Aazhia Rhy has had quite a year — unlike most of us, in a good way. The TLZ L'Femme designer not only dropped over 10 capsule collections, she's dressed a handful of celebrities, including R&B sister duo Chloe x Halle at the BET Awards [1] and Kylie Jenner (with her daughter Stormi!) for the cover of Vogue Czechoslovakia [2]. After cementing her position at the forefront of fashion's next generation, Rhy is now in full-on expansion mode for 2021. "Sometimes you don't realise everything you do because you're just going through the motions," she tells POPSUGAR.
Before launching her label, Rhy was a style icon in her own right. Known for sporting daring, early aughts-inspired outfits, the designer often served her own muse, and has been expressing herself through fashion from a young age. It was Rhy's sister, Janaé Rice, who first put fashion design on her radar after introducing her to the art of re-working clothes. "My looks were important to me," Rhy says with a laugh. "My dad would see me leave the house in Wranglers and a white T-shirt, but I'd have a Clueless[-inspired] outfit in my backpack: knee-highs, a plaid skirt, and hair stuff to match." The cult-favourite '90s film is a fitting favourite for Rhy, who has developed her own nostalgic aesthetic with her clothes.
The TLZ L'Femme look can be identified by experimental silhouettes, body-hugging fabrics, and sexy cutouts reminiscent of '90s It girls.
Inspired by everything from colours in a cartoon to old episodes of Soul Train, the TLZ L'Femme look can be identified by experimental silhouettes, body-hugging fabrics, and sexy cutouts reminiscent of '90s It girls. At the 2020 BET Awards last summer, Chloe x Halle's matching bralette tops in high-shine vinyl practically screamed "TLZ L'Femme" — and fans of the brands quickly took to Instagram to say as much.
Doubling down on Black female creativity, stylist Zerina Akers [3] amplified Chloe x Halle's high-fashion look with jewellery by Black-owned brand Jeblanc [4]. "It felt really empowering to know that we can stick together and create these special moments," Rhy says. "Because it's always a little nerve-wracking." Not to mention time-sensitive. Rhy reveals that she had just 24 hours to create Chloe x Halle's custom looks, a riff on pieces from TLZ L'Femme's then-upcoming spring collection.
Chloe x Halle in TLZ L'Femme at the 2020 BET Awards
