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As with anything when it comes to Rihanna, Bad Gal RiRi does it, and we want to, too. When the singer-cum-mogul was spotted wearing head-to-toe snakeskin (complete with a knit hat) at Coachella last April, it cemented what we already knew: the reptile pattern is here to stay.
For stylist Kandace Banks, it was a pair of Rochas yellow knee-high snakeskin boots that made her fall in love with the trend. "Last spring, when I did an internship with [stylist] Shiona Turini," Banks tells Refinery29. "I created a very detailed trend report for fall/winter 2018. And sure enough, as soon as the collections started to arrive in stores, I saw snakeskin everywhere."
Perhaps following Rihanna's lead, Off-White and Gucci each put snakeskin on their spring 2019 runways, cementing our love for the Slytherin-esque pieces. With so many heavy hitters embracing this iteration of animal print, for Banks, this trend's takeover was imminent.
Banks eventually bought a version of the boots at Mango and coordinated a photoshoot with her friends, each of them wearing the print. "I love wearing the trend, because I see it as a neutral that is often overlooked," she explains. The way she sees it, snakeskin can be a statement if it's done in a bold color (think those yellow python boots) – but when it's in a black and white colorway, the print can be mixed and matched with anything. To illustrate her point, Banks styled the following photoshoot using affordable brands.
Ahead, she offers tips for wearing the print and making it your own.
Makeup by Kyla Underwood.
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