High Fashion Rock 'n' Roll: When Fashion Houses and Musicians Come Together
- Paulina Subia
- Oct 1, 2021
- 6 min read
On September 10th, legendary Italian fashion house Gucci debuted their "Aria" campaign. Under the creative direction of Alessandro Michele, the latest advertisements "captures the revolutionary and joyful impetus of eros as the creative force behind contemporary imagery." In the campaign, the models are seen reading works of theory: essays on sexuality, desire, and gender by the likes of Judith Butler, Sigmund Freud, Jean Baudrillard, and more. From Michele's notes on the campaign: "Our erotic relationship with the world overwhelms everything: artefacts [sic], dreams, clothes. Knowledge itself becomes an object of desire."
Along with the cast of models, Michele invited Italian rock band Måneskin to be featured in the campaign. Winners of this year's Eurovision Song Contest, Måneskin found almost instantaneous fame across the globe; already heralded as Italian icons in their own right, their collaboration with one of the country's most iconic brands seems fated.
Måneskin have cultivated an image that certainly fits the "rockstar" archetype: lots of leather, studded detailing, feathers, lace, and more, giving a nod to their glam-rock predecessors like David Bowie and Marc Bolan. Dually, their often-erotically-charged lyrics and imagery make them the perfect contenders to bring the imagery of"Gucci Aria" to life. Being a music journalist myself, I wholeheartedly believe that Måneskin are the future of rock 'n' roll, and Michele's decision to invite them into his campaign is an accomplished way of celebrating a rising band's musical talent while immersing them in fashion as an art form.
The concept of Gucci Aria alone is fascinating - having models read works of gender and sexuality theory while posed in ornate clothing is, to me, genius. It's an almost-ironic juxtaposition that combines the "shallow" nature of the fashion industry with rigid academia. Further, the campaign hones into the prevalent theme in the fashion industry of "sex sells" (ever-so controversial in both the industry and society, at large). Yet, Alessandro Michele cultivates the erotic in "Aria" in a way that is tasteful and aesthetically appealing. It does not promote the "erotic" in an inherently "sexual" way, as one may initially think; rather, it calls to the "erotic" within people who possess an intense desire for the art displayed in the world surrounding them. This then, by definition, includes music, from the art form's subconscious elements (the energy it evokes, the emotions brought forth) to the overt (the lyricism, the imagery, the fashion choices.)
This isn't the first time that Michele has noticed the interwoven forces behind fashion and music. Beginning in 2018, the creative director enlisted singer Harry Styles to be the face of Gucci's tailoring campaign. Styles, who began his solo career in 2017, has quickly become one of the biggest names in popular music today (I would know; I've been an avid fan since his One Direction days in 2011). To say that the campaign took over the internet would be an understatement; casting one of Gen Z's favorite musicians meant instant exposure for Gucci as a high fashion brand - especially to a generation plagued by the simplicity and accessibility of fast fashion stores - and showed Alessandro Michele as a man who had his fingers on the pulse of the influencer generation's tastes.
Two more collaborations between Styles and Michele followed: first, with Styles as the face of Gucci Cruise 2019, and a second with Styles alongside a line-up of creatives for Gucci Mèmoire D'une Odeur, a gender-neutral fragrance, in 2019. What I find really intriguing behind Styles and Michele's numerous collaborations over the years is the immersion of the fans into the world of fashion. Styles' fans are one of the most dedicated, passionate fandoms around, willing to support virtually anything that Styles does. Whether it be purchasing the perfume Styles was featured in the campaign for, or buying a Gucci lipstick he wore in a photoshoot, Styles' fans have undeniably influenced the mainstream popularity of Gucci as a label in recent years. I would even go so far as to say that "Harry Styles" and "Gucci" have become almost synonymous within Gen Z culture. This, I believe, is a perfect example of the motive behind this blog: the fashion and music worlds blending together to influence pivotal elements of popular culture. Subsequently, this results in wide-scale branding potential for both musicians and fashion houses alike.
