a jOuRnEy ThRoUgH tHe dEcAdEs: hOw AND WhY mUsIc HaS iMpAcTeD ThE wOrLd Of fAsHiOn
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EDITORS LETTER
Flicking through
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pages you will go on an EXCITING journey through the decades to discover how music has influenced fashion over the past 100 years. It is clear cut that music and fashion go hand and hand. With designers constantly showing us all this. From Vivienne Westwood and her 70’s punk inspired collections in the city of London, to russian Gosha Rubchinskiy and his 90’s rave influenced collections in Paris fashion and music are clearly the best of friends, with writer jochen strähle even agreeing with me by saying that “music and fashion have become intertwined”. and this is shown in fashion worldwide which you need to know about. Studying these pages you will witness the importance of this relationship from 1910 to 2017. The key question to this is not only what fashions have emerged as a result of music but WHY they have emerged. Ever heard of the saying ‘you are what you listen to?’ WELL IT IS TRUE. You music fans try and create the looks of your favourite musical idols which create trends that then flood into the fashion industry. The
carousel magazine asks us all to think of “Madonna’s famous cone bra, the entire wardrobe of Bowie, the haircuts of John, Paul, George and Ringo and more recently, the eccentric hats of Pharrell.” Although we might not all walk the streets dressed like this we all know that this is effecting fashion. To prove this. Westwood, Etro and Gucci sure have shown the art of music in their most recent ss18 collections. With Westwood staying in touch with her punk roots by featuring wild tartans, oversized safety pins and distressed-looking garments. Gucci added a spice of 80’s Electro techno with their colourful pallets, oversized silhouettes and bowie inspired pieces. And Etro was also keen to feature the music of the psychedelic 60’s in their collection by including erratic paisley designs and vibrant patterns to match the likes of Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. ROCK ON!
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CoNtEnTs 1910 The decade of opera 1920 The age of JaZZ
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1930 The decade of black jazz .......... 10-11 1940 The age of swing
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1950 The decade of rock n’roll ......... 14-15 1960 The age of mod’s and psychedelia
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1970 The decade of punk and disco bowie 1980 The age of electro techno
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1990 The decade of grunge and ravin’ 2000 The age of r&b and hip hop 2010 The decade of grime
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1910’s Opera music is certainly the most dramatic of genres in almost everyone’s eyes. With a story being told through the music. “OPera is SOOOO over the top, so exotic!”
All costumes are designed to match this exactly. One of the most striking examples is the golden robe worn by singer Feoder Caaliapin. Which is “lavished in detail and embellishment” and certainly is as flamboyant as can be. Costume is completely and utterly dependent on the story told through the music, but what we can say is that opera music has caused the fashion to be energetic and bold. Which designers of course love. Lagerfeld, Prada, Rhodes and Missoni all prove to be lovers of the musically inspired fashion with signs of it featuring their collections all the time.
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“It’s called creative tension and it’s what happens when the worlds of opera and fashion collide” - John Galliano “I adore doing opera. I know the history of opera by heart. I know my classical composers.”- Karl Lagerfeld.
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1920’s fringing were used on almost everything to flutThe wild sound of jazz sure ter when women danced did fill the streets of amer- to catch everyone’s eyes. ica in the 20’s and it was so popular because it was And it was not just Amerthe most incredible music ica where this was happento dance to. And “Ameri- ing. The influx of Jazz ca went dance mad”. Peo- also hit Asia bringing the ple wanted to dance so the exotic oriental influencfashion certainly had to es to the jazz look. This evolve so people had more meant wild floral prints freedom to dance. Waist- and baby pink shades. Paul lines dropped to the hips, Poiret was inspired by the dresses were as loose as sounds as he invented key ever and everything was jazz looks such as the lamp made from mesh so people could move with every limb. Beautiful golden beading, sequins and
shade tunic and sorbet dress which was perfect for dancing. AW12 Ralph Lauren also proves to be inspired as they featured the oh so famous 20’s flapper style dress on their runway.
