The Relationship of Music and Fashion

One music and fashion for me please, on the rocks.

That’s one heady mix that fits into the proverbial Siamese twins category and creates an impact far larger than one of them, standalone. Fashion is not just for the Bollywood bandwagon, nor for just the designers, stylists and the entourage that follows.

Someone recently said, music is the biggest indulgence and I never would have thought of that until that very moment. Until that moment, fashion was my biggest indulgence and I realised there is fashion in music and a musician without fashion is like a violin with one string kaput.

I had the joy and privilege of styling a friend of mine for the radio city freedom awards and her brief to me was simple. My clothes need to reflect my music. Easy peasy, I said at that point to keep her calm because I was pretty much holding back trucks in my tummy. A few hours of sleep later, I sat down and thought of her music and listened to it. Snap, it was just that. Simple.

This other time, I was invited to style a performance by the Wishbone factory for a jazz routine and little elements like veils, bow-ties and winged eyeliner made the choir look like they walked right out of the sets of the movie, Chicago. Fashion brings out the tangibility in music and adds visual appeal to compliment the sounds you hear.

(wishbone images here_)

Fashion represents a persona and a mood. I’ve always believed that and now the bond between music and fashion looks like it’s been glued together with industrial adhesive and the “want” to represent.

Picture this, lady gaga wearing a white chiffon skater dress and pumps while performing born this way. Born which way? Our way you mean? Just like all of us regulars. Too regular I would say.

Here are some musicians who truly dress to represent their music and the best part, it’s not forced, it’s who they are. (There are so many more who deserve a mention, if your favourites aren’t here, you should drop in a comment and let everyone know)