Tierra Whack doesn't take fashion too seriously. The singer, whose newest album WORLD WIDE WHACK, comes out on March 15, says her standout style came as sort of an accident. “I just have fun,” she tells Teen Vogue in a phone call.
Accident or not, the reason we're even talking about her clothing is because she wanted to let fans in on the incredible stories her closet tells … literally. Starting February 22, you can rent a piece of Whack's personal closet courtesy of subscription rental service Nuuly, Teen Vogue exclusively reveals. The Tierra Whack X Nuuly collection features 41 pieces and Nuuly subscribers are able to rent 6 items for $98 a month. Items include everything from a Charles Loverboy jumper she wore to perform at Coachella in 2019 to a custom piece designed by LA Roxx to an upcycled Levi's dress designed by Aunt Tot.
“I'm always wearing clothes and giving them back because it'll be really extravagant pieces that are so cool but I can't afford," Whack explains. "So that's just me being real. I think people admire my clothing and things I wear, so I'm just like, why not do it for more people, for the fans."
Ahead, Whack spoke with us about thrifting, the new collection, and putting out her anticipated new album.
Teen Vogue: So many pieces in the Nuuly collection are amazing. Are there any that are particularly special to you or have any significance?
Tierra Whack: Literally every piece. It's like, I don't have kids, but if I had kids, I can't choose my favorite. I can't. They're all special to me. They're all special.
TV: I get that!
TW: So I was in a thrift shop like two days ago with my mom, and I was just going through the racks and I'm just like, yo, I want to know the story behind these clothes. I saw this cool coat and it gave me a weird vibe. I just got kind of goosebumps. It's so many stories and so much history in clothing. I just want to know who owned this jacket? Where'd this come from? What's the story behind this piece?
TV: And the people who rent your pieces are going to have similar feelings and questions.
TW: That's cool too, right? When I was working with Nuuly and we had to go through the racks, I was so full of joy. Each of these pieces are a statement piece and I can't wait to see my fans, my people, just rocking it in their own way. And you can give me and you the same piece, but we're going to interpret it differently. We're going to rock it personal to us. So I just think that's cool. That's the coolest thing to me about fashion.
TV: You and Nuuly are both from Philadelphia, that connection is so cool. What can you say about Philly style?
TW: You can be whoever you want to be in Philly, as long as you're doing it confidently. That's what I remember, even from being a kid, you just got to be you. But just with confidence, just make sure you have that confidence. You're walking with your head high and a smile on your face and hey, everybody's going follow right with it. I just think Philly has that raw cutting edge, just badass kind of vibe, just be you a thousand percent.
TV: First, what can we expect from WORLD WIDE WHACK?
TW: We're taking it to the next level. I'm just coming back for everything that I feel like I've missed and everything that I feel like is mine. I'm just ready to really claim the throne this time.
TV: You've said this album is going to be a little more vulnerable. What did you mean by that?
TW: With that Covid lockdown, I was in a frenzy. As an artist, I'm used to traveling and touring all the time, and I'm just not used to sitting still. But I was just forced to just be alone with my thoughts. I did a lot of reflecting — it was good for me. I was just able to spill it all. I spilled it all. I was holding so much in, and then the cup just tipped over and then it's like, all right, this is what I got. And I feel very relieved after recording and just giving the world everything that I got this time round I was holding back before. I didn't even recognize that I was holding back. But yeah, it's a lot of personal growth that I went through.
TV: What's exciting you most about this new release?
TW: I was nervous, but excited to put out "27 Club" because it is my most vulnerable song. I'm talking about a time where I was at my lowest. So to see that it's being received so well, it just means the most to me. And I say in every interview, to anybody I talk to, I just want to always remind people, especially my fans, my wackos, that I am just like everyone else. I go through things just like everyone else. I'm still human, we just got to get up every day and we got to try. Keep trying.
[This interview was edited for clarity.]
