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Fashion has always been an important part of the music industry, it allows artists to express themselves in other ways other than just music. Fashion is similar to music in the way that it has no rules, you can wear whatever you want, just like you can make whatever music you want. Mind you, some people will have a bitch fit if they see a man wearing a skirt or a bit of makeup. WHO CARES! No matter how you choose to express yourself with fashion, someone out there will always have an issue with it, mainly because they're nowhere near as confident as you are and hatred comes from jealously.
Anyway, the most iconic piece of history surrounding fashion and the music history is of course Vivienne Westwood and punk, specifically The Sex Pistols. Vivienne Westwood famously designed clothes for the Sex Pistols, as at the time she was in a relationship with their manager, Malcolm McLaren. Westwood & McLaren opened a punk boutique called SEX in 1974, still open today it's just called 'The Worlds End' and stocks new and vintage Vivienne Westwood pieces. SEX became a huge part of the Punk subculture in London, not only was it a place for Punk's angry at the country and the government to shop, it was a place for them to hang out with people who dressed the same, liked the same music as them and people where angry about the same things as them. To many, Vivienne Westwood is the 'Punk Queen', not only for her iconic and memorable punk style but for who she was and what she did for the world. She was a punk activist, and an activist for climate change the majority of her life. She used her voice to speak up against world issues. Westwood has left behind an incredible punk legacy that will never be forgotten.
I could write a 10,000 word essay on Vivienne Westwood, but let's move on. So many other fashion designers have also made iconic pieces for musicians. To name a few, Madonna's Jean Paul Gaultier brassiere, Gerri Halliwell's union jack dress which was originally made by Gucci, but customised by her sister. Britney Spears' school girl outfit from the 'Baby One More Time music video, actually all items where bought from k-mart and cost less than $20. Lady Gaga has had many memorable fashion moments during her career, but the one I'm going to mention is her silver outfit, especially the boots from her 'Bad Romance' music video made by Alexander McQueen. It's just clothes that give iconic fashion moments for musicians, Amy Winehouse will not only be remembered for her incredible and raw talent but also her iconic beehive hairstyle.
One of my favourite designs for a musician was designed by the legendary Bob Mackie, he designed loads of beautiful pieces for Cher. The one that stands out the most for me is a two piece set, with a crystalised fringe. This set was made in the 70s for Cher, it was re worn and given the love it deserves once again in 2023 by Cher's goddaughter Jesse Jo Stark. Jesse Jo Stark is a musician and fashion designer herself and wore the piece on New Years Eve when she opened for Post Malone's gig. Jesse Jo Stark is also the daughter of Richard and Laurie Lynn Stark, who own the luxury brand Chrome Hearts.
The mention of Chrome Hearts brings me onto my last topic for this post. Chrome Hearts was founded in 1988 by Richard Stark and Laurie Lynn Stark, since then the brand has been a huge stable for musicians. Chrome Hearts is known for it's timeless and luxurious pieces, especially jewelry and leather clothing. Chrome Hearts has made custom pieces for some huge music industry names, such as Cher, Dua Lipa, Drake and Yungblud. The brand has also been known to do collaborations with musicians for designs, an example of this is creating a sillicone version of Yungblud's padlock necklace, originally made by Jesse Jo Stark as a symbol of their love and long term relationship.
All photos taken from Google.
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