Creativity and self expression are portrayed in different forms across cultures and are manifested in ways that best illustrate an individual’s taste. Fashion, for example, is a big form of expression and creativity. It has gradually moved from a means of self preservation to a summary of a person’s personality, emotions, and even opinions. The same goes for music like Afrobeats, which asides from being another form of self expression, has become a bridge between continents and a representation of shared experiences.
The link between music and fashion is expansive. For one, fashion is a tool used by artists to establish a personal brand and identity which bleeds into their performance on stage, the persona they project and even their music videos. Not only is fashion an element that launches artists from an audio dimension to a visual one, it also plays a part in elevating the way they connect with fans.
To give insight into the relationship between Afrobeats and fashion, we spoke to Swazzi, a popular fashion stylist to Afrobeats artists like Kizz Daniel and Iyanya and the brains behind some of your favourite fashion-forward music videos like Buga and Bandana.
How has fashion in the music industry evolved over the years?
Fashion in the music industry has changed, it keeps getting better. Now you see music artists trying to look their best on red carpets, in music videos and anytime they are making public appearances. Afrobeats artists are now taking fashion risks, male artists now wear skirts, paint their nails, and wear daring and bold accessories to make a statement. Society is beginning to see it as the new cool but it wasn’t like this before. So yeah, a lot has changed.
How would you describe the relationship between fashion and music, specifically within the Afrobeats genre?
To me, I feel music can’t exist without fashion. For you to have a strong brand, fashion needs to play a key role, the way you present yourself is the way the public treats and regards you. Afrobeats artists right now are different from the ones we had in the past. This set is quite intentional about how they want to look, from their music videos to interviews, to red carpets and magazine covers. I see a lot of people that are not even music artists wanting to wear a particular fit because they saw Wizkid, Davido, Burna Boy, or Rema rock the same outfit. I remember when Wizkid started the pencil trouser trend and was rocking it in all his music videos, it became a trend. Look at Ayra Starr now with the short skirt and crop top trend, look at Asake and his baggy pants style. Fashion is becoming a lifestyle among young and old artists, our artists now attend fashion shows across the globe and make statements while at it, so fashion is really playing a key role in Afrobeat right now.
Are there any specific fashion trends or styles that have emerged or evolved due to the Afrobeats wave, and what do you attribute these changes to?
Well, fashion is becoming a lifestyle for a lot of Afrobeat music artists right now and even for music videos. Recently, Wizkid started the whole two-piece trend, it was a thing and is still a thing right now. I remember a client reaching out to me and telling me he wants to look exactly the way Wizkid looks now. I asked how. He said the whole two-piece thing and I said, “Right, hahaha.”
For me, I really don’t like recreating what others have done, it feels like copy and paste. I love to help my clients discover their styles and outfits that’ll look good on them and make them look like a star. I feel that’s why most people hire fashion stylists or image architects, to make you look powerful and confident. When it comes to styling Afrobeat stars, I love to think beyond now, I love to put myself in a place where if I look back 10 years from now, I’ll say yes we did this and it still bangs.
What role do you think fashion plays in storytelling within Afrobeats music videos and concert performances, and how does it enhance the overall visual experience for viewers?
Fashion plays a very big role in interpreting good stories in Afrobeats music videos. Days are gone when people just try to take the easy way and have girls in bikinis from the beginning to the end of music videos. With the steady growth of Afrobeats, music video directors are being more creative, and stylists are being hired to give their best in helping them interpret the story. These days, it’s no longer about just the artiste but also the models and everyone in the video. I have worked on a couple of video projects and I’ve seen how they changed the culture. Look at the Organize video by Asake, Buga by Kizz Daniel, and a lot more, the fashion in it. In some cases, a good music video helps make an average song big and you can’t achieve a good video without paying attention to details. Afrobeats artists are also beginning to understand that it doesn’t end with wearing flashy fits in videos, but that they also need to look their best during their onstage performances. The last performance I watched last night was Tiwa at King Charles’ coronation. Look at how beautiful she looked in that green, even the drummers, look at how they represented the culture on a global stage. Afrobeats are on the rise and everything is changing. Everyone is putting in their best and it’s really a great time to be alive!
In your experience, how important is fashion in shaping an artist’s image and identity?
Music and fashion work hand in hand. For you to have a great personality and stand out from the crowd, you need to have a great fashion sense, you don’t want to attend an event where you’ll be meeting your fans and you’re wearing the same thing with everyone. As a star, even when you don’t have new music or decide not to drop songs in a while, you can still have a big brand with fashion as a public figure and celebrity. Look at Kanye West and some other Hollywood musicians, even when they’re not dropping new music, they’re always in the news for the way they look, making fashion statements, attending fashion shows and even becoming creative directors for big fashion houses. As a music artist, you don’t need to limit yourself to just music. Rihanna started off as a music artist but now look at what she’s doing with FENTY. And it still doesn’t stop her from being a music artist and a mother. How you look should be a top priority to you as an artiste because how you look says a lot about you. When you make fashion a big part of your music brand, even on days you don’t drop the music, you’ll still be relevant. Look at Tems’ outfit at the Oscars, that look will go down in history. So you see why it’s important to have a great stylist and also have good fashion taste too as a music artiste.
Afrobeats has gained global recognition in recent years. How has this impacted the fashion choices made by Afrobeats artists, and how has it influenced fashion trends globally?
As I explained earlier, the time is now and Afrobeat artists are not playing with their craft, both in fashion and in music. Burna Boy and Adekunle Gold are good examples too, shaping the culture.
How do you strike a balance between incorporating elements of African fashion and promoting cultural identity while still appealing to a global audience?
I’m always big on culture. I always try to include made-in-Africa designs in everything I work on, even when I try to use other global brands to style a client, I always include made-in-Africa brands, shoes, accessories, or even clothes. African designers are the future, there is a lot the global audience needs to see. Look at how I styled Asake in the white native look for the Terminator video, and also how I style Flavour and my other clients. I’m good at discovering African designers and it’s always fun to pair them with global brands while still making it a look to reckon with by the global audience. I feel what makes you stand out when you’re from this part of the world is to come up with something different, you can’t take over a market with what everyone is already selling there. You need to come up with something new and that’s the mentality I always have when it comes to styling all my clients and that’s why culture is always important to me.
When styling musicians in the Afrobeats genre, what techniques or strategies do you use to ensure that their fashion choices align with their musical style and message?
When an artist or his team reaches out to me to style them for a shoot or public appearance, the first thing I do is research the artist and his music, and then I find a way to create iconic looks that are in sync with their music. Most times, I don’t like doing the same thing they’ve been wearing over the years. To me, every look needs to be iconic, and every look needs to bang. So I always make sure I go all out and create a mood board that fits the artiste’s style, then share it with the artiste and their team. Once I get the go-ahead from them, I create a masterpiece for the artiste. I create looks that 50-100 years from now, it’ll still be a mood board for the younger generation, that’s what style is all about.
Can you share any memorable experiences or challenges you’ve encountered particularly when bridging the gap between fashion and music?
My most memorable experience was the first time I styled Flavour. I grew up in the eastern part of Nigeria and Flavour is one of my all-time faves. When I was informed I’ll be styling him for Game Changer promotional pictures, it was like a dream come through for me because I have always wanted to work for him. I think the same thing happened when I styled 5 clients for AMVCA 9. It was bittersweet, the process wasn’t an easy one managing and styling all the clients at the same time to be on the same red carpet but it came out nice. At the end of the day, I was super proud.
