Ayra Starr and Tems Cement Their Place as Cultural Icons

Ayra Starr and Tems have officially joined the Business of Fashion (BOF) 500 list for 2025, marking a defining moment for Nigerian women in music who are now shaping global fashion conversations. The BOF 500 is one of the world’s most respected indexes, spotlighting the individuals driving creativity and innovation across the $2.5 trillion global fashion and beauty industries.

For years, Nigeria’s cultural exports have dominated music and film, but this new recognition highlights a shift, one where women in Afrobeats are emerging not only as hitmakers but as tastemakers influencing how the world perceives African fashion, beauty, and identity.

Nigerian Women in Music Redefine Global Fashion Power

Compiled annually by The Business of Fashion, the BOF 500 features leaders across design, business, media, and culture whose work propels the industry forward. Being included in the list means joining the ranks of the most influential players shaping global aesthetics, from designers and models to artists and executives.

For Ayra Starr, the honour comes on the back of a record-breaking year. Her hit single Rush became the first solo song by a Nigerian woman to surpass 500 million streams on Spotify, while her follow-up, Hot Body, sparked viral trends on TikTok. These milestones, alongside her MOBO Awards victories, including Best International Act, a first for any female Nigerian artist, cement her as one of Afrobeats’ brightest stars.

Beyond music, Ayra’s influence extends to fashion. Known for her bold Y2K-inspired style rooted in Nigeria’s alté culture, she has fronted campaigns for Maybelline New York, New Balance, Pepsi, and L’Avyanna Skin.

Her high-profile appearances at events like the 2025 Met Gala, where she wore Ozwald Boateng, and cover features in Dazed and Teen Vogue have solidified her status as a global fashion figure. With over 14 million followers across Instagram and TikTok, Ayra’s reach embodies what BOF described as “a melodic, culturally resonant voice bridging continents and generations.”

Ayra Starr and Tems Cement Their Place as Cultural Icons

If Ayra Starr is Afrobeats’ Gen Z style leader, Tems stands as its most magnetic trailblazer. The Grammy-winning artist, celebrated for her blend of Afrobeats and alt-R&B, made history in 2025 as the first Nigerian artist to win two Grammys, including one for Best African Music Performance.

Tems’ fashion evolution has been just as powerful. After her breakout campaign with Tommy Jeans in 2022, her global recognition grew rapidly, earning her Elle’s Trailblazer Award and a cover feature on Elle UK.

She has since appeared on the covers of GQ, Billboard, Interview, and Dazed, while her Met Gala appearance in Ozwald Boateng’s custom African-inspired design became one of the event’s standout fashion moments.

Regularly seen at international shows like Dior’s Fall/Winter 2025 presentation, Tems has moved from performer to global fashion insider, her style now as influential as her music. With more than 3.6 billion Spotify streams and collaborations with Drake, Future, J. Cole, and Justin Bieber, she carries immense cultural weight into every room she enters.

Together, Ayra Starr and Tems’ recognition in the BOF 500 represents more than individual success. It signals a broader cultural transformation, one where African women are defining global aesthetics on their own terms. The same energy that drives their music now fuels their fashion narratives, blending confidence, creativity, and cultural pride.

Their achievement also mirrors a growing movement in Nigerian pop culture, where stars like Burna Boy, Wizkid, and Tiwa Savage have blurred the lines between music and fashion. But for Ayra and Tems, the impact feels particularly revolutionary. They represent a new generation of Nigerian women who are not only being seen but are also setting the standard for global cool.

Their inclusion in the BOF 500 confirms what the world has already witnessed: Nigerian creativity is no longer local. It’s shaping how the world listens, looks, and feels.