Speaking of branding, I can't mention fashion and music without including a true innovator: John Varvatos. An eponymous menswear line, John Varvatos debuted in 2000 and quickly became known for featuring iconic male rockstars in their advertisements. A hardcore rock 'n' roll fan since his youth, founder Varvatos challenged the stereotype of the "typical rock look" (think: ripped denim, worn-in leather jackets, and combat boots) and re-imagined rock's "cool factor," favoring tailored suits, fitted jeans, knitwear, and the like. What I find so intriguing about Varvatos' advertisements through the years is the placement of rockstars in "normal" clothing, outfits that are palatable to the public, but still carry an edge to them that pays homage to rock 'n' roll.
John Varvatos on how the inclusion of rockstars in his brand's advertisements came to be:
"'I decided I wanted to do something very different – I wanted to own something – and I had the idea of using iconic music artists in our ad campaigns in a way that no one else has really done. In a very authentic way.' Authentic meant not just 'throwing big money at people', it meant John using his rock fan’s nous and his keen eye. It meant approaching artists with character, people who meant something. Guys who were timeless, iconic and equally as interested in Varvatos’s style. '...it really changed the whole complexion of the brand. It added another dimension, and a kind of excitement – people waiting to see who was gonna be the next artist coming up.' - John Varvatos, Louder Sound
Varvatos' creation of true fashion iconography gave a new element of depth to both the fashion industry and the musicians chosen to be featured in the advertisements. John Varvatos as a brand, as an image, as a lifestyle, really, brought forth an element of cool to menswear. By association, it not only gave new personality to the musicians included, but also potentially exposed these artists to a new generation of music and clothing fans alike - a similar effect to Alessandro Michele's creative direction of Gucci. To be blunt, I absolutely love John Varvatos advertisements. As a huge classic rock fan myself, seeing artists I admire featured in high-fashion advertisements is brilliant. It calls forth a diverse audience of music fans and followers of fashion trends, respectively, and really emphasizes the power of various art forms to create dream branding potential. While John Varvatos has since been sold, with its founder no longer being at the forefront of the brand, the legacy of its imagery stands the test of time, surely becoming an iconic staple of rock 'n' roll culture.
Of course, Gucci and John Varvatos are not the only brands to include musicians in their artistic visions. Italian fashion house Versace has a long history of dressing and taking inspiration from musicians, most recently inviting pop singer Dua Lipa to walk in their Fall-Winter 2021 debut. French luxury fashion house Yves Saint Laurent, under the creative direction of Hedi Slimane, featured a number of iconic rock singers in their campaigns, citing Lenny Kravitz as a frequent collaborator, as well as singer-songwriter Beck, folk icon Joni Mitchell, and French electronic duo Daft Punk. My personal favorite campaign of Slimane's was "The Saint Laurent Music Project" which photographed various musicians including alt-rock icons Courtney Love and Kim Gordon.
When thinking about these campaigns, alongside the growing prevalence of the inclusion of musicians in the fashion industry (whether that be through collaborations, modeling, or custom-made pieces), I cannot help but think about the role that capitalism inevitably plays. This may be a slightly cynical take, but I feel that, to some capacity, the desire for increased financial gain from one or either party - that is, the musician and the designer, respectively - is a large contender in the decisions being made. Think, for example, the frequent collaborations between Harry Styles and Gucci. The amount of exposure (and, let's be real, capital) that both Styles and Gucci have made is implied in the fanfare that such campaigns have garnered. With a brand like John Varvatos, rock fans suddenly cared about true fashion: rock 'n' roll was no longer only about band t-shirts and jeans, and the rockstars featured in the advertisements could certainly vouch for the aforementioned "cool factor" of the brand.
Ultimately, such collaborations, whatever capacity they may take, are brilliant marketing tactics that tap into the desire of the fans. The power of the consumer shines through in their ability to shape a brand's future and carry a musician's career. While capital surely factors into these creative decisions, their impact on popular culture is undeniable. As fans of fashion and music continue to influence what we wear, who we listen to, and in the context of advertisements, who we see, it begs the question of just how much power a fan can hold. For the next blog post, we'll dissect the role of the fan in the evolution and commodification of a music subculture through clothing.
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