Normani has her eyes on the prize. “I’ve always wanted to get into the fashion space. It’s something that I’ve been inspired by ever since I was a little girl,” she shared on the phone from Los Angeles. As a member of chart-topping girl group Fifth Harmony, she has already hit her share of milestones, but following the band’s hiatus announcement in March, she is ready to step into the spotlight as a solo star. Even better, her next project will give her an opportunity to fully engage with fashion: a new modeling contract with Wilhelmina, where she will join Shawn Mendes, Nicki Minaj, and Niall Horan as part of the agency’s celebrity roster. In an era where multi-hyphenates are increasingly the norm, she aims for the kind of triple-threat career path that will establish her as a force on and off the radio. “Now, more than ever, I feel like music and fashion play off of each other with music being one of the great influences and artists dominating in the fashion space as well,” she says. “It’s something that I wanted to be part of.”

Her love of fashion has been evident in her consistently on-point red carpet wardrobe: arriving at awards shows in slinky Alexander Wang minidresses or attending press events in sleek Fenty x Puma. Now, she aims to immerse herself in the industry starting with a trip to fashion’s capitals. “I want to educate myself. I want to go to Fashion Week; I want to go to Paris, Milan and make a mark,” she says. More than sitting front row and spectating, she cites Rihanna’s evolution from muse to mogul as a source of inspiration; the idea of a namesake clothing line appeals to her. “She didn’t transition from music to fashion, she did both at the same time and made it her own,” she says. “The fact that she just came out with a lingerie line for women of all shapes and sizes, and is out there really representing every woman so no one feels left in the dark, is something that I would [also] hope to do.”

Representation serves as an impetus behind much of Normani’s drive, and growing up seeing supermodel Naomi Campbell strutting her stuff fueled her interest in style. “In my mind, I always wanted to be like Naomi Campbell,” she says. “Being a young African-American female, having someone to represent me, whether I was looking at a magazine or on a runway at a fashion show, [seeing her,] I felt like I could do the same exact thing—she made me feel like I could also walk the runway, even though I’m about 5 foot 4.” Now in a position to provide girls with that same kind of motivation, she has been invigorated by fashion’s new spirit of inclusiveness: “That’s the cool thing, especially during this time. There’s such a versatility. Beauty comes in all forms and all skin colors.”

Fans of Fifth Harmony may mourn the loss of their favorite group, but Normani credits her six years with the band with preparing her for this next phase. “We accomplished everything that we’ve ever dreamt of. We’ve been to the White House, we’ve been to the VMAs, and all these different things I wouldn’t have been able to do without them,” she says. “It’s bittersweet because it’s the end of an era.” After performing her final show with her bandmates last week, she’s ready for what comes next, in fashion and beyond.