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cargo pant or baggy jean is
always a part of my uniform
with a tank. Recently I’ve also
been into the color orange.
ESSENCE: What labels are
you loving right now?
MAY: You’ll find me in Chanel,
Rick Owens, Maison Margiela,
Murder Bravado and vintage
sportswear. Samuel Ross of
A-Cold-Wall, Yoon Ahn of
Ambush and Nicolas Ghesquière
of Louis Vuitton are some of my
favorite designers. They all push
boundaries, whether it’s [find-
ing] new ways to look at utilitar-
ian clothing or challenging the
modern woman’s aesthetic.
ESSENCE: What’s your
all-time favorite fit?
MAY: The look that I wore
to Virgil Abloh’s first Louis
Vuitton show—a vintage
Celine blouse and Stella
McCartney pants that I cut, paired with my second Jordan
1 collab and Louis Vuitton Bindi sunglasses. It was a special
moment for Virgil entering his position at Louis Vuitton’s
menswear division, because he was the first person of color
[to do so] and someone from the streetwear community.
That showed any kid he or she can do the same.
The influencer and shoe designer talks about being the second woman
to collaborate with Jordan and the secret to serving flawless fits
BY NANDI HOWARD
S
treet-style darling Aleali
May epitomizes the cool-
girl aesthetic. Effort-
lessly walking the line be-
tween sexy and sporty, the
Cali native has a sneaker
game that’s so strong that
Jordan tapped her to de-
sign a pair of exclusive kicks
in 2017—a history-making
move for the Nike–owned
brand. Two drops later, May
remains a front-row staple
at top runway shows. Call it
kismet that the fashionista’s
moniker (pronounced Uh-
lay-lee) bears such similarity
to R&B style icon Aaliyah’s.
The late singer is the self-
professed tomboy’s fashion
idol. Read our exclusive sit-
down with the sartorial star
and take a look at her cov-
eted Jordan collabs below.
ESSENCE: Talk a bit about
your personal style.
MAY: It’s a mix of streetwear, high fashion and avant-garde
looks. I’m inspired by Aaliyah, Pharrell and Los Angeles,
among other influences. I love living out 1990’s girl group
and 2000’s style while giving it a new age twist. You can
always count Jordan sneakers in my rotation for shoes. A
ALEALI MAY
Maya Moore x Aleali May Court
Lux Air Jordan X
Launched December 2018
Aleali May x Air Jordan
VI Millennial Pink
Launched March 2019
JORDAN COLLABORATIONS
Air Jordan 1 Aleali May
Launched October 2017
Maya Moore x Aleali May
Court Lux Air Jordan 1
Launched December 2018
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ESSENCE.COM I 42 I SEPTEMBER 2019