Olandria Carthen Is Paris Couture Week’s New Sweetheart

There’s always a breakout front row star at the Paris couture shows; a rising personality ready to step out to one presentation after another, each look more jaw-dropping than the last. This season, that title may very well belong to Olandria Carthen. Attending the couture shows for the first time, the Love Island USA star approached the week with a confidence and wardrobe that belied her newcomer status.

Carthen started her busy week at the Rahul Mishra show on Monday. She didn’t hold back with her outfit despite this being her first couture presentation, however. Carthen slipped into a structural mini dress designed in a textured gold fabric. The dress had a 3D element to it, with panels wrapping around its perimeter.

On Friday, Carthen joined a star-studded front row at the Valentino show—Dakota Johnson, Lily Allen, Tyla—in a decidedly different ensemble. This time, the influencer took a Boho approach, wearing a multi-print sun dress complete with a cut-out at the bodice and a fur-trimmed hemline. She abided by the “pop of red” theory with a pair of bold sandals and finished the look with a black clutch.

Later in the night, Carthen traded her Boho dress for another showcase in structure. Arriving to Robert Wun’s presentation, she wore a ruby red gown, featuring elegant drapes throughout, with a top hat.

Carthen has become something of a fashion darling since earning fan-favorite status on the seventh season of Love Island USA. She’s been a fixture at major movie premieres and events like the CFDAs. She just made her Golden Globes debut earlier this month in an emerald green Christian Siriano dress. She’s even hit the runway, walking last year for Sergio Hudson during New York Fashion Week. Now, with couture week under her belt, she’s a bonafide fashion insider.