Fashion & Music

Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld in 1991

Music is an art form with a stage presence that has connected it to costumes and fashion. Rock, punk, glam and country western are all recognized styles. Hip Hop is a subculture of both music and style. In “Great Aspirations: Hip Hop and Fashion Dress for Excess and Success,” Emil Wilbeki begins by explaining that Hip Hop was first resistant to fashion and then slowly became consumed with status. Rap stars began to align with American Dream of excess. The clothing style varied from track suits to prep.

Run DMC, late 80's

Isaac Mizrahi saw his elevator operator with a gold chain and repeated the look in the late 1980’s, supporting “homeboy chic.” Karl Lagerfeld used padlocks, similar to Treach by Naughty Nature. Russell Simmons, Sean Combs and Master P started clothing lines. Simmons coined the phrase “ghetto fabulous” mixing the sexuality of the styles of Versace, Fendi and Dolce & Gabbana to create Phat Farm. Combs partnered with Zac Posen. Norma Kamali below styled Chaka Khan’s “I Feel for You,” video with stretch jersey.

Kamali

Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis 1992 in Vogue

Malcolm Barnard, in his essay, “Fashion, Art, Performance, Masquerade,” explains that fashion is associated with concepts of identity, beauty, performance, spectacle and masquerade: “Identity may now be thought of as an ongoing performance which is immediately undermined as the appearance of authentic identity and with all the theatrical and spectacular connotations that accompany the idea.” He describes David Bowie as “Ziggy Stardust” as “mixing fashion, art, performance and spectacle.”

New Zealand musicians Flight of the Conchords included a segment of Bowie in his "outer space years," above. The Conchords work with a French costume designer Rahel Afiley and have created a video called "Fashion is Danger." Images below from V Magazine 50 "Greatest Hits."

Fashion, Fa-fa-fa-faashion

St-st-style

Lo-lo-lo-lo-look look look

I'm the edge, I'm the chic, I'm the taste,

I'm larger than life with just a hint of lace

I'm the vanguard, I'm the air, I'm the vogue

I'm the shi-shi, ooh oui-i, I'm the man a la mode

P-p-p-p-p-president Reagan

Thatcher Th-Th-Thatcher

Jazzercise!

L-L-L-Lipgloss,

Ooh-ooh-ooh!

Posing, Posing at the bar

Posing, Posing sitting down

Posing, Posing in the distance

Posing, Posing with my arm

Posing, Posing with my leg

Posing, Posing like a swan

Posing, Posing for a portrait

Posing a threat

You think you know fashion

Well, fashion's a stranger

You think fashion's your friend

My friend, fashion is danger

Moscow, Berlin, Paris, London

Tokyo, Wellington, Rome, Geneva

New York City

New-New-New-New York City