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1930’s The opening on the cotton club forced an explosion of african american jazz artists to rise from t surface. The 20’s was all about jazz but the 30’s was all about black jazz and more importantly black heritage. “For the first time in history, the culture of a minority became the desire of the majority.” and this was SO important. Artists like Louis armstrong, Duke ellington and Ella Fitzgerald ran the show and made the most uplifting music which completely juxtaposed the
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harsh lives they lived. The music breathed self expression and focused on african americans and not everyone else for once. Emilia Wickstead is just one example of a collection inspired by the movement. Her ss18 collection features bright colours and patterns with symbols printed into fabrics. Definitely inspired by the cotton club.
z Z a J l A c MusI f O e G a E h In T m E l R a h E h T e C n A s S i rEnA
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BASQUIAT BOOM FOR REAL EXHBITION REVIEW SoMe Of HiS mOsT AmAzInG PiEcEs wErE iNfLuENcEd By BlAcK JaZz ArTiStS. tHis ArT hAs InFlUenCed LoTs Of dEsIgNeRS aNd cOlLeCtIoNs.
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It all begins on the second floor of the barbican. Where we are greeted with the beautiful sounds of 1930’s jazz music which Basquiat was certainly a lover of. Whilst strolling through the exhibition, I foundthat each room was filled with a ton of images and videos that express the wildly life and work of Basquiat which was shown though vintage Polaroid’s, postcards, self photography and colourful artwork. As you wander throughout the exhibition you learn of the exciting life of the artist/musician and what influenced him the most by gazing at his written poetry, art and personal snippets. Along with all these images is text and facts to illustrate the visuals to inspire and throw knowledge at us all. The exhibition most definitely focuses on his intense relationship with both music and film and explores is life and journey in the city of New York which is defiantly an interesting journey to follow. The first few rooms teleport you back in time to 1970s/80s New York where it all began. The exhibition walls are splattered with graffiti, images of the grim city streets and personal scraps expressing the
life of the New Yorker. Down the stairs his artwork is given full attention and is certainly the star of the show. Before visiting this exhibition I was already all so familiar with the unique work of Basquiat after seeing a few of his pieces at the moMA museum. His cartoon style drawings are defiantly an eye catcher with the fun colours used and the thieving of images from anywhere and everywhere. Loads of you might say his art is just a clutter of odd sketches, colour and shapes but he is known for his bold use of colour and shows creates a message through each piece. Timeless tell us that “his whole world is in every canvas” whether that be is hobby of boxing or his immense love for jazz which is then all crushed together to create this bundle of uniqueness. Jazz is undeniably the hub all of basquiat’s art and was defiantly what made his record collection. Feeling like a black
man in a whites world Basquiat looked up to the musicof the 1930’s Harlem renaissance which screamed and sang about the harsh life’s of African Americans. He was keen to feature his favourite Harlem jazz hero’s in his art to echo the harsh treatment of African Americans that still remained. Centre of attention at the Barbican is his famous work ‘King Zulu’ which was inspired by the likes of jazz man Louis
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1940’s The 40’s like the 20’s was all about dancing. But this time it’s about swing music. Swing music forced people to dance more and more than the normal jazz ever did. with outrageous dances like the jitterbug being created, fashion had to be as loose as possible with as much movement as possible. Dresses became super floating with huge skirts and allow movement and swing in the dress as people danced to the happy music. Prada and Chanel both prove to be loving the swing inspired looks as they show to feature this type of dress constantly.
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1950’S
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RoCk N’ rOlL The 50’s was known as a time of empowerment and rebellion in both fashion and music. With the youths running the scene, they wanted to be different to their boring old parents and take on a new rebellious way of life. They wanted something new and exiciting and this is what rock n roll brought to them. Rock n roll offered a chance to escpae from reality which they all deeply craved. Elvis became a symbol of rock n roll and his song ‘jailhouse rock’ sure did reflect the teens attitude of the time. a rejection of their mums and dads and everything they ever used to wear.
