Two decades after the release of her debut album, “Goodies,” Ciara is as booked and busy as ever.
The “1, 2 Step” singer recently wrapped her summer tour with Missy Elliott, dropped new single “Wassup” with Busta Rhymes — and teamed up with another aughts icon, Bebe, on a capsule collection that “embodies that Y2K energy,” as she told Page Six Style exclusively at the collaboration’s NYC launch party Thursday night.
“I was that girl that was shopping at Bebe. It was one of the stores that you had to go to, always, and you knew you were going to get the best glam looks for an affordable price, which was important. They were always going to give you the glitz, the shine, the pop.”
The Bebe x Ciara collection has no shortage of those three things; standouts include a satin maxi ($99) with chain straps, a plunging leopard-print catsuit ($179) and a velour lounge set ($42) embellished with both the iconic Bebe rhinestone branding and Ciara’s own signature.
“I love the classic velour sweatsuit. It never gets old,” the mom of three told us of the 2000s staple. “It fits the body good; you can be comfy, but you can also be effortlessly fly.”
She’s even “pro” low-rise jeans, saying the polarizing look “always finds a way of coming back around.”
It’s perhaps an unsurprising stance, considering Ciara’s never been afraid to ruffle feathers with her fashion and beauty choices; from her slit-up-to-there Alexandre Vauthier Couture dress at the 2016 Grammys to her gold leaf-dusted baby bump at the premiere of “The Color Purple,” the “Body Party” chart-topper has long been one of the red carpet’s biggest rule breakers.
Her look for 2019’s camp-themed Met Gala — a glittering green Dundas gown dripping with feathers and paired with a dramatic afro — stands out as a personal favorite of hers.
“I was so proud of myself for doing something like that; me and Big Freedia opened up the red carpet and I had my big puffs, and I really loved that energy,” she recalled.
“As soon as you put on a look that you love, it does something to you, and that’s the power of fashion. There’s something about it that actually picks you up, especially if you’re not feeling your best. Fashion’s also important for me as an artist; it gives me so much opportunity and range to express myself, and I do feel my most confident self when I’m wearing the pieces that I love.”
And while those on social media might not always approve of her sartorial selections — for proof, no further than the furor surrounding her see-through Dundas dress at the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscar Party — Ciara couldn’t care less.
“I’ve come a long way when it comes to being affected by what people have to say. Opinions don’t matter; they really don’t. If you feel good about what you chose to wear, that’s all that matters,” she told us.
“I think it’s only right to expect people to have opinions in the job that I have. But you know what’s amazing about critics? There’s never been a statue of a critic.”
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