“I think that fashion and music go hand-in-hand, and they always should. It’s the artist’s job to create imagery that matches the music. I think they’re very intertwined”.  –Lady Gaga

From the beginning, fashion, and design have been linked to music. But nevertheless, modern musicians have a much greater influence on what is hip and fashionable. These contemporary singers have a greater effect on fashion than ever before thanks to their ongoing brand endorsements in their songs, business partnerships, and clothing brands. Since music evolved from being only standardized entertainment to a means of expressing individuality, political convictions, and ideas, fashion, and music were inextricably interwoven. Musicians have altered how people are dressed through songs that encapsulate a certain look or emotion–trends in popular music and artists frequently influence the fashion industry. In practically every decade of the twentieth century, music had an impact on fashion.

All musical genres experienced a golden age throughout the 1960s. Londoners started to wear turtlenecks, knee-high skirts, fitted bustiers, classically chic, sleeveless dresses, etc. The largest breakthrough trend in high fashion history was created when contemporary fashion met it in London, “The Beatle Mania” had a big effect. Inexpensive clothes, Cuban-heeled boots, and messy hairstyles known as “mop-tops” were the initial steps in understanding rock n’ roll. Top designers continue to be inspired by Mod fashion’s music and aesthetic abilities today.

Rap is currently one of the main impacts on the fashion world today. For instance, Tyler, the Creator created his fashion line Golf Wang after discovering the connection between both fashion and music. Its loud, thematic, out-of-sync sound was captivatingly real and symbolic of rising counter-cultures like skate, surf, and hip hop. They were one of the first bands to emerge from the digital age. Nonetheless, they had a very distinct aesthetic from the gold jewelry and expensive brands that the rappers of the 1980s and 1990s wore. Their coastal microculture was transformed into a full-fledged streetwear movement that included Supreme and bucket hats, leading to hype beast fashion.

Work Cited:

Balestrin, Sofia. “From Beats to Racks: The Influence of Music in the Fashion Industry.” Entrance, 29 Sept. 2020, https://www.szentek.uk/news/from-beats-to-racks-the-influence-of-music-in-the-fashion-industry.