This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Mizzou chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s be real: \u201cLove Island USA\u201d season 7 had its share of drama, couples, recouplings and chaotic challenges. But through all of it, one cast member stood out\u2014not just for her calm energy and iconic lip combo, but for the way she carried herself with quiet confidence from the villa to the real world.<\/p>\n
That girl? Olandria Carthen.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s my absolute favorite from the season (and I say that with my whole chest). And if you\u2019ve been watching her post-show rise, you know she\u2019s not just riding the wave\u2014she\u2019s building an empire.<\/p>\n
From Elevators to Elevation<\/p>\n
Before her lip combo went viral and her runway debut broke TikTok, Carthen was working in sales at Otis Elevator Company in Houston. She holds a degree in supply chain management from Tuskegee University, where she was a first-generation college graduate and full-time corporate baddie long before she was a reality star.<\/p>\n
Her previlla resume includes roles as a machine operator, billing specialist and assembly tech\u2014proof that she\u2019s never been afraid to do the work.<\/p>\n
Now, she\u2019s using her platform to spotlight her roots. Carthen recently partnered with Microsoft Copilot to promote historically Black colleges and universities\u2019 success stories, returning to her alma mater for a special appearance that highlighted her journey\u2014and she wasn\u2019t alone. She appeared alongside season 6 winner Serena Page, creating a full-circle moment for Tuskegee students and \u201cLove Island\u201d fans alike.<\/p>\n
The Post Villa Pop Off<\/p>\n
Carthen\u2019s rise after \u201cLove Island\u201d was instant\u2014and iconic.<\/p>\n
It started with her surprise appearance in Kulani Kinis x Nic, the swimwear brand\u2019s collaboration with fellow Islander Nic Vansteenberghe. Shot on a beach in Greece, the campaign made fans nostalgic for villa sunsets\u2014and ready to buy every bikini.<\/p>\n
By the middle of August, Carthen was on \u201cThe Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon\u201d alongside Nic Vansteenberghe, Amaya Espinal and Bryan Arenales, bringing villa energy straight to late night. That same week, she starred in a dreamy Agua de Kefir campaign with Vansteenberghe, looking fresh-faced and glowy as ever.<\/p>\n
And then came the drop heard around beauty TikTok: NYX Cosmetics launched the Nicolandria Lip Combo, inspired by the lip look Carthen wore throughout the season\u2014the one Vansteenberghe famously kept in his pocket. The launch was an overnight success and became NYX Cosmetics\u2019 fastest selling collaboration of the year.<\/p>\n
By late August, she landed a Teen Vogue feature with fellow islander Chelley Bissainthe, marking her official transition from reality star to fashion girl in print.<\/p>\n
Fall It-Girl Season: Activated<\/p>\n
September brought even more headline-worthy moments. Olandria Carthen turned heads at the U.S. Open in a chic, neutral-toned tweed ensemble, serving effortless glam with a polished twist.<\/p>\n
The \u201cLove Island USA\u201d star wasn\u2019t just there for the fashion \u2014 she also showed love for tennis champ Coco Gauff, who\u2019s been vocal in her support of Nicolandria.Before making Vogue\u2019s Best Dressed list at the MTV VMAs, her personal style\u2014clean, sleek, slightly nostalgic\u2014started to take shape.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then came her New York Fashion Week debut\u2014and she didn\u2019t just show up. She made a statement.<\/p>\n
At Sergio Hudson, she hit the runway in an abstract, oversized cheetah print blouse cinched at the waist with a statement snakeskin belt featuring a bold gold clasp. She paired it with black mini shorts, oversized gold hoops, a sleek bun and classic french tip nails \u2014 serving high glam with attitude. Vansteenberghe watched from the front row, phone out the entire time, capturing every moment of his lady\u2019s debut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She followed that up with the now viral Raising Cane\u2019s couture show, where she wore a red silk gown with a flowing organza cape inspired by the brand\u2019s sweet tea cup. It was weird, wonderful and fashion forward in the most unexpected way.<\/p>\n
To cap it all off, Carthen appeared in Vanity Fair\u2019s immersive \u201cGet Ready With Me\u201d video, taking fans inside her fitting and glam process for the Off-White Spring 2026 show.<\/p>\n
From Tuskegee to Teen Vogue \u2014 And Beyond<\/p>\n
Today, Carthen is signed with Digital Brand Architects under United Talent Agency, joining a roster of top digital talent and lifestyle creators. But her vibe is still the same: grounded, intentional and totally herself.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s not just another reality TV star trying to be an influencer. She\u2019s building something sustainable\u2014fashion campaigns, brand partnerships, AI advocacy and representation for women who don\u2019t always see themselves in these spaces.<\/p>\n
So, What\u2019s Next?<\/p>\n
From elevator sales to Vogue best dressed, from Tuskegee to Teen Vogue, Olandria Carthen is showing what it means to turn a moment into momentum. She\u2019s giving soft power, smart branding and real representation.<\/p>\n
Whether she\u2019s walking a runway or showing up for her alma mater, Carthen is proving that grace, grit and a good lip combo can take you far.<\/p>\n
And if she\u2019s not your favorite yet, just give it time.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Mizzou chapter and does not…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":67638,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[1416,48803,48804,4511,146,9172,85,46,48802,48805,9173,411],"class_list":{"0":"post-67637","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tv","8":"tag-beauty","9":"tag-chapterchapter","10":"tag-chaptermizzou","11":"tag-college","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-fashion","14":"tag-il","15":"tag-israel","16":"tag-realitytv","17":"tag-sponsoredno","18":"tag-style","19":"tag-tv"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67637","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=67637"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/67637\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67638"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=67637"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=67637"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=67637"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}