IN TUNE WITH STYLE

Celebrity stylists talk about some onstage fashion looks that aspiring artistes can take inspiration from

Music and fashion have always made great stories together. Over the years, fashion designers have been customising music for their runway shows and similarly, singers and musicians create iconic costumes for their live music shows. Iconic artistes such as Madonna, Beyoncé, Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga, among others, have created trends with their onstage fashion statements that have become a source of inspiration to many designers and musicians across the globe. While internationally, the culture of experimenting with looks for live shows is not a new thing, in India, the trend is slowly catching up.

For all aspiring musicians and singers who perform live, there will be a time when creating music is not the only thing that’s going to be on your agenda. One aspect that artistes or musicians always look out for and at times, ask themselves is, ‘what should I wear on stage?’

Though earlier, artistes were limited to their own imagination, today, they hire stylists to curate their looks. In the age of social media, where everything and anything is just a click away, finding your style statement is much simpler. “An artiste’s personality is not just limited to a recording studio. Live shows are becoming such a big sensation where artistes make sure they have an eye-catching connect with the audience,” says Akshay Tyagi, celebrity stylist. Tyagi, who has styled singer Armaan Malik for a music video believes that it is important to be comfortable in what you choose to wear on stage. “Your talent is your voice or music. So, it is important to resonate something [fashion choices] that goes with it,” adds Tyagi.

While female artistes have always experimented with their looks, Tyagi shares that men, too, are not far behind. He shares an instance about the Jonas Brothers, who performed wearing suits in pop colours, and believes that men no longer shy away from bold prints and patterns.

In the past few years, artistes have graduated from the usual tee and denim combinations to bold prints, metallic hues, pantsuits etc. Afterall, it is not just about the music but also about how to present your music and yourself. If you have been following the Indian music scene, singer Neha Kakkar is among the few artistes, who loves experimenting with her looks.

Kakkar’s stylist Ritz Sony, founder of Style Dose, says, “I think the current generation of musicians and singers are aware of the importance of looks and presentation on stage. Most of them hire stylists to up their style game while performing on live international platforms.”

So, if you are a budding singer or musician, who is all set to get your big break, we have some eminent music personas whose looks can inspire you.