Olandria Carthen Is a Lesson in Manifestation—Here’s What It Takes to Enter the Fashion Space

It all started with a "check your DM" comment under one of Olandria Carthen's Instagram posts. No, it wasn't spam, a bot, or an unrequited love interest; it was Matthew Reisman, one half of the styling duo known as The Reismans. Just days after Olandria wrapped filming season 7 of the hit reality TV show Love Island USA—which her fans jokingly call her "summer internship"—the Reismans were already lining her up to be fashion's newest It girl.

You'll often see "Love Island USA Season 7 runner-up" precede Olandria's name, but she wants the world to know she's much more than that. "It's not where you start; it's how you finish. In a minute, that's not going to be my only title," Olandria proudly says to a crowd gathered on the sixth floor of Dumbo House for a panel hosted by Creative Society, a space for creatives to shape the culture via connection, collaboration, and inspiration. Alongside her stylists Matthew and Reginald Reisman, whose roster includes Victoria Monét, Ariana Grande, Coco Jones, Angel Reese, Da'Vine Joy, Niecy Nash-Betts, and more, Olandria spoke about going from a breakout reality TV star to a model, high-profile celebrity, and fashion icon in less than a year. (Spoiler alert: CEO is next).

But this success did not happen overnight, and Olandria's posts on X before she even set foot in the Love Island villa are proof. As I sat across from her and the Reismans after the event, one of my first questions was about her manifestation techniques. "I didn't realize how much I was sharing my dreams and aspirations on the internet. When you have such a small account, no one's looking, no one's checking for you, so for years, I was doing that," she says. By the look in her eyes, I can tell she's still in awe of how her life has transformed. "God really gave me everything I ever wanted within one year," she tells me. Ironically, it's the one year she didn't diligently create mood boards and goal lists. She relied heavily on her faith and waited patiently, unaware that the posts she thought would only be seen by friends and family would come to fruition before the eyes of millions.

As for that "check your DM" comment, the Reismans revealed that they recognized something special in Olandria long before she left the Love Island villa. "She reminded us of Naomi [Campbell]," Reggie tells the crowd. "We wanted to bring that '90s-supermodel aspect that she definitely has out." In Olandria's search for a team post-show, she was looking for a family-like bond, rather than something transactional. "I knew my new life was going to take time away from family and friends, and family is something that I really prioritize and really hold to a higher standard," she says. "We literally will FaceTime for hours and hours every day. I fall asleep on the phone with these guys. I wake up on the phone with these guys." Being in the room with this trio, you can see the love and protection they have for each other and how that translates to the aura she brings to the fashion world.

By now, you've probably seen the Barbie comparisons all over the internet, along with the public requests for Olandria to have her own Barbie doll. "It's crazy because I've always wanted to be someone's personal Barbie. I love playing dress up, and that's exactly what I do with these guys," she says. Now, the world affectionately calls her "Bama Barbie," a title she and her team took a step further with an exclusive Barbie activation at Coachella this year. Talk about a full-circle moment. "Bama Barbie existed in the world to us already, so when we got our hands on her, we were like, 'Oh, you want Barbie? We got your Barbie,'" Matthew says to the crowd.

But behind the doll-like features is a real woman from the South who had a rather ordinary life with a 9-to-5 job in Houston less than two years ago.

Those who didn't tune into the most-viewed TV show of summer 2025 but did watch the 2025 VMAs got to bear witness to the genesis of Olandria's fashion career. Donning an all-red bodice with a sheer layer from Cheney Chan's pre-fall 2025 collection, you'd never even know this was her red carpet debut. "I'd had a few Getty pictures, but like, an official Getty on a carpet, I'd never experienced, and I crushed it." That's a big understatement, by the way. "I'm looking at those videos of me walking, looking behind my shoulder, looking back, all that. I'm like, 'wait a minute, girl, have you been before?'" she jokes. "It made me look forward to even more carpets. I feel like [the] VMAs were such an emotional moment for me, and it really solidified in my head, this is what you're supposed to do."

When asked about what goes on behind the scenes before Olandria steps onto a carpet and that first camera flashes, Reggie's answer is instant: "the hustle for sure." The glitz and glamour comes with a side of grit and persistence. People don't see "the fight for the brands, the fight to get her into these spaces and to be seen [by] the designers and the design teams. It really is a fight behind the scenes. We make it look so easy, but it is not easy." The Reismans make sure to be transparent with her about these rejections "because we need to be in this hustle together to change that and to have the moments that we want." According to Matthew, "fashion is political and you can't avoid the obvious that sometimes race is a thing in fashion and we know that firsthand in reaching out to brands and publicists and the responses we get for certain clients." Matthew adoringly looks at Olandria when he says, "she's been such a champion in having every carpet be this 'I told you so' or 'f*ck you' moment because those people come back, and she just carries that so well."

