Erykah Badu & Riccardo Tisci Cuddle Up For ‘PAPER’

Erykah Badu (real name Erica Abi Wright) and Givenchy Creative Director Riccardo Tisci are cuddling up, sharing the fashion spotlight for PAPER’s October 2014 issue. Both have their own love fest, sharing how they met and why they have such an authentic friendship.

Erykah says of meeting Riccardo:

Last year, Riccardo reached out and let me know that he was a fan of my music. At the same time, I let him know that I was a fan of his eye. We were talking and he asked me to be the face of his campaign for [Spring] 2014, which was culturally themed and all of the models in the campaign were of color. He thought that the line would particularly speak through me. I said, “OK!” It was the first time I had done anything like that, besides the Tom Ford perfume ad.

Riccardo says of meeting Erykah:

The first time we met was at one of her concerts in New York a few years back. But the first time we actually connected was when she arrived to the set of the campaign. I was so nervous — it is rare to spend time with one of your idols, and she is truly one of my ultimate ones. She was nothing short of what I had in mind. She arrived with the most outrageous hair (a solo braid long to the floor) and an amazing hat. She was the exact definition of style according to me. We clicked immediately. We hugged and talked for so long, about everything and anything. And we share so much more than aesthetics… I love her.