CFDA Awards 2015: Janelle Monae Brings the Mega Cape Moment

Janelle Monae loves a well-tailored look on the red carpet. And she’s not afraid to take a style risk. So the stunning custom caped Tadashi Shoji design she wore for her first time at the CFDA Fashion Awards should come as no surprise.

Janelle Monae

“When brainstorming with Tadashi and my stylist Maeve Reilly, we were inspired by a black-and-gold cape jacket from his collection,” Monae tells PEOPLE exclusively about her outfit. “We decided to recreate it into a white-and-gold cape dress, since I had never done a cape-dress look. We wanted to really embrace Tadashi’s aesthetic and incorporate my signature style elements mixed with enchantment, regality and wonder — all in one look. This was the perfect marriage, and I’m so happy with the final result.”

Monae adds that she’s been wearing custom capes during stage performances and that the trend makes her feel like a “superhero.”

Janelle Monae

“I feel classically futuristic, unique, powerful, mysterious, and fun,” she shares. “My creative team and I really enjoyed our first meeting with Tadashi. We had lots of laughs as we brainstormed different ideas and tried on different items from his collection — past and present.”

For his part, Shoji had an equally pleasant experience working with the recording artist.

“I am so thrilled to have Janelle as my guest for this year’s CFDA Awards,” Shoji tells PEOLE. “This is both of our first times attending so it will be fun to experience together.”

And Monae’s trendsetter status is one of the reasons Shoji could not wait to dress her.

“She has a very fresh and exciting style aesthetic that continues to push the creative envelope,” he shares. “I first got the opportunity to work with her during last year’s Met Gala when she wore a floor-length cape from our Fall 2014 Runway collection — which she pulled off effortlessly. For the CFDA Awards, I wanted to build on the momentum from last year’s Met look and fuse Janelle’s signature style to create a statement piece.”

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And this year’s cape definitely has a more unique, updated feel. “To keep it young and playful, I decided on a shorter cocktail length silhouette and kept the drama in the detailing of the cape, which is embellished with richly embroidered gold paillettes that work beautifully against the white,” the designer explains.

Courtesy Tadashi Shoji

Monae also went big on the jewelry front, opting for gold baubles and stacks of rings, plus, a mega diamond ear cluster.

“My stylist and I love accessories and use them to really make my looks pop,” she says.

Courtesy Tadashi Shoji

As for her hair and makeup, Monae (who calls her glam squad the “Android Maintenance” team), topped things off with a signature red lip (her look was created by makeup artist Jessica Smalls) and a fresh take on the “WondaBraid” she sported at this year’s Met Gala thanks to her hairstylist Caprice Green. She even added in some gold Ofira jewels to make her braid stand out.

“We have such a great time collaborating, and I enjoy bouncing ideas back and forth with each of them,” she says of working with her team.

Courtesy Tadashi Shoji

What do you think of Monae’s look? Is she one of your best dressed? Sound off below.

–Brittany Talarico, with reporting by Alex Apatoff

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