BY IOAN LEWIS
JUNE 24, 2023
Photos Courtesy of Mace the great, Panic Shack and The Qs
Fashion and music are undeniably inseparable. Looking at the influence of Rock in the 60s through the 90s, Hip-Hop from the 90s and 00s and even how sub-genres like British Grime have become a recent powerhouse in modern fashion. This intangible relationship was always inevitable, with both fashion and music being extremely personal forms of expression. Arriving at the present, the fashion of the past rockstar is returning, evolving from the 90s’ current trend to our vintage-current-trend. It would be difficult to survey the streets and not see some overly-oversized jeans, reminiscent of early 2000s hip-hop, or someone sheepishly wearing a vintage band t-shirt (hoping no one asks them to name five of said band’s songs). This music-fashion cyclical relationship is extremely interesting; exploring how the renewed trends of the past are intertwined with the new wave of independent musical artists.
The most notable area of potential influence that vintage fashion has had on the up-and-coming independent artists of today is the idea of collaboration and combination. This isn’t a reference to the modern-day overwhelming amount of brand collaboration. Instead, vintage fashion is breaking out of the rigid aesthetics that the designs were assigned when originally created and worn. A prime example of this is the combination of both preppy and skate looks; a current trend that sees people combine a pair of battered old loafers and a knitted jumper with some baggy jorts and sometimes a baseball hat. This sentiment is being mirrored within the independent artist circle. More now than ever music is transcending and combining genres to present us a modern sound for the modern era, most prevalent in the the music of the youth.
Beyond this, a driving force behind specifically the great indie rock movement of the 2020s is the idea of nostalgia. We had the opportunity to talk to the Qs; an indie band that feels on the cusp of something big, coming off a sold-out Camden gig. Lead singer Leo dictated that vintage fashion is very important to up-and-coming artists like them because of the nostalgia it brings, and the connection that gives them to the music and musicians that inspired them. Modern musicians will always draw inspiration from the music of those that came before but they also feel an affiliation with the clothes. It seems that the idea of looking the part was very important to the bands of old and that they were such a fundamental aspect of the culture, that when the opportunity arose and those same trends and designs came back into the public eye, it was impossible to not draw inspiration from them.
Looking closer to home, we see this sentiment replicated in the outfits of South Walian female punk rock band Panic Shack. The band, comprising of four members: Sarah Harvey, Emily Smith, Megan Fretwell and Romi Lawrence, are a hot-topic at the moment, being described as the ‘wildest and funniest live band you’ll see all year’. Browsing their Instagram, it’s evident that each member takes a keen interest in vintage fashion, hitting the nostalgia nail on the head once again. Whether its wide frame 70s inspired sunglasses, tartan skirts that are reminiscent of the early British punk era, 90s-esque Fred Perry track jackets or the 60s’ flowing linen skirts, it’s extremely apparent that Panic Shack are sharing in the nostalgic sentiment of both fashion and music and representing Wales both in style and in sound.
There has also been a rise in popularity, maybe even a revitalisation, of the UK EDM scene that became a staple of underground British Culture in the 2000s. Raves are hugely popular once again and so many talented DJs are appearing out of nowhere, even Skepta is trying his hand. In turn, there has been a separate but connected movement; a revitalisation of the clothes and brands that were hugely popular within the scene at the time. Talking to up-and-coming DJ, Baby Bumpa (Elodie Hall), she emphasised the co-dependence of the sound and the clothes, detailing that you really cannot have one without the other. She referred to the importance of Evisu jeans within the early jungle rave community. It would seem that the reinvigorated passion surrounding vintage Evisu jeans for example (along with many other brands and trends that were important to the EDM scene) within the fashion community could have acted as some inspiration behind the reinvigorated interest for independent artists to try their hand at jungle, garage, drum and bass and similar music.
Within Cardiff itself, both the vintage and independent music scenes are rising but important cultures. Jake Knight, potentially the most clued-on fashion guru in Cardiff, owner of vintage clothing store Knight Vintage (the place to go for prime pieces) in the Cardiff Market gave me an insight into the perception of the vintage-music relationship. Fresh off a collaboration with Pull Up Recordings, having them DJ Jungle and D&B sets in the shop he noted that “some people liked it and some people didn’t”. This brings it all back to that sense of personal expression that’s so important to both cultures, whilst also implementing the ideas of rebellion that has been a long- standing element of music. This sentiment is also coming to be a big part of vintage fashion, with Knight Vintage housing some great statement tees, an ‘I Don’t Call 911’ graphic T-Shirt a prime example of this. Having styled Cardiff-based independent artists Mace The Great and Local, Knight understands that the relationship between vintage fashion and independent music, especially in Cardiff, is about a community revolving around expression and passion. Being based in Cardiff, Knight asserts that it's also about Nationalism, representing Cardiff to the rest of Wales and Wales to the rest of the world, the land of song also needs to dress just as well to appropriately represent this joint community. This is evident when considering Welsh language bands such as Mellt and Hyll, who can be seen sporting vintage knit vests, worker jackets, dyed over-shirts and phrased caps whilst bringing the Welsh medium to the forefront of modern musical culture.
There will never be a day that music and fashion aren’t considered co-operative, and if that day comes then ask my great great grandchild for a quote. What is undeniable is the effect that music has had on fashion, but also currently, the effect that vintage fashion is having on current music; re-energising and re-inspiring the next wave of young artists, whilst also building Cardiff into a hub of modern culture.
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