Harry Styles evolves from heartthrob to fashion icon
By NARDOS HAILE
Associated Press
Harry Styles will never be just a singer-songwriter, he’s now an actor and a fashion powerhouse as well.
The former member of British pop boy band “One Direction” has shed his musician’s skin for the male lead role alongside Oscar nominee Florence Pugh in the highly anticipated dystopian thriller film “Don’t Worry Darling,” directed by Olivia Wilde.
The film had its buzzy world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival on Monday, taking the internet and the world by storm with behind-the-scenes controversies and most of all, fashion.
Styles arrived on the Venice carpet dripping in a navy blue Gucci suit with bold broad shoulders and a very peaked collar, Sarah Karmali, executive editor (digital) at Harper’s Bazaar, described to The Associated Press.
Laura Jordan, fashion & lifestyle features director at Grazia magazine, said Styles’ partnership with his stylist Harry Lambert has created “absolute magic.”
“(Styles’ fashion) always got this kind of retro bit camp vibe. He loves the big collar, the tinted shades, lots and lots of Gucci,” Jordan said.
In 2018, Styles began to build his personal style and brand by becoming one of the ambassadors for the Italian fashion house Gucci. Styles has worn the brand in several editorial campaigns but more noteworthy was the dress he sported for the November 2020 Vogue cover. The musician-actor was the fashion magazine’s first solo male cover star.
The highly talked about cover depicted Styles in an open green field under clear skies and dressed in Gucci’s Alessandro Michele-designed blue dress that was lined with black lace for a pop of contrast, multiple ruffled tiers and to top it all off — a classic black blazer.
Since his transition from member of a boy band to a solo artist with multiple bestselling albums, he has become synonymous with a flamboyant signature look — a colorful array of oversized 70s-inspired three-piece suits and jumpsuits with flared bellbottoms and an occasional feather boa, mimicking the likes of Elton John.
Each outfit for his “Love On Tour 2022,” which currently includes an impressive 15-day residency at New York’s Madison Square Garden, sparks a pattern — literally.
Exclusively dressed in Gucci every night, Styles has worn a different pattern-filled two-piece jumpsuit ranging from stripes to dots, all in different colors like bright hues of red, pink, blue and yellow.
If there is a takeaway from Styles’ personal wardrobe evolution, it is that it’s personal, eclectic and most of all, fun.
“Harry Styles knows exactly who Harry Styles is,” Jordan said.
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Cristina Jaleru in London contributed to this report.