Understanding the relationships between the fashion and music industries is necessary for becoming a successful fashion designer. Knowing these sectors may also help you create your own unique style. In the article that follows, some of these relationships between various industries are discussed.
MUSIC AND FASHION
Fashion and popular music have a rich and creatively reciprocal relationship. Some of the most dynamic garment visualizations ever made in popular culture are the product of reciprocal effects. Some persist as iconic works for the stage and music videos, while others develop into long-lasting fashion fads that become significant, enduring, and referential in culture.
Three collaborations exist. One is when fashion designers and entertainment celebrities engineer fashion to fit a declared project. Another collaboration occurs when youth subcultures articulate themselves through fashion. The third is when the fashion industry interprets a musicled theme or trend.
Music celebrities and designer collaborations have altered the course of fashion, though good examples of this relationship are few. The affects of these unions have been very significant. Outcomes include Jean Paul Gaultier’s whirlpool corset dress worn by Madonna on her 1990 Blonde Ambition tour, which subsequently contributed to the trend for wearing bra tops and less clothing. Grace Jones’s collaborations with the art director Jean-Paul Goude, who in the 1980s rendered Grace Jones’s body a fashion object, made groundbreaking music videos and advertisements for various products. However, Grace Jones’s haircut became a major trend; it became known as a “high top” when copied by young black youth.
Both Madonna and Grace Jones acted as muses for creative designers; their musical representations became reference points for widespread interpretations. The images produced by these collaborations were decisive, especially in the way they altered conceptions of traditional beauty and gestures.
The outcome of many associations of the performer and the designer or stylist is usually a confirmation of the extant youth subcultural fashion. Rather new perspectives, new methods, and new resonances of fashion are made when fashion and music are linked to subcultural expression.
This article non-chronologically highlights the main collaborations since the inception of popular music. It is not a comprehensive review; Goth, Skinheads, Northern Soul, Funk, Independent Music, Rock, Grunge, Soul, Dance, and Drum & Bass cultures and collaborations are not considered. Nevertheless, it does demonstrate how innovative music and fashion expression are rooted.
Music’s Influence on Fashion
Bobby-soxers. With the birth of rock’n’roll in 1951, youth culture and popular culture gained impetus. In the 1940s, American teenage girls known as bobby-soxers, became famous not only for their fashions, but for their fanatical adulation of male crooners such as Frank Sinatra. Bobby-soxers wore ankle socks, hair ribbons, denim rolled-up jeans, felt poodle skirts with an embroidered and appliquéd French poodle, and blouses with small flounced edging, sloppy sweaters, and saddle shoes. Bobby-soxers were rare in music fashion cultures because males usually led most innovations.
In the 1980s, the new wave band the Jam illustrated the divergence of old and new Mod. The music became trashy and aggressive while the look drew on the stereotypical apparel items that already had been diluted by other Mod bands.
During the 1980s and 1990s the legacy of Mod continued in bands such as the Style Council, Blur, and Oasis though the fashion trend had begun to assume cross-cultural references. Sojourns to Ibiza and Morocco, references to Northern soul, and 1970s Regency Mod provided the visual vitality for bands such as the James Taylor Quartet, Brand New Heavies, D’Influence, and Galliano, whose clothes fused with the “ethnicity” of Mod. The new guise, Acid Jazz, became synonymous with the urban modern menswear that included formal and sportswear items.
Jackson, Michael
Michael Jackson, referred to as the “King of Pop” and the most well-known performer of the 20th century was a remarkable entertainer who had a profound effect on future generations of musicians and artists. In the music business, he was a pioneer and established standards for pop stars. He produced distinctive looks for his music videos by using fashion as a form of self-expression.
Jackson donned a lot of accessories as well. He wore a lot of diamonds and pearls. Additionally, he used permanent lip liner. Later on, he added baseball caps to his wardrobe.
His outfit was exceptionally well-made, frequently by stylists who worked full-time. His outfits were frequently made with thousands of followers in mind. His attire was also intended to serve as an example for future admirers. Additionally, he ordered custom pieces for his music videos.
Gaga, Lady
Lady Gaga has captivated the globe with her music, her style, and the scandals that surround her. She is a popular musician who is renowned for both her daring lyrics and her outlandish attire. Her aesthetic has developed into a distinct genre.
The Fame, Lady Gaga’s debut album, featured a blend of pop and dance beats. The singer’s love of fame was highlighted on the album. It was also among 2010’s top-selling pop records. Lady Gaga often sold out shows while she was signed to Island Def Jam labels. Later on, she joined Interscope Records.
Punk music
Late 1970s Punk, often known as Punk Rock, was a transient subculture. The initiative was established by a small group of marginalised adolescents. It served as a protest at the time against the outmoded ideas of the corporate entertainment sector. Additionally, it was a reaction to the era’s overproduced progressive rock. Loudness, unrestrained energy, and loud music defined the genre. It was renowned for its 45 rpm “albums” as well.
Numerous bands and musicians emerged as a result of punk rock. The genre helped indie musicians gain popularity. Film and fashion were among the artistic fields that were affected by the genre. One of the most significant subcultures in history was punk.
The “simple” punk look was created by wearing a T-shirt with an upside-down cross on it. The “Destruction T-shirt” was another. The early punk culture also saw a “fad” for these shirts.
It was possible for several punk bands to form connections all throughout the country. Bad Brains were a Washington, D.C.-based punk band, and Husker Du was from Minnesota.
rap music
The fashion and music industries have always been intertwined. Hip-hop culture, which is presently a billion-dollar global industry, has greatly influenced fashion. Hip-hop artists have worked with several brands to market their goods and services.
B-boys ruled the hip-hop fashion scene in the early 1980s. Tracksuits and loose, oversized apparel dominated the fashion scene at the time. In less affluent areas, young people wore tracksuits and sneakers with enormous laces.
Mexican music
In the US, Latin American music was popular in the 1940s and 1950s. In the early 1930s, rhumba became the first widely heard Latin American music to enter the US. The musical genres mambo, boogaloo, chachacha, charanga, calypso, and pasodoble are all quite popular.
Billboard first created the Top Latin Albums chart in the middle of the 1980s. The introduction of this chart was made in reaction to the influx of Latin music.
Selena gained notoriety as the “Queen of Tejano Music” in the middle of the 1990s and made history by becoming the first Latin performer to have four number-one hits. She also made history by becoming the first Latin musician to win a Grammy for a live performance.
