80s fashion is on fire right now. Left and right, you see it everywhere in pop, hip-hop, and rock music.
You might notice it in Dua Lipa’s music video “Physical”, with the lycra, the leotards and the sweatbands.
80s fashion is back.
Eccentricity, flashy colours, new trends, leggings and biker jackets. The 1980s was a period full of surprises. Some new aesthetics made their appearance, and they are specifically noticed in the music industry.
But why are today’s artists interested in recapturing this era’s fashion style?
Does Music Influence Fashion Or Does Fashion Influence Music?
Drake, Rihanna, and Kanye West have undoubtedly a huge impact on today’s trending styles.
Since musicians are often sponsored by brands, they will wear on stage, or in their music videos, specific clothes, accessories, or hip-hop sneakers. Fans and viewers might get inspired by them and follow the current trend. Consequently, the fashion industry might use the music industry as a tool.
Music and fashion. There are many similarities between these two industries. Both mix art and business. The artists aim to push their mark into the society.
As an article from Fashiontalks states their synergy is undeniable: “fashion is the mirror of what our society thinks, and music is the mirror of what our society feels”.
Major Icons From The 80s That Set The Tone For Styles We See Today
Now that we have established the link between the fashion and the music industriies, we can focus on who might influence today’s artists in their style.
If we put aside important icons from the 80s, such as Lady Diana or creators like Jean-Paul Gauthier, we might take a look at the pop stars who changed the music industry and still inspire artists.
Michael Jackson had his own signature with his cropped jacket, loafers and white socks. Madonna and Whitney Houston are also good examples of authenticity with their own and unique style.
Today, if we talk about them, we still have a specific aesthetic vision of them.
This also includes Prince with his androgyneous side and his eclectic fashion tendencies. Is it how today’s artists want to be represented in our society, or all simply, history?
Is This All Just A Feeling Of Nostalgia Or A Quest For Authenticity?
From Taylor Swift with “1989” to The Weeknd with “Blinding Lights”, it seems that many artists are reinterpreting the 80s to a degree, using a lot of the same styles in tones, melodies, and instruments.
The way the fashion tendencies from this period come back in many music videos might be a clue that these artists feel nostalgic about the times of 1980s, even though they were very young at that time.
Then again, maybe they want to state their status as Michael Jackson did and wish to be iconic for future decades. It might also be a way to be avant-garde by going back to the past.
For some, perhaps they feel it is safe to adopt an old style that is already liked by a majority of the population, and believe that it will make them feel more attached to the world of the artist.
In most of these scenarios, fashion is seen as a marketing tool for the music industry and, if believed, only serves to confirm what was previously said about the link between these two.
The 1980s is one of the eras that has had the biggest influence on our current society. It was a period of change and artistic revolution.
As fashion is “a mirror of what our society thinks”, bringing those tendencies back in the music industry reflects a sense of nostalgia. All of this also tends to confirm that the fashion and music industries are inevitably a precursor of our way of living as well as a reflection.
Follow Playlist
