Rock Stars’ Favourite Side Project: The Clothing Line – Why So Many?
One can only assume that some rather talented musicians are running out of creative ways to earn money. Otherwise, why would so many of them come up with their own fashion brand? What seemed like a unique idea a few years ago is quite common by now.
Financially, yes, being a musician is hard these days (Surprise! Just like any other job) and sometimes the passion and time that was put into making an album hardly pays off (it happens if you’re an entrepreneur). That’s when having a second job comes in. Obviously, no adult musician will ever work at the local supermarket to fund the costs of the new album and tour. As true artists, they will do something artists do – to become owners of one of the many “musician’s clothing brand” in this case.
I don’t get why this sort of second “occupation” is so popular among rock stars. If one is talented enough to make music that doesn’t suck, then I’m sure she/he could do better than a crappy mass design, with some time and effort.
This is similar to the famous pop-stars’ fragrances scenario where they sell something for the name, not because the person is highly committed to perfumery for example. Though, I secretly hope none of them will act like Victoria Beckham did and quit the band to become the next big thing in the famous designer world.
Just because I don’t want to be the hypocrite that is Maroon 5’s Adam Levine and diss on their actions before coming up with my own printed T-shirt line straight after this is published, I admit that I did daydream about a clothing line that sells similar things when I was younger. Hence, I even had designs laid down…then ditched the whole thing because I realized that couldn`t fulfil my idea of fashion.
A line, which contains t-shirts, flannels, and snapbacks from American Apparel, with now popular printed motifs, random inspirational/passive-aggressive sentences, or different fonts of the brand logo, isn’t a proper thing. There is a lot more to fashion and the process of creating a piece of clothing than the things said above. As someone who currently studies the secrets of clothing making (with not only a little struggle), I know this first hand. And this is the reason I cannot admit them as “designer”.
So, tell me one good reason…why would you make up a new artist-profession for yourself if the creativity doesn’t show on the new project, and you aren’t even that committed to the profession itself?
However, at the end of the day, music is what really matters, and if other occupations help them to be ‘A-class’ musicians, then let it be.
(Hoodie featured is by Glamour Kills, photo via Where To Get.)
