RAQUEL RILEY

An Officer and GentleWoman, LLC

Tempo & Tiara

Inside the Pageant Rockstar Fashion of Raquel Riley Thomas

Under the neon buzz of a jukebox glow, Raquel Riley Thomas looks right at home. Not because of the camera, but because of the rhythm. There’s always been music in her life, real music, the kind that moves through generations. Long before she became a decorated Army Captain, a CEO, and a crowned queen, Raquel was a drummer in a pop band and a violinist with perfect pitch. “Music taught me discipline before the Army ever did,” she says with a grin. “It gave me timing, expression, and the courage to take the stage.”

It’s no surprise, then, that her style feels like a live performance, precision meets improvisation. Dressed in sleek black with the confidence of someone who knows her own tempo, she moves like a front-woman, not just a model. “Every outfit I wear has to have a beat,” she says. “Fashion is another way to create sound, without ever saying a word.”

The Legacy Behind the Melody

Her grandmother, Shirley E. Cartman, a violin virtuoso and respected music teacher, set the tone for the family’s rhythm. “She built our band,” Raquel recalls. “She was the kind of woman who could hear a note of imperfection from across a room.” Cartman also taught Tito Jackson of the Jackson 5 in Gary, Indiana, and was the one who placed the young Jackson 5 in one of their first talent shows. “Our roots are literally in the soundtrack of American music history,” Raquel says proudly. “That’s a legacy you don’t take lightly.”

The Fashion of Performance

In the world of Raquel Riley Thomas, fashion isn’t decoration—it’s dialogue. Her signature style, which she calls Pageant Rock, fuses power and play: leather, fur, structure, and movement, balanced with sparkle and femininity. “Pageantry gave me elegance, the military gave me command, and music gave me flow,” she explains. “Together, they define how I dress.”

Whether she’s in front of a camera or commanding a boardroom as the Founder and CEO of An Officer and Gentlewoman, LLC, Raquel dresses to project both precision and rebellion. “I’ve learned to merge what the world expects with who I really am. I might wear black, but there’s always a shine somewhere—because that’s how I see life.”

The New Rhythm of Reign

Now crowned Elite Queen of the World 2025, Raquel’s journey continues to hit new notes. Between overseeing high-profile clients, launching global campaigns, and leading her DefendRILEY platform, her calendar reads like a symphony, every movement purposeful. “I want women to see that you can lead in heels or in boots, in sequins or in sweat,” she says. “Your rhythm doesn’t have to match anyone else’s.”

As the jukebox hums in the background, Raquel laughs, the kind of laugh that echoes through time. “My grandmother gave me the gift of rhythm. Now I get to live it, through music, through movement, through fashion. It’s all part of the same song.”

By: Lennox Grey, Culture & Style Contributor

Cr Dir: @aoagwllc

MUA: @rrtbeauty

Hair: @_brethehairboss

Photo: @emanitramm

Entrepreneur, Pageant Queen, Veteran: @raquelrileythomas