How the Reismans Are Positioning Olandria Carthen as Fashion's Next 'It' Girl

Some people are just born with it. That unexplainable star factor that simply can’t be taught or bought. There’s a charm about them that draws people in and is so strong that, for better or worse, nobody can pull away. (As Beyoncé said, “You know you that bitch when you cause all this conversation.”)

We’re talking about a particularly stylish frontrunner for 2025’s “It” girl of the year: “Bama Barbie” Olandria Carthen. She might’ve started out as a mere contestant on “Love Island USA” Season 7, but she emerged a bonafide celebrity.

Members of her second fan base (read: haters) claim it’s only because of her co-runner up Nicolas Vansteenberghe. While it might be true that their coupling was a highlight of the season, let’s be real: Carthen was always going to come out of the villa a star. She’s just that girl. 

Styling duo Reginald and Matthew Reisman agree. It’s why they DM’d her on Instagram — while she was still in the villa — wanting to work with her. “As a fan and watching the show, she, for us, was this standout of grace, integrity and beauty, and she really resonated with us,” Matthew tells Fashionista. “To us, she really just stood out and separated herself from the rest of the cast.”

After Carthen got back home, responded to their DM and met with the duo for her first fitting, Reginald recalls feeling an instant connection: “There was a trust factor there, and it was just this really smooth process between us both.”

Matthew adds, “She was just so lovely and welcoming, and you instantly felt like you already knew this person as a friend.”

The trio has been locked in ever since. 

One of Carthen’s first big fashion outings was her post-villa press run in New York City. Paparazzi caught her wearing Sergio Hudson, PatBo, Harbison, Roberto Cavalli and archival Versace. For the Reismans, that week was a crucial moment to get Carthen on the industry’s radar. Their goal was to use fashion as a vessel to prove the Bama Barbie’s stardom didn’t start and end in the villa. 

“We wanted to show a bigger story of where she can take this new fame,” Matthew explains. “We felt this obligation to really push and help carve out an opportunity and build her up.”

The Reismans have put Carthen on a fashion roll ever since. A standout moment was the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, where she hit the step-and-repeat in a red Cheney Chan dress. That night, the reality star made multiple “Best Dressed” lists within publications like Vogue, Elle, The Cut and Essence, and went viral on TikTok. 

Originally, the styling duo had another dress for Carthen to wear to the event. But, due to fate (or more accurately, poor shipping), the gown couldn’t make it in time. So they went back to the drawing board and looked through the folders they saved on Instagram of looks they wanted to see her in. Long story short, they got their hands on the Cheney Chan dress, put it on Carthen and instantly knew it was the one. “She didn’t question anything about it and put it on, and it just became the moment that it did,” Reginald explains.

It’s one thing to have a standout fashion moment at a single event. Keeping up that momentum is a challenge, and one the Reismans happily took on. Embracing versatility is key to their approach. 

“We have to not pigeonhole ourselves and show range,” Matthew says. “We have to be a bit of a chameleon with her. She’s a model. We constantly think about, ‘What do you want her to look like today?’ Is she grunge? Is she punk? Is she Barbie? Is she conservative? She can do it all.”

They reference ’90s Naomi Campbell as key inspiration, but with a contemporary twist. “We always want to keep her young,” Reginald adds. “She’s attractive, she’s got a great shape, we want to show off her tiny, tiny waist. The personal style for her has always been super young and fun. Where we want to take it is to add that bit of editorial [flair].”

When it comes to navigating brand relationships, designers have had mixed reactions to being asked to dress Carthen. But the Reismans don’t take it personally when a brand declines their request; having been in the styling and tailoring game for years, they know it’s all part of the industry. 

“Fashion is very political and brands have their target audiences,” Matthew says. “It also just depends on what the events are. The one thing that we can say for sure is, once we started the ball rolling with her to show what’s possible, people have started to definitely change their minds and return the support when asked.”

Black designers have been among the most eager to dress Carthen. She and the Reismans reciprocate that excitement: “We’re really intentional about highlighting Black designers because they’re super talented and I think that they’re often overlooked,” Matthew says. “I think that they deserve to be showcased […] and get those big moments. Olandria is very passionate about that same sentiment and taking it to a higher level. It wasn’t even a discussion.”

Ultimately, the styling duo hopes that Carthen’s fashion sightings will lead to future opportunities.

It already helped lock in her first New York Fashion Week in September, where she sat front row at Theophilio, Area, Off-White and Alexander Wang. She also made her runway debut at Sergio Hudson. 

Next, the Reismans are eyeing Paris Haute Couture Week in January 2026. Long-term, the duo is manifesting a Met Gala appearance. “We believe it’s going to happen. We believe it, we speak it and we claim it,” Matthew emphasizes.

For now, there are more timely priorities. The duo teases that Carthen has a lot of exciting projects coming up in November. One is the Ebony Power 100 Gala on Nov. 4, where she’ll receive the People’s Choice Award.

The Reismans are keeping Carthen’s outfit under wraps, but said it’d be something different than anything we’ve seen her in before.

“We’re excited about the future with her,” Matthew says. “We’re really happy for her. We’re very grateful that she reached out and gave us the opportunity, and she believes in us as much as we believe in her. The whole thing is so humbling for all of us, so we’re just really thankful.”

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Source: Fashionista.com