Modern Musicians Turned Fashion Designers
Image Courtesy: GQ
Beyoncé, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, and Tyler, the Creator are all musicians who transitioned into designing clothes after mastering their craft in the studio. While there are many other musicians who have impacted the fashion world from the music scene, these individuals stand out the most because they helped to design their own merchandise. Artists from the past like Kurt Cobain and David Bowie all inspired iconic style trends—but they were not directly involved in the creative process. A new genre of artists emerges in the music industry as modern musicians channel their creativity into fashion and actualize their visions.
If we erected a Mount Rushmore for musicians who became fashion designers, Pharrell Williams would undoubtedly be immortalized in stone. In 2003, Pharrell and Nigo started their first clothing brand, Billionaire Boys Club. This brand heralds the start of Pharrell’s long history in the fashion space. Pharrell continued to rock his iconic neon zip-up hoodies until the 2010s, after which he crossed over into high fashion. He took to the runway wearing Chanel’s womenswear, crossing gender lines before it became a modern trend, becoming a prominent figure at any event with his innovative sense of style. Today, Pharrell stands as the current creative director of Louis Vuitton as he carries on the legacy of former creative director Virgil Abloh.
Image Courtesy: Billboard
Kanye West is another artist who made his mark on the high fashion space. His modern-day criticisms and outlandish statements all rightfully put his impact in the dark. However, it would be wrong not to mention his contributions at all. Kanye first debuted on the high fashion scene in 2011 with Dw by Kanye West. This line is dedicated to his late mother Donda West, and features snakeskin prints, tight leather, and a lot of fur. This line received harsh criticism due to its lack of creative direction, but Kanye returned to the fashion industry in 2012 with help from Nike. Nike and Kanye debuted the iconic Yeezy shoe, which swarmed social media as everyone loved the iconic look. Kanye has since taken his designs to Adidas, which continues to manufacture Yeezy shoes today. Five years after the Yeezy debut, Kanye tried the runway again, but this time with Yeezy Season 1, which consisted of heavy streetwear items in a nude, green, and blue color palette. Yeezy continued the Yeezy brand in a 10-season run, cementing the rapper’s status in high fashion.
Looking towards the future, many young figures are designing the next big trends. Tyler, the Creator has been on a roll with his luxury brand, Golf le Fleur, which he describes as a whimsical world that reflects his curiosity. On the other side of the style spectrum is rapper Playboi Carti and his brand Narcissist, a brand that resembles a modernized Rick Owens line. The intersection of music with fashion has always been prominent, and hopefully it will inspire the next generation of designers as new artists come into the space.
Strike Out,
Writer: Adrian Botton
Editor: Noelle Knowlton
Tallahassee