Call it shipwrecked chic or deep-sea diva—either way, Tyla just proved that the most memorable fashion materials might not be made of fabric at all.
We’re in a moment where materials with a story—shells, patinated metals, distressed knits, “found” objects—feel more desirable than smooth perfection. Last year, we witnessed actress Cate Blanchett wear an Ellen Hodakova Larson’s halter-neck top made from 102 spoons at the Los Angeles premiere of Borderlands.
And just the other night, Tyla arrived at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards in a cropped jacket made entirely from repurposed mussel shells designed by George Trochopoulos as part of his AW 2025 collection.
Styled by longtime collaborator Ron Hartleben, the South African singer definitely made waves with the one-of-a-kind bolero-style piece, wearing nothing else underneath. Beyond the shock value of “she’s literally wearing seafood,” the look slots neatly into fashion’s current fascination with unconventional, oceanic materials—think mussels, sand, sea-worn textures—and echoes archival moments like Alexander McQueen’s famous mussel bodice from “Voss.” It’s part of a larger narrative Tyla has been building: first the custom-made Di Petsa wetlook dress that nodded to her hit “Water,” then a custom-made Balmain dress molded from sand and micro-crystals, and now shells, as if she’s moving from ocean to shoreline in real time.
