Trebles and Trends

Fashion and music go hand in hand, and the flow of inspiration goes both ways. Musicians are dressed by designers who are in turn inspired by the stars of the stage and sooner or later, the looks sported by pop and rock stars always make their way into mainstream fashion.

Fashion draws inspiration from social and cultural movements around. When pop stars meet fashion, a dynamic and lethal combination arises, paving way for new trends and culture. Pop stars over the years have become remarkable trendsetters for the fashion industry.

They influence the masses with more commercial culture. In terms of fashion, a pop icon’s looks and styles are emulated and embraced by a larger audience, encouraging designers to create similar clothes to create a wide appeal worldwide. Fashion comes from the streets, from people who make riches out of rags and icons who aren’t scared to express their own individuality and embrace their creativity with immense confidence.

Elvis Presley stole all our hearts with his rock and roll music and his sparkly jumpsuits, skin-tight leather pants that demanded the attention of not only fashion geeks, but all those who listened to his music. He instigated gender-fluidity before it was even a thing, and paved the way for Harry Styles’s hot pink suits. Elvis pushed gender boundaries throughout his career, famously making floral prints cool in the Sixties when he wore a red hibiscus shirt for the movie Blue Hawaii.

A female pop icon whose fashion style was mimicked by her fans as a chain reaction to her music was Madonna. She owned the looks of the ’80s by making the hipsters and lace tops popular, but fishnet stockings and knee-high leather boots remain trademark styles of hers. Even to this day, Madonna remains a fashion trendsetter for industry critiques and her fans.

Lady Gaga has a loud style of fashion and is not afraid to push her boundaries. The iconic meat dress she wore for the 2010 VMA´s is still one of the most iconic outfits to have been worn by a female artist of her time. Her main message to her adoring army of “Monsters”: be who you want to be, wear what you want to wear, and embrace individuality.

Known formally as the Goddess of Pop, Cher paved the way with her wildest boundary-breaking Bob Mackie looks. She has always been a style icon in a league of her own. Her poker-straight hair, patterned flares and penchant for pushing boundaries were nothing short of era-defining in the ’60s and ’70s.Even decades later Cher has been an inspiration to several people worldwide.

Kurt Cobain of Nirvana brought the grunge style in the 90’s which rubbed off on clothing along with their music. Ripped jeans, flannels, and worn in plaid shirts were trends that he set out to inspire designers for their collections.He  was one of those artists that never set out to start a trend, but changed the way that young kids looked at fashion. With the invention of the modern grunge aesthetic, Cobain paved the way for an entire new generation of dressers and fashion. No-one rocked the grandad cardigan with an effortlessness like Cobain.

Another icon who never failed to express and impress was David Bowie. We’ve always been struck by his incredible style and his willingness to embrace fashion in all its forms. Clothes were undoubtedly a form of self expression for Bowie and were a way for him to secure his identity. Bowie was known for his incredible changing personas and once stated that these alter egos helped him overcome his shyness. One of his most recognized personas is the emblematic Ziggy Stardust, with his striking bright red hair, donning wonderful colorful creations by the designer Kansai Yamamoto, who created some of Bowie’s most famous costumes and outfits.

While artists may not have set out to define fashion during their times, they wound up influencing millions of people all over the world with their bold, inspiring, outspoken, and unique trends. Fashion wasn’t just about the clothes you wore anymore, it was about making statements. It was about expressing one’s passion and belief and more importantly, it was about representing one’s true self. The industries of music and fashion have always been intertwined and will continue to remain that way.

– Aahna Sinha