The typical ‘cool’ outfit consisted of blue jeans, tight white shirts to show off the boys biceps and black biker jackets. Masion Kitsunes aw15 collection mimics the musical styles of The music echo’d rebel- the 50’s by featuring the rebellion so did the fashion. lious looks of the leather jacket, With biker boots and skinny jeans and tight shirts. biker jackets being typically used for the average workman, normal everyday people wearing this was just seen as shocking. This typical blue collar worker style.
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1960’s “The subculture style of the mods originated in trends coming out of london driven by the beatles”. The beatles had their long mop hair and wore their smart teddy boy suits which was completely and utterly inspired by the edwardian period with the long drape coats and high waisted trousers. The beatles and other musicians of the time pioneered this smart unique way of dressing but it was the youths that modernised this look with like smart look topped with the not so smart signature mod parkas. The mod club “Flamingo” played bands like the who and “played a crucial role in developing cultures.” and are
“where fashions were sported and new music was adopted”. Proving the modernist music and fashion go hand in hand. But this modernist look was not just a 60’s phase. Look at the 90’s britpop scene. A complete rebirth of the mod look. Think of “noel gallagher’s union jack guitar or steve cradock’s tootal scarves”. Or look at right now in the streets of london with plenty of mod shops still remaining and selling, especially in camden. Luxury brands such as Yves Saint Laurent, Mary Quant and Oscar De La Renta have also even shown to be inspired by the scene through their collections because the look is seen as cool by almost everyone.
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ThE aGe Of PsYcHeDeLiA The late 60’s gave birth to the likes of woodstock icons Jimi hendrix and Janis Joplin who pioneered the hippy movement making their psychedelic sounds VERY apparent in fashion. The relaxed music meant relaxed fashion. Bell bottoms, oversized tunic tops and loose dresses were often worn but splattered with psychedelic patterns to match the psychedelic sounds. Tie dye, batik, paisley and wild embroideries were the most common prints. With designers such as etro and Pretty green mimicking this. And again. The beatles continued to influence fashion but this time with a relaxed hippy look rather than the smart mod look. Their Sgt.Pepper album wowed the world of both fashion and music as they were deeply inspired by the sounds and styles of indian culture which “marked a key moment in the development of an eclectic hippie style”.
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“Punk rock was one of the most influential and stimulating collaborations of fashion and music�. With the music screaming and shouting about the evilness of society and the need for change, the fashion echoed this rebellion and anger. Destroyed as heck garments, taboo clothing and the t shirts of the queen with her face corrupted. All inspired by the likes of the Sex pistols, The clash, Ramones and Blondie. Fashion designers stole the intensity and boldness of punk rock music and delved it in with their collections.
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70’S 70’s 70’s 70’s 70’s “PunK WaS ThE BiRtH oF a PoWeRfUl PaRtNeRsHiP BeTwEeN MuSiC AnD fAsHiOn. wEsTwOoD AnD McLaReN SuCcEsSfUlLy BrOuGhT tHeSe TwO maRkEtS tOgEtHeR”
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70’S 70’s
rAdIcAl DeSiGnEr
Vivienne Westwood “FASHIONS LAST TRUE REBEL” From Vivienne’s provocative pieces to her designs that criticized and mocked the harsh tactics of the government, Westwood has continued to shock and inspire the world with her striking and somewhat taboo collections. Gracing the earth in 1941, this woman has had such a big impact on fashion and fashion will never be the same. and she poses as a radical designer because of this. Some may question how she is a radical designer and the answer is simple. With every design and collection Vivienne defies the fashion norms by protesting and making an important statement to the world that no other designers were openly doingat the time. Her 70’s coll=ections featured“anything toannoy adults”so this was things like rapist masks, gay cowboys, wild fetish clothing, razor blades as accessories and destroyed t shirts with the queen’s face corrupted. Basically anything that expressed treason, marxism, blasphemyor sexual perversion. She actedas a HUGE“twofingers up to the government” which attracted those rebellious punk teens. “I make clothes that I like, and if the public likes them, then I continue, andthat’s why I
