Some of the most enduring garments in pop culture history are Not worn on the runway or red carpet, but on stage. Lots of gems: Madonna’s Gaultier “taper bra”; in 406; Diana Ross when a thunderstorm broke out in Central Park In shiny catsuit ; Elton John 180 sequined baseball jersey.
Australian Born and New York Fashion Week – Favorite designer Dion Lee has long appreciated these fashion moments. He fondly speaks of going on high-volume arena tours, where “everything has a strong visual aesthetic,” growing up. Late last year, Spanish singer and trendsetter Rosalía approached Lee to design every outfit for herMotomami world tour. Including backup dancers. Lee didn’t hold back or hesitate about the massive proposal, which he called “a collection of true self.” He said yes while designing his branded resort 296 collection and spends a lot of time in his home base New York and Rosalia flight between Barcelona. Rehearsing and preparing for tour.
Left: Courtesy of Dion Lee; Right: Getty Images
result? The motorcycle aesthetic behind Rosalía’s latest album Motomami is subtly expanded for the big stage. One of the most striking looks from the choreography-heavy performance was a miniature schoolgirl skirt, thigh-high leather boots, a tough belted slash bodice and a biker top with thick leather shoulder pads. The look feels like an adaptation of the stadium preparation that both Rosalía and Lee have done so well: a mix of hard and soft. It’s no surprise that large-scale collaborations follow the two creatives’ past collaborations, with Lee occasionally lending Rosalía and her group’s productions while the singer attends one of Lee’s gigs. Still, the tour, which began in July and runs through December, is arguably their biggest collaboration to date. The designer ended up creating ten different colored outfits for the singer.
“The beauty of this album is really strong and has a strong surrounding to work with me,” Lee said from his brand studio in lower Manhattan, where he is hard at work on his next collection. “The concept of Motomami is, yes, the concept of hard and soft. Lots of motorcycle references, armor, and body protection in all ways, but also maintains this softer side.”
Lee said that his tour work started at 836 – It’s almost six months before the first show. There are many practical issues to consider. For one thing: Make sure the clothes work with all the choreography in the show. “There’s a lot of sweatshirts and mesh for breathability,” says Lee. “But obviously one of the defining aesthetics of this album is this motorcycle leather concept. So we worked within the confines of this heavy, tough garment, but meant to be breathable and have a high level of movement. And also Just make sure you don’t completely melt under the stage lights.”
Getty Images
New looks and costume colorways will debut as the tour progresses. “There are multiple colorways for every look,” Lee said, sharing an exclusive look at the costume sketches with
Vogue Preview. “There are still many looks to be released throughout the tour until the end of the year.”
One of Lee’s favorite looks includes “with motocross padding objects and create these almost butterfly-like bodice patterns. They’re really fun and something new to me that extends to our vacation and spring collections as well.”
Lee’s close involvement on the show has drawn a new wave of clients and attention. He even went viral, thanks to Rosalía’s fan-favorite moments during the show’s pause and snazzy gum. Who knows how many eyeballs there are – a million? 1 billion people? – Saw Lee’s design because of this video, which went viral on social media. “I don’t know of anyone who hasn’t seen that meme at this point,” Lee said. That sounds like enough to get us into the history of popular fashion.
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