SXSWorld
Issue link: https://sxsw.uberflip.com/i/81862
New Event Opens at the Intersection of Music and Fashion by Joah Spearman the most stylish non-fashion events in the country. Th at may seem like a stretch, but many SXSW regulars know that every March, they see some of the best street style on the streets of Austin, even if both the wearers and the lookers are coming from places like New York City, Paris and Tokyo. For decades, it seems the intersection between music and style has been hovering just below the surface, likely being overwhelmed by fashion. Th is is why when people think of fashion, for the most part, they point to runway models and maga- zine ads. But when you open the conversation up to style—the Miles Davis to fashion's Justin Bieber— you get something entirely diff erent. Instead of models, we point to these iconic creatives: super-talented musicians like Outkast's Andre 3000, known for his oft-chaotic, always colorful selections. So why do musicians have such a knack for style? Well, perhaps it is because style, in its truest form, is a refl ection of one's mood, one's spirit and one's attitude. Someone's style may have a certain look and feel that develops over time, but there is also plenty of room for malle- ability. Sort of like music. Th e Beatles had a certain sound, but there was always something changing about their music, from "Can't Buy Me Love" to "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." Th eir style developed in direct correlation to their sounds and moods. Th e same can be said for Jay-Z, the drug-game-rapper-turned-board-room-rapper whose style morphed from baggy jeans and throwback jerseys to designer suits and wingtips without a major hit to his street cred. You may not catch Paul McCartney or Jay-Z walking around there's Madonna, her looks often eye-catching and brash. In hip-hop, there's Kanye, his looks (like his reputation) sometimes headline-grabbing and crass. Th e reason why the aforementioned music greats and SXSW have so much in common is because whenever music is involved, style is, too. Each year, SXSW is among I n jazz, there's Miles looking sleek. In rock, there's Bowie looking sheik. In pop, downtown Austin during SXSW, but you will see much of what I'm talking about in the form of musicians whose creativity isn't limited to the instruments they play or the songs they sing, but also extends to the clothes on their backs. Perhaps it is the way an up-and-coming 40 SXSW ORLD / M ARCH M USIC 201 1 rapper tilts his fi tted hat just so, making it possible to see every expression during a freestyle even when his head is lowered. Or maybe it's the boots that a singer-songwriter wears as she sits on a stool tapping her feet to the strum of her acoustic guitar. At this year's SXSW, a new " So why do musicians have such a knack for style? Well, perhaps it is because style, in its truest form, is a refl ection of one's mood, one's spirit and one's attitude." Limits to the SXSW showcasing band SPEAK. While Style X is still in its infancy, the style scene during SXSW has been impressive and rampant since the conference and festival started 25 years ago. Th is March, whether you are walking around downtown Austin between performances or checking out Style X in the Austin Convention Center, it will be hard to ignore the fact that music and style make a perfect duet. While one sounds good on stage, the other looks the part. ■ event called Style X will shine a bigger spotlight on the link between music and style. Like the showcasing performers during the music festival, Style X will feature emerging designers who have been care- fully selected to showcase their collections. Showcasing designers include We Are Th e Process, a streetwear line out of Atlanta that counts R&B crooner Usher as a customer; Happy Socks, the colorful patterned sock maker out of Sweden; X-Ray Jeans, a denim line based in Manhattan; and Sanctuary Printshop, the Austin company that has designed and screenprinted merch for everyone from Austin City Joah Spearman is the co-founder and executive producer of Style X. Style X will take place on March 18 from 2 - 9pm and March 19 from 11am - 9pm at the Austin Convention Center. The show is open to wholesale buyers and VIP guests for the fi rst hour only; then it is open to all badgeholders, as well as the general public. ■ Square will be the credit card processing partner for Style X, enabling the emerging fashion designers from around the globe to process credit card transactions using Square's free credit card reader that plugs into a cell phone or iPad.