Musician Erykah Badu unveils new fashion capsule

A few weeks after rocking a Marni dress at the Met Gala, US musician Erykah Badu unveiled a 42-piece capsule.

The collaboration includes women’s ready-to-wear garment, accessories and footwear all accented with hand-made leather patchwork, heavy wools, sturdy sequins and lush velvets It was released in May in select U.S. Marni boutiques.

Speaking from Dallas, Badu gave more details about her work with the creative director of Marni, Francesco Risso.

“I'm involved the same as I'm involved in everything. I am a creator. I am a visionary and so is Francesco (Risso). And so we kind of put our heads together and used our areas of expertise to—you know, our own personal areas: mine is color and shape and form. His is designed and sketch and sewing. And we put those things together and came up with something really creative.”

The 52-year-old has unintentionally been a culture shifter thoughtout her career. Her phrase “stay woke” in  2008 track “Master Teacher” with Georgia Anne Muldrow has been used for political purposes, becoming a political lightening rod.

“From the time they started using it for Black Lives Matter, it was out of my hands because it kind of doesn't really belong to us anymore, those of us who were in that session, in that musical session, not knowing what would even happen.”

Versatility

However, when conservatives such as Florida governor Ron DeSantis, now making a presidential run, used it Badu decided to speak out, trying to reclaim the phrase.

“It got a little out of hand. That's why I had to say something about it, because people were starting to use it as a weapon,” she continued. “If it gets into the wrong hands…I’ve gotta interfere and bring it back in.”

Almost ten years after the 52-year-old released a mixtape, the musician is currently gearing up for a highly 25-city tour with rapper Yasiin Bey.

“I'm always working on new music. I don't know when I'll put it out, but I'm waiting for the right time and I’ll know that when it comes. But yes, I like to feel necessary for my real audience. My real audience is trees and wind and rain, air—ancestors and things like that.”

Throughout the past quarter-century the four-time Grammy winner has demonstrated her versatility.

She entered the cannabis industry four years ago and partenered with brand Cookies.