In Michael Kors’ first-ever street style campaign, The Walk, four stylish influencers from across the globe converge in New York to take the label’s all new handbags out for a spin. R&B singer-songwriter Solange Knowles hits the streets, with Tommy Ton training his expert lens on her. Joining her on the fall/winter 2016 campaign are models Soo Joo Park and Nina Agdal, Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark. We caught up with Knowles between shots:
Favourite place to visit in West Village… “Miss Lily’s, hands down. When I was 13 I visited Jamaica, and I’ve been back every year since, sometimes two or three times a year. The culture really left a mark on my soul, so much so that when I was in my teens I studied a lot of Rastafarianism philosophies and became a vegetarian for four years. I also adopted a lot of the stylistic components in my first album. Miss Lily’s reminds me of that time, and of the paradise Jamaica is. It’s a little slice of it right in Manhattan. The energy and music and vibe there are always right on.”
Favourite book you’ve read in the past year… “Claudia Rankine’s Citizen really blew my mind. A friend of mine in Marfa, Texas, who owns a bookstore there, gave it to me as an anniversary present and it is truly a beautiful, honest, and poignant book of poetry about black existence. I just lent it to a friend actually, but it’s the kind of book you want to read a few times to really let the words resonate.”
You take your style cues from… “So many people, places and experiences. Some of my style icons are Erykah Badu, Bjork, Kate Bush, Lauryn Hill, but I’m also inspired just as much by my friends. My friend Melina and Armina Mussa [artist and project manager for Saint Heron] have incredible style. It’s truly about the woman and what they reflect and represent and the magic they possess that inspires me stylistically.”
Artist who inspires you the most… I’m extremely inspired by the colours and textiles of Mark Rothko, Donald Judd, Toyin Odutola, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, the textures of Nick Cave sculptures—and the list goes on and on and on. Contemporary art shapes the way I see the world so much.”
Favourite place you’ve ever travelled to… “That’s impossible to answer! Each trip has such distinctive memories that are sketched into who I am and have become today. Some of my favourite trips were my honeymoon in Bahia, my 30th birthday in White Sands, New Mexico, Dakar Senegal, and sailing in Croatia. Travel is truly my passion. I grew up on the road as a dancer for Destiny’s Child, which really cultivated a nomadic spirit in me.”
Photographs: Tommy Ton
Flip through the gallery to check out the fall 2016 handbags and campaign
