Tyla is Vogue China’s January cover star

Grammy-winning South African star Tyla is the January 2026 cover star of Vogue China, photographed during a seaside shoot in Malibu, California, that signals another major milestone in her global career.

Her cover look features a tiny, backless crop top paired with heavily distressed, ripped micro-denim shorts and knee-high black boots.

Her historic Vogue China cover story comes out as her hit song Chane” re-enters the Top 20 on Global Spotify at No 18, with 2.83-million streams over this past weekend.

Tyla’s editorial shows off a “wet look” aesthetic, featuring a sleek bob aesthetic to align with a “water” theme — with various bold looks set against the California coastline — leaning into a confident, pared-back aesthetic that contrasts glamour with natural surroundings.

In one image, she wears a red string bikini worn with a delicate red and white beach cover up; in another, she appears in a striking shot featuring the Johannesburg-born star in a long towel wrapped around her body like a strapless dress.

East and West mix as she appears in a black bodysuit dress with a gold sculptural neck piece beside a motorcycle at dusk – and another look where she wears a bespoke Chinese qipao dress in white with red and purple multicolour Asian motifs.

The shoot, under executive producer Rocco Liu, was photographed by Kat Irlin, produced by Mia Zhang, and styled by Alvin Yu, with makeup done by Ngozi Edeme, hair by Yusef Williams, nails by Pi Changnam, and art direction by Jena Serbu.

In her interview with Vogue China, Tyla reflects on her evolving artistry and musical identity. “My music is a mixture – many different sounds and genres stitched and cut together into something made for me,” she said in her interview with the magazine.

When asked if she could describe her sound as a colour, she said it would be “orange” — a colour she associates with energy, warmth and movement.

The Vogue China cover follows a year of significant international achievements for the 23-year-old. She previously appeared on the cover of British Vogue and completed sold-out tours through Asia and the Middle East.

She has also been recently nominated for Best African Act in the 2026 MOBO (Music of Black Origin) Awards and is nominated for Best African Music Performance for her song Push 2 Start in the upcoming Grammy Awards on February 1.

TimesLIVE