Musicians match their style to the beat

As concert culture goes mainstream, style has become a key element of a musician's art and identity

- Mahalakshmi Prabhakaran

With the concert season in full swing, “what are you wearing for the gig?” is a question being thrown around like confetti.

From concert-core compilations to endless style guides, inspiration is everywhere if you know where to look. With Lollapalooza this weekend, it seemed fitting to put the question to those who know the stage best: the musicians themselves. In the last few years, a booming concert culture has turned the spotlight on musicians, necessitating a dramatic shift in how they dress.

If the 1990s and 2000s espoused a grungy aesthetic—“black tee and jeans” essentially—because rock music ruled the scene, today, the popularity of rap and hip-hop has made artists fashion icons as well. This tango between music and fashion is only set to gain momentum.

“I am performing as part of Karsh Kale’s band at Lollapalooza on Sunday. And all band members are planning on a black and white, futuristic look. We will perhaps go with metallic shades to maintain a cohesive look,” says Delhi-based musician Tarana Marwah, better known by her stage name Komorebi. “I'll most likely be wearing something by Rajesh Pratap Singh. He specialises in the black-and-white/monochromatic style and he helped me with my latest tour, so I will be looking at some of his outfits that I haven’t yet worn.”

For Marwah, who is in her 30s, fashion has always been an integral aspect of her musical career; having a unique stage identity/alter ego certainly necessitated that. “I'd decided early on that my fashion would be distinctive,” she says, but the initial years involved a bit of DIY experimenting.