The Girls Copied Aliyahcore, So Aliyah Bah Made Fabtopia
After watching brands cash in on her aesthetic, Aliyah’s Interlude did what any self-respecting It Girl would do: locked the fuck in and built her own fashion universe.
Aliyah Bah has already given the internet Aliyahcore, made moon boots feel like reasonable everyday footwear and turned being perceived into something of an extreme sport. So naturally, the next step was obvious:
Sell us the clothes herself.
The musician, fashion girl and professional It Girl better known as Aliyah’s Interlude has officially launched Fabtopia, her first clothing brand — a gloriously colorful, body-conscious little universe built around the alternative, eclectic and unapologetically loud style she’s spent years cultivating online. The debut ranges from XS to 3X, with crop tops, mini-skirt sets, leg warmers and bags priced between $30 and $60.
And apparently, this wasn’t some influencer-brand idea cooked up over lunch three months ago.
Aliyah has been working on Fabtopia for two years, partly after noticing brands borrowing from the aesthetic she’d worked to build. Eventually, her dad gave her the kind of career advice we should probably all have printed above our desks: other people are making money from the way you dress — make your own brand.
WELCOME TO FABTOPIA, BABY
Photo: Bash Benzo/Courtesy of Fabtopia
Even the name has lore. Aliyah pulled inspiration from two extremely sacred cultural institutions: childhood favorite Barbie: Fairytopia and the discontinued McDonald’s Fruitopia drink she used to have after school. Then came the final ingredient: cunt. Okay, technically fab.
“What do I say a lot to that’s cunt?” Aliyah recalled thinking while naming the brand. The answer was fab — and Fabtopia, or what she calls a “utopia of fabulousness,” was born. We have absolutely no edits. For the debut collection, Aliyah looked toward girl groups — including K-pop groups and the Spice Girls — and the magic of seeing several women with completely different personalities somehow look incredible together. The resulting matching sets are meant to carry that same energy: you and your girls can coordinate without looking like somebody accidentally ordered five of the same Fashion Nova set.
AND YES, THE THICK GIRLS ARE INVITED
But underneath all the rhinestones and micro hems is something Aliyah is taking extremely seriously: who gets included in alternative fashion.
Fabtopia launches through size 3X, a decision Aliyah says was non-negotiable after watching fashion repeatedly fail women with bigger bodies.
Her assessment of brands claiming extended sizing is simply too difficult?
Photo: Bash Benzo/Courtesy of Fabtopia
Basically: girl, please. “Plus-size women deserve to look beautiful as fuck in every single thing that they wear.”
Aliyah says creating larger sizes wasn’t some impossible manufacturing mystery; it required being intentional about measurements and properly fitting clothes to bigger bodies. She spent months sending samples back and forth until she was satisfied with the fit.
And representation isn’t stopping at the size chart.
Black women and plus-size models are front and center in Fabtopia’s campaign, with Aliyah specifically calling out how frequently Black women are excluded from alternative fashion imagery. Behind the scenes, she says 90% of the brand’s PR packages went to Black influencers, while a Black photographer and producer helped create the debut campaign.
The mission is bigger than selling a cute mini skirt.
Aliyah eventually wants Fabtopia to encompass runway shows, community events and even a physical store — creating what she describes as a larger universe around Black joy, queer joy, alternative Black girl joy and alternative queer girl joy.
Which feels particularly fitting for someone whose entire career has been built around refusing to dress, behave or create in a way that makes other people comfortable.
They copied Aliyahcore.
Now you can buy it from the source.
