From Beyonce, JLo, Britney to Harry Styles and Pharrell–music and fashion have harboured an organic symbiosis
By Manish Mishra
Music and fashion have time and again nourished and complemented each other or would that be stating the obvious! It’s hard to picture a world where the two can exist in isolation. We all grow up dressing according to the music we listen to or the music sensation we idolise. At some point, we all wanted to dress like Madonna, Amy Winehouse and Lady Gaga.
Elvis Presley–the king of rock ‘n’ roll altered the way men dress by refining and redefining a rockabilly aesthetic. His masterful usage of smudged eyeliner, pop of highlighting make-up, button-down shirts, and wide-leg trousers has influenced several generations of music lovers.
Also, worth mentioning is Prince–the flamboyant ’80s icon, who challenged the rigid boundaries of masculinity, sex, race, and rock ‘n’ roll. His inimitable take on Victorian peasant blouses, sequins, and purple still has an influence today and can be seen on the likes of Kanye West. David Bowie was the king of sartorial reinventions and he showed multiple generations how a man could be powerfully feminine. Amy Winehouse’s beehive mane and dramatic cat eyes are often seen impacting runway looks even years after her passing away.
Beyonce is one style maven, who has always radiated a boss-babe energy at myriad red carpet events. She was seen cutting a fine figure in a custom-made Louis Vuitton set for the Grammys recently. Her choice of outfits becomes legendary just like her songs. And it’s not difficult to understand that as the diva enjoys an edgy and dramatic energy with her wardrobe. Not surprisingly she has often fallen for the allure of Falguni Shane Peacock’s va va voom creations. Not long ago, Queen Bey was seen cutting a dash in a beaded, gold bodysuit created by Falguni Shane Peacock for one of her performances. Detailed elaborately with tassels, crystals, and sequins, she infused a life of its own into the ensemble. Diaphanous and accented with a plunging neckline, overly encrusted, the heavily detailed bodysuit worked fittingly well for the singing sensation. She teamed the bodysuit with her wild waves and metallic boots.
Besides, Beyonce, the likes of Lady Gaga, JLo and Britney have been spotted in theatrical and timeless Falguni Shane Peacock creations. Glam rock, boho chic, goth and Hollywood glamour are some of the key genres of dressing which have flourished thanks to the legion of music pin-up idols associated with them.
During the recently concluded Milan Fashion Fashion Week, Donatella Versace referenced Siouxie Sioux’s dramatic eyes which were seen complementing the house’s glam-goth creations. Performer Siouxsie Sioux’s signature glam gothic eyes had made their presence felt on the runways of designers like Hedi Slimane whose core design aesthetic has often been informed by the music scene. Throughout Slimane’s distinguished career, music has been a constant. From his early days when he would be a regular fixture at Paris’s nightlife institutions such as Le Palace and Les Bains Douches to his days as creative director of Dior Homme (2000 to 2007) dressing icons like David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In 2005, Slimane published a book of his photographs of Pete Doherty and the British music scene entitled London: Birth of a Cult. And during his tenure at Saint Laurent (2012 to 2016), he launched the Music Project — a campaign starring music icons including Joni Mitchell, Marilyn Manson and Courtney Love, all photographed by Slimane himself.
Talking of Saint Laurent, this is one design house which has embraced musicians as campaign stars, models, and muses. BB King, Chuck Berry, Joni Mitchell, Marianne Faithfull, Daft Punk, Kim Gordon, and Courtney Love have all been featured in the house’s Music Project campaigns.
Designer Alessandro Michele’s era at Gucci saw a lot of collabs with pop stars like Harry Styles. Michele and Harry, in fact, joined creative forces to unveil a capsule collection HA HA HA, which aligned Michele’s magpie aesthetic with Harry’s bohemian allure. Sabato De Sarno, the current creative director at Gucci collaborated with music producer Mark Ronson to create a soundtrack for his debut Ancora show.
In 2022, Chanel announced Korean-American model and artist Soo Joo Park as the face of the PREMIÈRE Original Edition watch. The singer had turned Chanel’s Métiers d’Art Show into her first ever concert, surprising guests by jumping on stage for a live performance. Talking of live performances, it’s hard to forget Pharrell’s pop culture moment at his Louis Vuitton debut menswear show when he brought plenty of star power—Zendaya, Beyoncé, and Jay-Z on the front row and ended the showcase with a choir creating a celebratory tone.
All in all, music and musicians have always enriched the fashion landscape with their infectious energy—from limited edition collabs to on stage live performances to their red carpet appearances.