In the midst of New York Fashion Week, Irving Plaza was an unexpected destination for style inspiration. This wasn’t a runway. It was a concert, an Elyanna concert, to be exact.
The 22-year-old Palestinian-Chilean singer from Nazareth has been a topic of conversation in pop culture since she played a monumental set at Coachella and earned sets at Governors Ball and Lollapalooza, for her captivating vocals and distinct style. Best known for her thick, curly hair, henna-painted arms, and stacks of gold jewelry, Elyanna has created an unmistakable signature aesthetic.
The influence was palpable on Feb. 10 at Irving Plaza, where droves of fans filled the sold-out venue dressed in their best Elyanna-inspired outfits — think coin jewelry, lace, curly hair, and bold eyeliner. To much anticipation, Elyanna took the stage in an ethereal white mock-neck dress with sheer balloon sleeves and a lace-trimmed slit skirt complete with matching leg warmers.
Photos by Adam Kudeimati.
“This was my first tour ever, so I was really trying to explore and see what I like onstage and what I don’t,” Elyanna tells Teen Vogue. “And we wanted to build a whole theme for it in every aspect, honestly, when it comes to the stage production, when it comes to the music, when it comes to anything in the Elyanna world.”
Creating that world is not a one-person job, but rather a family affair. In fact, the words she uses to best describe her world—“sad, angry angel”—are borrowed from her siblings. While her brother helps Elyanna craft her music, her style is entrusted to her sister, Tali Marjieh.
“When it comes to the styling, the fashion and everything, to me it’s like no one knows me and no one knows my body, and no one really has an eye when it comes to being onstage,” Elyanna says. “And it’s not easy to design something for someone onstage because you have to take care of all the technical things. It’s not only about, ‘Oh, it looks pretty’ No. It’s about being super technical, which I know that Tali worked so hard on. But it’s very themed-out, and it’s very intentional, and I know that Tali was super detailed about it.”