately blurted out “THE BACK”. Featuring detailed metal work, the back incorporates a beautiful feather flower attached to a metal spine-like piece that falls gracefully down the back on a soft cushioned piece. Once again a play on hard and soft duality.

The final look really embodies Rei Ami for who she is, incorporating elements from her heritage, her career, her role in K-Pop Demon Hunters and everything that’s to come. Below we quickly caught up with Ami before she jumped in the car for her big night:

This is your first Grammys, what was the first thing that went through your mind when you found out you were nominated for 3 awards?

Oh My God, I blacked out… I was on zoom with Audrey and Ejae because we obviously wanted to find out the news together - and I was screaming and crying. The first nomination was fucking insane and I was just stocked. And then we were nominated for another category and it hit me like a truck, and then the third category was an 18 wheeler hitting me with joy. It was all very crazy and I experienced so many emotions that I was just crying and laughing.

What moment are you most excited or nervous for tonight?

Well I’m really excited to hopefully be able to take home a Grammy, I think that’s obvious. Am I nervous? I really think that anytime you do something for the first time you’re always going to have some kind of anxiety or nerves because you never know what’s going to happen. The anxiety of it is like a fear of something not having happened yet. I’m definitely feeling a bit nervous but I think it’ll quickly dissipate and I’ll be very present and in the moment.

Tell me a bit more about your look.

So, it’s a custom look by Guvanch and it was initially inspired by the National Flower of Korea called Mu Kung Hwa which represents resilience. The flower is very representative of Korea and our people and who we are - we’ve always worked hard and showed up no matter the circumstances or challenges. Me and my stylist Ayumi thought of playing with duality to incorporate this massive time of transition in my career and also pay homage to the movie. We thought a combination of airy feathers and durable leather would be very beautiful and of course Guvanch, the visionary that he is, made it work.

Which part of the look are you most excited about, is there a detail you’re obsessed with?

The back!! There’s a beautiful feather flower attached to this metal worked spine that falls down the back and lands on this cushion like portion. I feel like overall you get lost in the look trying to find all the details.

Do you think we see a bit of Zoey shine through this look?

Oh yeah, she’s the queen of the caw-caw so I was like “why don’t we add some feathers?”

What has it taken you to mentally prepare for tonight?

Obviously trying to rest as much as possible and to hydrate. But also having an incredible team aside me, my sister, and friends. Having peers that you really respect and can trust surround you means you can really lean on them. The girls (Ejae and Audrey) have also been such a rock throughout this entire process - anytime I feel any kind of anxiety I literally look to them and immediately feel better. So overall mental preparation, lots of sleep, lots of trust, lots of water and face masks.

Does being at the Grammys tonight change how you see your own artistry?

Oh, absolutely. Things I thought were so far away came at me so fast. In a way I feel like I never predicted it. But for it to happen to this level, I worked my ass off for this shit. I have full faith in myself and as long as I continue to work hard, it will all present itself the way it has. I just need to fucking show up at that door and that door will open and being here is another testament to that and being resilient and working hard. This is just the beginning.

Who are you most excited to see perform tonight?

Probably Lady Gaga because I didn’t actually get to see her perform at the VMA’s. I think they had me backstage for some reason, like why would they put us backstage when Lady Gaga was fucking performing…. (laughs)

Are you hoping to run into anyone?

I’m hoping I get to run into Zara Larsson and tell her she’s a fucking triple threat. She’s the baddest bitch alive right now and she’s killing it.

What’s next for Rei Ami?

Lots of sleep and rest. But honestly, I’m finishing my album and making it the best album.

Styling: Ayumi Perry

Hair: Darren Hau

Makeup: Chloe Forbes

Manicure: Sreynin Peng

Story and Photography by Vincenzo Dimino