Have you met the #BamaBarbie? Even if you didn’t binge-watch Love Island USA Season 7 last summer, you’ve probably seen Olandria Carthen pop up on social media. Though Carthen and her boyfriend Nic Vansteenberghe—better known by their ship name “Nicolandria”—didn’t win their season, Carthen was the breakout star of the franchise, immediately becoming a fan favorite not just for her style, sparkle, and storyline, but also because of how open and vulnerable she was about representing dark-skinned Black women on reality TV. The 28-year-old began as a lifestyle influencer before entering the Love Island villa, and immediately upon her exit launched a multihyphenate career as a model, creator, and, most recently, a musician. Since the culmination of her season, she has walked in New York Fashion Week, posed for magazine covers, and appeared in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue in May. Alongside her high-profile brand partnerships and beauty-trendsetter status, Carthen emphasizes the value of higher education; a graduate of Tuskegee University, an HBCU in her home state of Alabama, she has spoken at Harvard Business School and received an award at the Harvard Undergraduate Women in Business Annual Gala. As her star continues to rise, Carthen is expanding her reach—she released her song “Ola Doll Anthem” in June.