have continued. But there’s no point in me makingsomething Idon’t like. I’m not just trying to make clothes, I think I’m trying to give people a wonderful choice to express their personality. And that has got to do with rebellion, it’s quality notquantity. That’s true rebellion to me.” Most of us are just too scared to rebel and say what we want to say, with very few of us being a true rebel. The duo of the iconic Westwoodand Mclaren is the truly thedefinition of rebellion and actedas thekickstart forVivienne’s career as a radical designer. With the opening of the shop SEX they were able to birth “a spiritual home for punk fashion that served as a landmark for the emerging subculture in the 70s”. The pair enjoyed designing shocking wild costumes that were sold to prostitutes and other outfits that expressed radicalism in fashion A.K.A anti fashion. The original inspiration for the two was the growing impact that the punk scene was having which was invadingthe streetsof london throughout the 70’s. Punk. Known as the powerful partnership between fashion and music which the designers clashed together to attract the youths. expressing anger and rebellion in its music and fashion. Revolutionists The Sex Pistols actedas avoice for WEstwood and were often styled in her punk clothing to
show off her opinions and influence more of the inspiring punk youths who like vivienne, were frankly sick and tired of the government that felt did not deserve them. But she was not just impacting the 70’s she is impacting now. And she is “Fashion’s last true rebel”. breaking the boundaries like never before even today but still addingdashesof that punk vibe that we all know and love her for. Her latest SS18 collection features dark tartans, oversized safety pins and damaged and reconstructed items that are not necessarily wearable but make a statement of “saying fuck off to authority by using your resources the best way you can whether you’re rich or poor”. This collection inspiredus all by singing “I hear the fire talking / the young people are wonderful / and the future is with Corbyn.” as the fierce models walked the stage. This is a fuckyoutothe conservatives and a message to the younger generation. To protest and fight for change andfollow the greatness of corbyn rather than the ugliness of May. Still she is inspiring us all. “We’ve got to believe that we’ve stillgot a chance tosave the world. But it’s sourgent, we have to do it -now.”
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BOWIE mAkInG A 70’s sTaTeMeNt.
Not only was there punk music. There was also disco and glam rock and you all know the major style queen, or shall i say King of the 70’s. David Bowie a.k.a Ziggy struck the world with his “skin tight striped suits and crimson platform shoes” that never fail to catch everyone’s attention.
Bowie’s distinctive bold taste is continuing to influence fashion today with Jean Paul gaultier’s ss13 echoing the bowie glitz and glam with one model even looking EXACTLY like the style icon. “Alexander McQueen’s 2013 also expressed the glam
rock style as he featured metallic sparkles, Bowieesque shoulder pads and strikingly shaped flares.”
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1980’s With electro/ techno music hitting the charts in the 80’s it was also having an impact on the world of fashion. THe sounds referenced to the future and futuristic music which followed on to this new retro futuristic trend in fashion. Big names like versace, mugler and
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montana featured asymmetry and wild monochromatic tones in their collections to synchronize with the music of the time. German band kraftwerk influenced pretty much every British techno/ electro band of the time. And bands like new order and joy division included this futuristic looks
in both their sounds and album covers to influence collections. Even today the likes of jean paul gaultier feature the musical inspiration by featuring bold asymmetric uniforms which was the signature look of the time.
Y l D i W S ’ t I d N a o N h C e T / o R t eLeC F o D l R o W E h T n ImPaCt O fAsHiOn
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1990’s K u r t Cobain. The definition and the “epicentre of grunge”. Grunge music is pretty depressing and bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam often just sang about social alienation, rebellion and their desires to seek free-
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dom. Pretty much like punk. To match the lyrics the grunge look was often effortless and the clothes often black or dark colours to echo the anger of the music. Black ripped jeans, combat boots and
m u t e d flannel t shirts was the look of the time and still seen as the ‘grunge l o o k ’ . Marc Jacobs Perry Ellis collection in 1992
presented the grunge scene and even in 2013 we have Hedi Slimane’s collection for saint laurent that “was an unabashed ode to grunge”. Sky Ferreira and Cara Delevingne
show to take on the grunge look and act as a modern mirror to kurt and courtney.
