How Rita Ora Approached Designing a 169-Piece Collection That Starts at $5
September 13, 2023 at 11:10PM
On the day Rita Ora reveals her Primark collection to the world, she’s wearing the gray acid-wash denim set, consisting of a boxy moto jacket and matching miniskirt with an asymmetrical zipper down the front. She styles the co-ords with leather thigh-high boots, several chunky rings, and a fluffy shopper, one of the signature accessories in the 169-piece collection. It’s clear she’s familiar with them all as she singles out members of her design team at the NYC launch party who are also decked head to toe in Rita Ora x Primark, beckoning them to pose for the crowd. One such look is a tan three-piece pantsuit, my favorite that I’ve seen so far. But the rest of the lineup is easily accessible to me, displayed on racks for guests to sift through and even try on.
The 32-year-old musician has spent two years dreaming up the versatile, season-less, affordable range that emits ‘90s grunge and her own brand of sex appeal. “It was a combination of the friendship that I created with the CEOs and spontaneously being at the same restaurant,” Ora tells me after the intimate preview, when I ask how the collab came to be in the first place. As it turns out, her genuine love for the brand began with early shopping trips to her local Primark in Hammersmith, West London, when she considered herself an everyday fashion fan who didn’t want to break the bank. “It was such a great opportunity to reconnect to my roots, respect the journey that I’ve been on, and understand the customers, because I was one of them,” she says.
Codesigned by Primark and Ora, alongside emerging London-based designer Jawara Alleyne – and styled by Rita’s personal stylist, Pippa Atkinson – the wardrobe staples allow the singer’s fans to re-create her famous aesthetic on any budget. It’s no surprise that as soon as the first drop was manufactured, Ora began weaving items into her outfits, slowly building suspense and teasing her followers about what was to come. All the while, the accompanying campaign was being shot in Trellick Tower and around Golborne Road in West London, where Ora grew up. “Keeping it really real was all I cared about. That’s the reason I joined with Primark in the first place, so it only made sense to go back to where it all began,” she explains.
Available on Sept. 19 in all 430-plus of Primark’s stores, the international collaboration – starting at $5 for clothing and accessories, $28 for outerwear, and $20 for footwear – will be available to browse on primark.com, with the option to use a stock-checker before heading out to shop. It also prioritizes circularity and sustainability, with two-thirds of the pieces crafted from recycled materials. Ahead, Ora joins POPSUGAR for an exclusive interview about launching the fashion line.
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Author Sarah Wasilak | citywomen.co
Selected by CWC