Welcome to the Guest Bloggers section on “Collette Costello”, here you will find interesting articles by our guest “On-line Fashion Journalists”. This article has been writen by specially selected journalist “Faye Banham”. If you love vintage style fashion, dresses, handbags and jewellery. Be sure to pay our on-line shop a visit, today!

Fashion + Music = Icon  by Faye Banham‎

When we think about an icon, there’s a handful of people that instantly spring to mind; Bowie, Madonna, Blondie and of course Lady Gaga. Not only do these four eccentrics have iconic names and amazing wardrobes to boot, but they also have one very significant thing in common, and that is, they are all trailblazers in music.

David Bowie

Every era has one, the 70’s saw Bowie play around with genre and even challenged ideas of gender when it came to his alter ego ‘Ziggy Stardust’. And his song ‘Fashion’ transcended his music in to the 80’s, declaring that fashion was the subject on every ones lips.

Debbie Harry

Of course the 80’s realised Debbie Harry as not just an icon in the world of music, but also took on the world of fashion by parading the stage in her many cat suits and short dresses. Her eclectic mix of vintage and designer one off’s paved the way for future fashionista’s to follow. Blonde hair, ripped tights and oversized jackets were a staple in the scene kids diet, which is evident in Madonna’s film ‘Desperately seeking Susan’.

Madonna

Without a doubt Madonna was the icon of the nineties. Her overtly erotic stage performances made her a public figure. She was a dominant sex icon who put Jean-Paul Gaultier on the map with ‘that’ bra, and who could forget the song ‘Vogue’. The very epitome of music reflecting fashion, the song was recorded in the height of the Supermodel craze, where the obvious link between the two industries was bound strong.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga is the icon of our generation, and I would suggest that she is the most risqué yet. She is known for her outrageous, and sometimes controversial, sense of style. Each ensemble she sports is cleverly calculated to capture publicity and attention from the public eye. Not only is she an artist but a brand of her own creation. Each outfit is a photo opportunity to parade the work of designers like McQueen and Valentino, as well as creations put together by herself and the team at ‘Haus of Gaga’. She uses the stage as her very own catwalk.

Both fashion and music are outlets for expression and what better way to exhibit style and individuality, than being on stage in front of millions of adorning fans. Not only can clothes be used to enhance an artists’ performance but they can build a whole image, which in some cases becomes iconic.
It is these iconic figures that set trends, stir fashion frenzies and give people a channel to express themselves. Whether it’s a fan that buys their icons album, attends each one of their tours or takes style notes from their latest reinvention, you can never underestimate how powerful a mix fashion and music can be.

Fashion and Music

It’s a formula that has worked time and time again. From Elvis and his ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ to The Beatles and their Pierre Cardin suits, musical icons are always given an extremely large helping hand from the world of fashion. After all the definition of iconography is ‘the images and symbolic representations that are traditionally associated with a person or a subject’.  Without fashion, I doubt that our Icon’s would have the same influence, prestige and fame they have today.