Techno style & clothes

[kiya]

It’s my birthday, fly me out and I’ll grab you a drink!

That doesn't sound like a very good deal for me.

 

[habitant]

Depends on what you drink I suppose.

 

[il_colonnello]

Guess I saw that there is not really much 'music & fashion' head on the forum, which is so sad, because fashion mainly comes from music, and happenings in the world.

I know what you mean - and I agree - but I also observe there are regional differences in to what extent that "inspiration" is welcome in the subcultures that fashion designers take their cues from.

DJ Hell (a German national) once complained that whereas in the UK, music and fashion have always gone hand in hand, in the German techno scene, attaching importance to fashion is widely seen as a sign of superficiality, and will hamper a musician in his/her efforts to be taken seriously as an artist.

I split my clubbing mostly between Belgium and Berlin, and certainly for Berlin I can say you stand a better chance of making it past most clubs' bouncers in no-name jeans and t-shirt, than decked out in head-to-toe SLP, Raf, Rick or Ann D.

I think it's because for all these brands aping subculture aesthetics, when actually worn in those environments, they are easily recognized by members of that subculture for what they are: mainstream imitations/appropriations of their codes, something that scene does not look on favorably.

...

 

[il_colonnello]

yeah i was being a bit flippant, but i think you're wrong to say 'never youngsters'? i've just started working in Berlin and my early explorations of the techno scene seem to indicate that there's a generation in their 20s who are seriously into it and that it's very much linked to their work in art/fashion etc.
(and while i'm being old guy pedantic please, please don't say that hedi slimane 'invented' the indie rock look!)

Ben Klock a while back, when he was touring the US, commented on how he was struck by how the people at techno events in the US tend to be older crowds (relatively speaking) than at home in Berlin.

On the other hand, I think a fair share of those early-20s patrons at techno parties in Berlin are international tourists who come to Berlin for a weekend to party, so basically go out for the sake of going out, and then it just happens to be techno because that's obviously what dominates the scene there. In fact, most of the bigger, well-known clubs have a second, house-dominated dancefloor (Globus in Tresor, Panorama Bar in Berghain, etc.), and that seems to be - in my subjective observation anyway - the area that most of the younger crowd flocks to.

 

[habitant]

I know what you mean - and I agree - but I also observe there are regional differences in to what extent that "inspiration" is welcome in the subcultures that fashion designers take their cues from.

DJ Hell (a German national) once complained that whereas in the UK, music and fashion have always gone hand in hand, in the German techno scene, attaching importance to fashion is widely seen as a sign of superficiality, and will hamper a musician in his/her efforts to be taken seriously as an artist.

I split my clubbing mostly between Belgium and Berlin, and certainly for Berlin I can say you stand a better chance of making it past most clubs' bouncers in no-name jeans and t-shirt, than decked out in head-to-toe SLP, Raf, Rick or Ann D.

I think it's because for all these brands aping subculture aesthetics, when actually worn in those environments, they are easily recognized by members of that subculture for what they are: mainstream imitations/appropriations of their codes, something that scene does not look on favorably.

...

DJ Hell is really good. Scooter even does a shout out to him on Hyper, Hyper!

 

[il_colonnello]

lol

I have always suspected Scooter of having a great sense of humor, even though his music is obviously certified crap. His RA profile photo shows him wearing black tie, an outfit the underground purists of that site wouldn't be caught dead wearing, with a big grin on his face and making two victory signs in front of the entrance to Berghain - a club he knows his ilk wouldn't be invited to play in a million years.

He seems like a fun person to hang out with, so long as his music doesn't come into play...

 

[habitant]

Agreed, he knows what he does and he enjoys doing it. Selling millions of records doesn’t hurt either. To be completely honest I play some of the original stuff once in awhile for nostalgia..

 

[Thun242]

DJ Hell (a German national) once complained that whereas in the UK, music and fashion have always gone hand in hand, in the German techno scene, attaching importance to fashion is widely seen as a sign of superficiality, and will hamper a musician in his/her efforts to be taken seriously as an artist.
.

Dj. Hell, dude he's my all time favourite since a very long time. I grew up on his label's releases, Gigolo Records. The Hacker, David Carretta, Fischerspooner, Vitalic, and the others... He presented a new line in music, when electroclash came in around 2001. It was the modern update of the synthpop sounds of the 80s, but it was very techno and industrial orientated.
You hit the nail on the head with Dj. Hell, as he said 10 years ago on MySpace or in some interview "music and fashion was always my passion". For me it's the same. He did Gucci runway soundtracks back in the Tom Ford era, but he also collaborated with Agent Provocateur, and Michalsky, a German brand.
This is not his best song IMO, but it's from his golden era:

 

[il_colonnello]

On the subject of techno + fashion, a friend and I am arranging to go to this:

https://www.residentadvisor.net/events/1134682

Especially looking forward to seeing Monolake, who I've wanted to see live for a while.

I have visited the Prada Foundation before, and of course it isn't really much to do with fashion/clothes (nothing actually, it's just a supporter and a space for art/culture of any kind), but I am excited anyway at the opportunity of seeing techno/house music and one of my favorite fashion labels collide.

 

[habitant]

Darko is in Berlin now, he’s pretty knowledgeable about techno, clothing less.