About
Alva Claire McKenzie, known professionally as Alva Claire, is a British‑Jamaican‑American model who grew up in the Herne Hill neighborhood of south‑east London and now calls New York home. She shot onto the global fashion radar in September 2020 when Versace cast her—alongside Precious Lee and Jill Kortleve—as one of the house’s first curve models, a moment widely hailed as a breakthrough for size inclusivity on luxury runways.
Since that history‑making turn, Claire has become a regular at fashion weeks from New York to Paris, walking for labels such as Savage x Fenty, Luar, Altuzarra, 16Arlington, and Prabal Gurung, and appearing on covers of Vogue Thailand, Elle UK, and Office magazine.
Before Fame
Claire grew up in a creatively vibrant home environment. Her Jamaican-born father, Everal McKenzie, is a graphic designer who previously worked on the legendary titles of Top of the Pops, and her American mother, Susan, is a book artist and past lecturer at Camberwell College of Arts. She was one of those lucky kids whose walls were open to drawings and whose opinions were obligatory—values that nurtured Claire’s passion for self-expression.
Eager to understand fashion from every angle, she completed a foundation year at the London College of Fashion, interned with the online styling team at Browns, and assisted stylists to pay the bills. After spotting an article about a curve‑model agency, she sent in photos and signed at 18, though work was sparse in an industry still averse to body diversity. A move to Brooklyn in 2018—made possible by her dual citizenship—proved pivotal; New York’s more inclusive casting opened doors that London had left shut.
Her real breakthrough came backstage at Rihanna’s live‑streamed Savage x Fenty show in 2019. Originally hired as an assistant, she ended up on the runway in sunshine‑yellow lingerie in front of 19,000 spectators and a global streaming audience, an experience she still calls “my Popeye spinach moment.”
Trivia
- Runway firsts: Along with Lee and Kortleve, Claire helped Versace stage its most size‑inclusive show to date during Milan Fashion Week SS21.
- Collaboration on design: She co‑designed a capsule collection for the Danish brand OpéraSPORT in 2023, demonstrating that she’s just as interested in creation as in presentation.
- Self-care champion: To celebrate her 31st birthday, she went solo on a hiking adventure to the Azores, spent days writing in her journal, and came back feeling “reset”—proof that she values mental well-being as much as professional success.
- Style philosophy: Her go‑to casting outfit is a vintage pale‑pink dress paired with heavy‑duty boots—an ensemble she says makes her feel “strong and true” to herself.
- Pop‑culture cameo: Fans of Euphoria may recognize her from the brand campaigns she shot with Hunter Schafer’s stylist duo, further cementing her crossover appeal. (Mentioned in interviews across 2023 fashion week press.)
Family Life
Claire frequently attributes her parents’ struggles as an artist to instilling her own creative energy. Everal’s sense of graphic design and Susan’s passion for books helped introduce her to the use of visual storytelling at a young age. She also has an older brother with whom she spent her youth drawing, constructing forts, and arguing concepts around the kitchen table—activities she attests helped provide her with the confidence needed to be different and stand out in an industry that once had trouble placing her.
Associated With
- Precious Lee & Jill Kortleve – Fellow curve models who joined Claire in breaking Versace’s size barrier in 2020; the trio remain symbols of runway diversity.
- Rihanna – Claire’s first big catwalk was the Savage x Fenty spectacle, and she credits the singer‑designer with proving that bold inclusion sells.
- IMG Models – Her global agency, which also represents icons like Ashley Graham and Gigi Hadid, gives Claire top‑tier industry support.
- Versace – The luxury house that helped catapult her career by giving her its coveted runway slot during SS21.
