Vogue caught up with the diva backstage at the Coach show—and it didn’t disappoint.
Chaka Khan Talks Her Shoe Obsession, Matching With Her Daughter, and Her Love of Horror Shows
Just mere seconds before the Coach spring 2022 presentation began at New York Fashion Week yesterday, a glamorous figure in a sheer black dress with big, bright fuchsia hair sauntered in, flanked by security and earpiece-clad PR people. Heads in the front row instantly swiveled and were transfixed. “Who is that?” someone whispered behind me. It was the true diva: Chaka Khan.
The superstar was among the many celebs in attendance for designer Stuart Vevers’s show yesterday, which had a youthful lineup of colorful parkas and anoraks, among other items. Backstage after the show, Vogue beelined to the VIP area to catch five minutes with Khan, who loved the new collection. “I was really impressed with the boots, because I love shoes,” she said, exhaling a puff of her cigarette like a true Hollywood icon. “When I was younger, I used to buy Coach bags, so I was really interested to see what Coach is doing now.”
Considering she is both a music and style icon, we had to ask Khan about what items she collects most in her wardrobe. Unsurprisingly, it’s footwear. “I buy shoes that are like pieces of art—I’ve never worn them,” said the singer. “I just moved into a new house, and I had boxes and boxes of shoes.” (How many? Hundreds.) She loves Giuseppe Zanotti and Tom Ford heels. As for clothing, she prefers more of a DIY approach. “I’m not a designer chick,” she said. “I like getting my stuff made, and I design it.”
Vogue also asked if either of her two children borrow from her closet (she has a daughter and a son). Her daughter, Milini, certainly inherited Khan’s larger-than-life fashion sense. They often coordinate outfits. “My daughter is my mini-me,” said Khan. “Since she was younger, we’ve been dressing alike.” This fall you can expect them to be rocking the same seasonal outwear. “I love faux fur,” said Khan. “I love faux, fluffy stuff—from coats to bags.” She will also be eyeing new pieces during the rest of New York Fashion Week and attending the Tom Ford show on Sunday: “I love his jewelry and his clothes.”
As for what inspires Khan’s style on the daily? Surprisingly, it’s not music. “When I’m home, I don’t listen to music, because its my job—it’s what I do for a living,” she explained. Instead she finds inspiration in the macabre. “I mostly like watching TV—I love horror. I’ve been watching American Horror Story for years.” Ryan Murphy, consider this your hint to cast her next season.
This story originally appeared on: Vogue - Author:Christian Allaire