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Rave music was definitely running the clubs everywhere in the 90’s with pretty much everyone attending raves or at least listening to the music. But aside from the music, it began to define itself as a fashion expression. Cheap as heck clothes that were poorly made was ideal for the ravers who were partying the night away and this look started to not only be in the clubs but also on the streets. Gosha Rubshinksy Latest collection proves that rave music will never die as he creates a 90’s rave inspired collection. He features head to toe
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football kits and bright hoodies teamed up with fluorescent joggers and adidas trainers to create the ultimate ravin’ look. Not only this, modelling the looks are young ravers scouted straight from Russian rave houses that are around right now. Because of course “young peo-
ple at the time represented a new wave of both music and fashion.” To complete the ultimate rave scene, the collection is at an old rave venue surrounded by wild smoke machines and bright green lasers to teleport us back to a 90’s techno rave. Think Darude’s sandstorm. .
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HiP HoP AnD r&b. wHaT’S Is It’s iNfLuEnCe oN fAsHiOn?
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2000’s Hip Hop and R&B was really making its move in the 2000’s with artists like Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z and Eminem rapping about being ‘from the hood’ and the problems with it. It voiced the rough life of the working class in inner city America and spoke of living life on the edge between both danger and pleasure. And of course the fashion came along with the music.
The original looks sparked from wanting to both be functional and affordable for the working class. XXL large so the kids could grow into it and work wear because it will last forever and ever. XXL not only indicates size but also danger. With the culture growing up around violence, the oversized looks enlarge the body silhouette and create a threatening gesture. The music expressed violence. So did the fashion. And
with men mimicking their favourite rappers the in the world of until look became HUGE. fashion hilfiger did. CerRussell Simmons tainly shows how latched on to the powerful the culup and coming ture was. And it’s trend by creating still affecting it ‘PHat farm’ the right now with the first hip hop brand likes of moschino ever. And one that featuring hip hop is still making its inspired looks on way into fashion its catwalks AND even right now. WE JUST LOVE IT! But it’s not just Simmons. Tommy hilfiger is known for featuring the hip hop look on its runways. Before hip hop definitely would not of been accepted
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2010’s The streets of London were flooded with the new and exciting genre of music known as grime in the early 2000’s but grime is really making its statement right now. It speaks to those black teens from the gritty estates in urban london about life on the streets, politics and the popularity of drugs right now. The founding fathers of this grime sphere feature the likes of Dizzee Rascal, Kano and Wiley but artists like Stormzy and Skepta are now running the scene and affecting the sphere of fashion. The dress code and music sure do go hand in hand and the whole look is so mainstream because
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all those working class youngsters can relate to it. The look that came alongside the music includes full tracksuits, slogan caps, tiny messenger bags and head to toe sportswear. But good ol’ Skepta is known as the man for bringing the tracksuit to the foreground and taking it away from it’s harsh roots of violence and rough council estates. Before grime was linked with trouble BUT LOOK AT IT NOW. The mighty Nazir Mazhar proves to be loving the look by including tracksuits on the catwalk and even featuring Skepta in his ss15 collection. But it’s not just Mazhar echoing grime culture on the runway. The looks
are now being updated by the youth in luxury streetwear brands like supreme, palace and A-COLD-WALL. With these brands only really making a statement right now because of grime. A-COLD-WALL takes on a modern approach to the grime look by featuring futuristic tracksuits with collabs with nike but then still linking it with the original style of grime artists from the grime musicians from the gritty neighbourhood. WE are loving the effect of GRime music on fashion right now and it certainly is just the “most urgent, unique and important music subculture to explode in Britain since punk”.
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BiBlIoGrApHy
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