Erykah Badu isn’t necessarily trading in music for fashion, but the neo-soul pioneer is admittedly experiencing her own “renaissance.” In her latest VOGUE cover, the self-proclaimed “UNICORN Mutant Cobra” and her daughter, Puma Curry, explained what it’s been like working together and how the 51-year-old became fashion’s latest muse.
“I don’t know how other family workplace dynamics go, but it’s like a real job, and I have to buckle down and do what I need to do or else word is going to get to the CEO and I’m not going to get paid. You know what I mean?,” said Curry, 18, on the professional aspect of her relationship with her mother. She and her boyfriend, Sean, have served as Badu’s personal assistants for over a year while the rising star has doubled as a stylist of sorts by making sure “Badu has the 15 to 20 trunks of clothing and accessories she needs on tour.”
Curry additionally assists the Baduizm singer as a doula. The pair recently helped Summer Walker welcome her twins into the world.
In terms of fashion, Badu revealed she didn’t dive deep into that world until her 30s or 40s. “What I had was a good understanding of look and shape, the way I did with paper dolls when I was a child. For me, it’s about seeing things coming together, like making a cake from beginning to end.”
Marni’s creative director Francesco Risso became “mesmerized” by the “Hello” artist’s process when creating their capsule collection. “I’ve worked with celebrities in the past [but] with Erykah, it’s a completely new world […] It’s just so innate. With her, it’s not just about making music. She’s iconic because what comes with her is a lifestyle, it’s a complete world.”