Psychedelic Pleasings: Harry Styles & Mick Fleetwood's Trip Back to the 1960s

Harry Styles' Pleasing brand has debuted their second collection, Shroom Bloom, with iconic rocker Mick Fleetwood as the face of the psychedelic-inspired campaign. Complete with mushroom, flower, and frog motifs, the collection looks as though it was pulled straight out of Haight-Ashbury, San Francisco in 1969.

Mick Fleetwood for Pleasing. Photography by Anthony Pham.

I find the resurgence of 1960s nostalgia to be fascinating. The imagery has flooded my social media feeds — notably TikTok, with mood board-type videos glamorizing hippies, Woodstock, and drug-induced trips dominating my 'for you page.' I, myself, went through a 'hippie' phase, if you will, my second year of high school. I worshipped The Rolling Stones, and The Doors, treated Pamela Des Barres' I'm With the Band like it was the Bible, and watched Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous religiously, trying to manifest an on-the-road lifestyle for myself.

It was around this time that Harry Styles began his solo career with the release of his self-titled debut album. The timing was perfect: the album had obvious influences of 1960s and 70s rock, heard through songs like "Sign of the Times"—a rock ballad that has already solidified itself as a classic—and "Kiwi"—a blaring, guitar-driven track that would've easily fit in with the rebellious spirits of Mick Jagger or Jim Morrison. Deep into my classic rock phase by then, I transitioned from a One Direction stan to a Harry Styles stan with ease, feeling as though it were fated that Styles possessed the energy of rockers from the past with a modern twist of his own.

I consider his first performance with Stevie Nicks, at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, May 2017, to be a pivotal moment in my music-driven life. For me, it was two worlds colliding: a rock goddess whose music and lyrics I devoured with every ounce of reverence I could muster giving her approval to an artist I'd loved since I was a kid. It also signified to me that Harry Styles was no longer just a "former member of One Direction"; he solidified himself as the new face of rock 'n' roll for Gen Z, with Stevie Nicks and Mick Fleetwood endorsing his mission.

Harry Styles & Stevie Nicks, 2017. Photography by Jacqueline Verdugo.

Fast-forward to today, and Harry Styles' Pleasing brand is one of the many ventures from the musician since his solo debut, taking his influence to an entirely new, business-oriented level. A proclaimed lifestyle brand, Pleasing launched with a nail polish set, beauty serums, and crewneck sweatshirts, a tame beginning for a brand destined to succeed, given Styles' stature within the realm of pop culture. With Pleasing's 'Shroom Bloom' collection, placing Mick Fleetwood at the forefront of the brand's image is absolute genius. Selfishly, as a Fleetwood Mac fan, I view the partnership as a force of rock 'n' roll nature that is equally unbelievable and fated.

Styles, in conversation with Vogue, says of Fleetwood, "I felt there couldn’t be a better embodiment of Pleasing, or a person who could so naturally capture the wizardry that we love." Mick does, indeed, harness the energy of a rock 'n' roll wizard in the campaign: posed in the nature of Hawaii, he sports a purple hat-and-suit combo (serving very much Willy Wonka vibes), a Pleasing crewneck sweater that features a cartoon frog holding a daisy, and envious pieces of ornate jewelry that one can only assume dates back to the 1960s.

The vibe is the perfect nostalgia trip I have secretly anticipated, revisiting the free-loving, individualist spirit of the 1960s with a contemporary edge shown in the products offered: nail polishes, skincare products, and apparel. I think the campaign not only honors the undeniable cool-factor Mick Fleetwood granted rock 'n' roll history, but also shows the intriguing power Harry Styles holds. It is equal parts nostalgic and modern, showcasing his personal influences and sharing them with his fanbase to form a deeper sense of community between the two.

The campaign also hints at the cyclical nature of trends in fashion and music; in particular to the 1960s, younger generations can only yearn for the spirited energy of that time as modern culture is dominated by social media feeds and the prevalence of the internet. Pleasing seems to be a form of escapism, a brand that fans can see pieces of themselves in and focus on illuminating aspects of themselves to suit a lifestyle they aspire towards. Further, it is bridging a gap between generations who share a factor of rebellion within them, a brilliant merging of music and fashion culture.