Vibe (March 2005)
Gwen and Pharell Redefine Music and Fashion
Gwen Stefani: Ska, new wave, rock, and rap. The outrageous white girl with punk roots – who, like Lil’ Kim, rocked pink hair and made it hot – has quietly influenced fashion and music of all genres and styles. Whether she’s teaming with fellow fashionista Eve or creatively sparring with Andre 3000, Gwen’s ghetto fabulous pass extends beyond musical borders. And she’s carried that fusion into her own L.A.M.B. (Love, Angel, Music, Baby) clothing line, bringing into fashion fold the Japanese Harajuku girls (named for Tokyo’s famous shopping district). And the beat goes on.
Style: Marilyn Monroe meets Cyndi Lauper
Known for: Blonde hair, Rasta influenced wristbands, bindi
Fashion words: “Think what money could bring/I’d buy everything/Clean out Vivian Westwood in my Galliano gown.”
Best Of Both Worlds
New wave rocker Gwen Stefani and hip hop skater-boy Pharell Williams chat it up about clothing lines, what happens when rock and rap collide, and why The Dukes Of Hazzard was good for more than just Daisy Dukes. Ayana Byrd listens as the uniting secrets of thier styles are revealed.
There has always been a spotlight on your fashion senses, but how do you describe yourself?
Gwen Stefani: For years I didn’t want to talk about style at all. I was like, don’t talk, just look at it. The music was always more important. With style, clearly I make an effort, and I enjoy it. But I felt like once the song was written, then it was time to get dressed up. Now I love talking about style.
What were your styles like before the fame?
Pharell Williams: I was a fuckin’ nerd. And I’m still a fuckin’ nerd…
GS: You’re definitely not a nerd.
PW: Every two years, I dramatically changed the way I dressed. Before I started getting notoriety, I was considered kind of a weirdo. When Prada sneakers first came out, I wore them with jeans, and people said, “Where are your Jordans?” I would wear all these colors years ago, and dudes would be like “What are you doin’?” Now it’s cool to be vivid. In my first video, “Lapdance”, in 2001, I wore a pink striped polo, which was totally unheard of then. Now, that’s the shit, everyone wears pink. Not because of me, but…
You don’t think you had anything to do with it?
PW: Nah. I never take credit. Credit is something to be given, not to be taken. Look at the trucker hat. I can say it’s me. I got it from the Dukes Of Hazzard. It seems like Uncle Jesse wore one in every episode. I just always thought there was something cool about it.
GS: I’ve been copying people forever, with my clothing line, my music, my personality. I was gonna call my record “That Was Yours, Now It’s Mine”, because the process is about being inspired by the things around me and making it mine.
PW: People shouldn’t be afraid to say they’re influenced. I’m definitely influenced by Stevie Wonder, Jim Morrison’s attitude, and I dug the way Robert Redford was a ladies’ man, but he ain’t fucked half the world. When I was young, hip hop was big, but so was rock n’ roll. On MTV, we were watching Bryan Adams and Whitesnake. I would sit in class, and the guy next to me was into a Depeche Mode and next to him as someone wearing an Iron Maiden T-shirt, and a skater on the other side of the table. The thing that we had in common was that we were all creative.
Pharell, you have Billionaire Boys Club (BBC), and Gwen, you’ve created your L.A.M.B line. Is it mentally taxing to make your styles accessible to everyone?
GS: It’s a tug-of-war in my head. I was actually a little bit jealous when I started to see girls wearing my jeans. But, really, I love the whole process – from going out and finding the inspiration, picking a color palette, designing it, and then seeing people wear it. It’s just like writing a song in that you’re creating something from nothing. It’s part of who you are.
What was the inspiration behind the lines?
PW: There’s not to many entire lines where I like everything, but I love what (Japanese designer) Nigo does. What his clothing line embodies is his personality and his boundary-less attempt to be a big kid and make the world how he wants it. That’s how I make my music – no boundaries. And I explore different colors and textures of a sound that nobody else uses. Not for the sake of being different, but for the sake of reaching into oblivion and finding that great new thing. To me, it’s like making a song.
GS: L.A.M.B is inspired by Japanese culture, too. They take style very seriously there. You see kids there than can be into Japanese music and they dress so hip hop – with dreadlocks. It’s pretty incredible to see the power of hip hop and how far it’s influence reached.
PW: I don’t care how racist a person says they are, thier children are singing Jay-Z and Eminem songs. Pop music is all hip hop influenced. And it’s the same thing with style. Hip hop kids and rock kids are borrowing from each other. You have Sublime, who are influenced by hip hop, but they aren’t making hip hop. Just like when De La Soul and Native Tounges were on skater style. It’s all about mixing it up, the bravery that comes from being open-minded.