Ziwe Takes Paris With a Sense of Humor and Style

Ziwe has quickly become a beloved funny girl who is able to handle difficult conversations smoothly with her magnetic wit. She has gone from Instagram Live stardom, where she asked guests like Alyssa Milano and Caroline Calloway questions like, “How many Black friends do you have?”, to having her own show, Ziwe on Showtime, with Annie Leibovitz in her hot seat. Ziwe possesses a straight-shooter sensibility that will slice and dice anyone she interviews. And her love for buoyant fashion is just as head-turning and sharp as her humor. Think: larger-than-life hats, big boas, bright colors, and references to Clueless and Moesha. Her style has gotten her noticed by luxury houses like Valentino, who invited her to attend their spring 2022 show in Paris. “Not to quote the famous film Passport to Paris with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, but I’ve never felt more French,” Ziwe tells Vogue. “I could see the Eiffel Tower from my hotel room.”

Over the next few days, she took in all that the city had to offer during Paris Fashion Week, whether that was ordering a truckload of cheesy omelets, having drinks at The Ritz, or watching the Valentino show. “The trip was unbelievable from start to finish. I felt like Carrie Bradshaw, but not sad, in Paris,” she says. “It was so wild to see people in person expressing themselves through their clothes, and me going outdoors and expressing myself.” She also met some familiar faces, including Demi Moore (“the sweetest, loveliest woman to meet”) and Naomi Campbell. “It’s me and Emily [Ratajkowski] yo-yo-gabbing, and this woman approaches Emily with a mask on and Emily introduces me ‘Hey Naomi, this is Ziwe,’” she says. “I would say it was like a devout Catholic meeting the Pope.”

Ziwe’s funky and fabulous Valentino look suited her to the core. She wore a loose purple dress, which she describes as “frockish” and a pair of sky-high platform white heels—“out of Clueless”—along with a jeweled pink bag. As she watched the show, she was drawn to another purple dress that came down the runway: look 91, adorned with a fluttering cape. “I was thinking, ‘Ok, do I need to find a lover? Do I need to get engaged? How do I expedite marriage so I can wear this dress at a wedding?” says Ziwe. “It was so gorgeous that I wanted to wear it now.”