AyaBambi: Fashion's Japanese Power Couple
While you may not see these two faces strutting down the runway, their show-stopping dance routines and alternative style certainly turn heads in the fashion world. Aya Sato and Bambi, together known as AyaBambi, are the Tokyo-born dance duo (and real-life couple) that has taken international audiences by storm.
Their dance style is voguing-turned-cyber-Goth, with flex-heavy moves that happen at lightning speed and with unparalleled precision. Such energetic flair coincides perfectly with the fast-paced strides of the fashion industry in motion.
AyaBambi has a bold and artistic essence that sets them apart in both the music and fashion industries. They rose to fame after an appearance in Madonna's 2015 music video, “Bitch I’m Madonna,” which, along with an unedited video of the girls executing their routine in a workshop studio, circulated the Internet. Later that year, Alexander Wang chose to use them as models in his Fall 2015 campaign, shot by Steven Klein.
Ayabambi in Alexander Wang FW16 campaign, shot by Steven Klein. Image Credit: Alexander Wang.
Through media exposure Ayabambi has revolutionized what it means to be feminine, re-imagining beauty and rewording the definition of gothic chic to the masses. The duo is subversive in its aesthetic and wardrobe choices: they don embellished black leather leotards and suede platform boots. With avant-garde haircuts and skin-tight dresses, their style is nuanced and futuristic.
In their choreography and physicality, they defy the expectation of classical female performance, like ballet. AyaBambi is all the more fascinating to fashion designers for this reason. The voguing superstars leave their audience questioning what it means to be a woman in 2016.
