With Fashion Week well in the books, there’s one thing we were reminded of: the line between musician and designer is becoming increasingly thin. Whether artists are selling clothing through their own online store, opening up pop-up shops in random cities or showcasing their collection at fashion weeks around the world, musicians are expanding their brands by combining music and fashion.
When it comes to successfully crossing over from musician to designer, Victoria Beckham may be the reigning champion. After a prolific career as Posh Spice of the ’90s pop group, Spice Girls, Beckham started her own fashion label and quickly earned the reputation of a respected designer.
Rather than hang up the microphone to take on the sole role as fashion designer, musicians are attempting to straddle both roles. Two of the biggest names in music today, Kanye West and Rihanna, have now become some of the most talked about in the fashion industry.
Kanye, who’s shown his Yeezy collection for four seasons now, has successfully built anticipation for his collections time after time. However, he usually receives criticism, whether it is about his execution or the clothing itself. His Yeezy Season 4 collection, which was shown during New York Fashion Week, was met with the most negative reviews he’s received to date. Rihanna, on the other hand, has managed to produce collections that have been met with relatively positive reviews for two seasons now. Showing at both NYFW and Paris Fashion Week, she seems to have the right idea of how the crossover should be done.
Kanye and Rihanna are not the only ones testing the waters and attempting to hold their own in both fields. In the summer months leading up to Fashion Week, the popularity of tour merchandise skyrocketed. With pioneers like Kanye, Justin Bieber and Drake leading the way, many musicians are looking to make tour merchandise that can be worn well after the concert has ended. There aren’t many females who are thriving in the this category, but Rihanna has definitely made an attempt to do so by opening a pop-up shop in Paris that featured exclusive merchandise from her latest tour.
There will always be mixed reviews about artists trying their hand at a field that is not their own, but it’s safe to say that this won’t stop musicians from expanding. Judging by the way this past Fashion Week has played out, it is interesting to think about seasons the to come. Also, as musicians continue to tour, should we expect more of them to enter the tour merchandise game, or will the trend quickly become played out?