Since her debut, Olandria has graced many red carpets, including the Golden Globes and Paris Haute Couture Week in January, the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in March, and the 4th annual Fashion Trust U.S. Awards in April. Despite being catapulted into this new world in a matter of months, this didn't stop the Reisman's (who many call the Dream Team) from taking risks. When Olandria sat front row at the Valentino Haute Couture S/S 26 show, she transported us back to the '70s with a bohemian multi-print maxi dress with fur trim and red heels. In our interview, she revealed she was so nervous about the look and how her fanbase, which she affectionately refers to as her "Ola dolls," would receive it. "When I originally tried that outfit on, I'm looking at it hanging, like, okay, I don't really see the vision," she says. In fear of the look aging her, "we opened up the bust, and put some gems there to try to make it young and modern. And then I was like, you know what? Let's give it an era: '70s. That's big hair. Crazy glam. Crazy lashes. And it kind of just became a whole thing." The Dream Team worked in tandem with celebrity makeup artist Ngozi Edeme (AKA Painted by Esther), who used her signature blush technique to achieve a mega viral moment fans can't stop referencing to this day.

Luckily, these iconic looks don't die on the red carpet. Some of the pieces get to live on forever in Olandria's closet, but according to her, the one she wants in a shadowbox is her all-white Vanity Fair Oscar After Party dress. For this night in particular, her one request was a backless moment. Unlike other big events, this dress was her only option, so the nerves were at an all-time high. "Vanity Fair was, like, one of the riskiest things we've ever done, and that was [my] first time going to a carpet without anybody on my team. Like, nobody. I was so nervous," she tells me. The custom Pajtim Raci gown left Olandria almost completely exposed with a deep V, an open back adorned with a diamond Azature necklace, cut-outs on the sides, and sheer wing-like trains.

"Having a backless dress with some double-Ds like [mine]? Some natural ones that don't sit up? I'm like, how are we going to pull this off?" she laughs. The Reismans were just as nervous as Olandria, but refused to let her know until after. They relied on a shoebox full of seven different tapes and a prayer, but that trust is what got her onto several best-dressed lists. "Once I had that feeling of what that felt like, I wanted to be sexy on every carpet after that. That look was the most daring thing I've ever done. I never thought I could go to a red carpet and be that revealing." Don't expect Olandria to shy away from being sexy anytime soon. "I love that we're bringing sexy back to the carpet. I don't like the clean-girl look. We're still young, and it's fun," she says. Though this look opened her mind to how she could show up on the red carpet, she still worried she wouldn't top it. I hate to spoil the ending, but the Dream Team continues to raise the bar, making every single red carpet her best.

If you're ready for whatever else Olandria has in store for us, get in line with the rest of the Ola dolls who work overtime to decode her upcoming fashion looks, keep her trending, and ensure there's a sold-out sticker on every product she promotes. "We had a running joke for a long time: Who's the mole in the camp?" Matthew says of the fans' tendency to predict what Olandria will wear next. "When we land on something, it's funny to see the follow-up, and they're like, 'I called it! My parlay hit,'" Matthew jokes as the room erupts in laughter. Olandria says their spot-on predictions can be "kind of scary sometimes," but she loves how in tune they've become with her personal style and fashion choices.

Despite Olandria's mystique, she is incredibly tapped into the community she's built over the past year and a half. "When you have so many beautiful Black and brown girls looking up to you, even the older ones, I have a job. I have a great responsibility, and I want to use my platform for good. I want to make sure my actions match up with my words too," Olandria tells a room filled with creatives of all ages. Carrying the weight and pressure of being a Black woman who's new to this industry is no easy feat, but she refuses to let imposter syndrome talk her out of these spaces. "When I kind of feel out of place, and I walk into those rooms, and I'm one of ... the only ones that look like me, I don't sit around and wait for someone to validate my existence. I walk in like I know I deserve to be here. I don't need anyone to tell me I deserve to be here." Olandria's success is a testament to that. Expect to see her photos flooding your social media feed during Milan Fashion Week, and when it's time to jumpstart what she calls her "CE-Ola era," we'll be the first in line to shop her bodycare brand.