Poshmark’s first pop star – WWD

In her latest music video, Olivia Rodrigo delves into a vintage 2000 fashion fantasy, playing on the turn of the millennium search term that sparks a buzz from young buyers to fashion resale platforms like eBay and Poshmark.

Early 2000s style classics like the Roberto Cavalli and Betsey Johnson dresses follow other notable vintage fashion moments for the singer, like wearing a pink ’90s Chanel suit to a White House publicity party and various other things. casual looks with worn clothes. Nostalgic t-shirts, sunglasses and micro-mini kilts that could have come from a local thrift store.

Call her Poshmark’s first pop star. Rodrigo’s carefully crafted fashion sense – with its upcycled clothing, on-point designers, and nonchalant style – is a testament to its relevance as our newest mega act.

These looks mimic the wardrobes of her peers across the country, as if Rodrigo herself paired prized pieces from Goodwill’s sifted hours with inspiration from a scroll of independent designers on social media. In many ways, she’s the cool best friend who blew up overnight.

Fashion played a vital role in Rodrigo’s ability to express his identity as an artist. And as a pandemic-born pop star – growing his fan base in an entirely distant format – his distinctive blend of second-hand clothing and high-end vintage helped create a visual language that balances aspiration and accessibility.

“It’s calculated in the best way; it’s more authentic to what she would wear. She cares [about how she looks] and it must be, because of the Internet. If she isn’t comfortable or doesn’t like it, we aren’t even wasting her time, ”said Chenelle Delgadillo, who, along with her sister Chloe, has been Rodrigo’s stylist since the start of her first single. , “Driver’s License”. which came out in January.

And this calculation works. “I really think she gives this cool friend kind of a vibe – she always goes to the little thrift stores and it’s very relevant. Sometimes you can find the best clothes so cheap so I feel like ‘OK I could have worn that too,’ said Sarah Miller, 18-year-old Atlanta-based mega fan, who manages Instagram @ OliviaRodrigoCloset, who documents everything Rodrigo wears. Miller founded the site in late 2019 when Rodrigo was only known for her lead role on the Disney Channel show, “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series,” known to fans as HSMTMTS.

“Now, she’s been using a lot of designer vintage lately and that’s something to admire from afar. I think she’s kept a lot of what I originally liked in her style, especially an interest in fashion. sustainable fashion, the same values, but she’s doing it on a different scale now, “Miller added. As a keen observer of Rodrigo’s style, Miller says that as the singer’s fame grew. is increased, “it raises the stakes with vintage”.

At the end of June, the singer – who has yet to tour or reach her fans in a significant in-person format – posted a virtual concert concept on YouTube called Sour Prom, appearing in a not-so-different high school gym on stage. from his popular Disney TV show.

Dressed in a metallic ’80s debutante dress, oversized blazer and combat boots, the performance galvanized her identity as a teenage idol for our time. Rodrigo has targeted a new brand of pop-punk from many of his musical peers – with songs that touch on the mental health and everyday nuisances that harangue young women across the United States, namely Social Media Toll and rejection. This vulnerability also helped her to endear audiences without ultimately connecting in real life.

Delgadillo was shy to appease Rodrigo’s success on his sense of style. “It’s part of it, but it’s just [as much] on music as on fashion, work together to create this image, ”she said of the symbiosis between the two elements.

But as we’ve seen with the success of K-pop in international markets, including the United States, fashion is seen today as playing a crucial role in how musical artists succeed. Top-notch South Korean music labels invest deeply in the wardrobe of each of their talents. Hee Sun Choi, stylist for girl group Itzy told WWD in 2019: “Bands that are very trendy are more popular. Fashion is the first dimension that the public will see visually. It is the first mode of communication, so companies are aware of the importance of a group’s image and fashion for their success.

Rodrigo’s arrival comes in the nascent stages of Hollywood’s acceptance of vintage. While the Kardashian and Hadid clans wear trendy old clothes for downtime, other music groups work directly with fashion houses to bring important archival pieces to the red carpet, like Cardi B in 1995 Mugler Couture at the 2019 Grammy Awards. Harry Styles often looks like he’s wearing vintage, when in fact it’s vintage-inspired clothing made by Gucci. Billie Eilish notably has a wardrobe of interchangeable black vintage T-shirts.

Rodrigo, however, has a totally independent focus on vintage and the thrift when it comes to high fashion – wearing it to performances, music videos, and in his personal life – creating impactful looks from head to toe with. old clothes that form the basis for her. artist identity.

“She wears out vintage when she does press or editorial shoots and I think it’s really interesting and sets her apart. It draws a lot more attention to second-hand and vintage purchases,” said Miller.

So far there have been appearances by vintage Betsey Johnson, Roberto Cavalli, Moschino, Chanel, Todd Oldham, Vivienne Westwood, Marc Jacobs, and Gianni Versace, among others. They’re often mixed in with a handful of young on-the-go labels like Mimi Wade, No Dress, Rachel Witus, and Ashley Williams – names you’d first hear from your most knowledgeable friend.

“It’s really refreshing because it doesn’t have to be. It’s natural for Olivia because she has always been thrifty and gravitates towards more vintage. We do not even speak explicitly of [a strategy to use vintage], that’s just how she wants to dress. It’s good because you don’t have to worry about someone else wearing it, ”said Delgadillo.

While Chenelle works closely with archives and independent vintage stores like Aralda Vintage, where Rodrigo’s White House Chanel suit comes from, it’s Chloe who spends all night on resale sites and apps. to find unique pieces. “I always wake up with a bunch of emails saying, ‘Your order is being processed,’” Delgadillo said.

And now, with Rodrigo’s new music video for “Brutal,” the first song from his debut album, “Sour,” which was released in May and has consistently been to the top of the US music charts – the singer claims this ideology to bring upcycling in the entertainment mainstream. Over the past eight months, his meteoric rise to pop stardom, with magazine covers, social media posts and multi-million-view television appearances, has helped proliferate the idea of ​​making the movie. second-hand shopping as a daily pleasure.

In his latest video, directed by Petra Collins, Rodrigo plays a variety of characters like a news anchor, influencer, and student dressed in clothes from Poshmark, eBay, and Depop, as well as pieces from the early 2000s designer archive.

“We had fun looking back on ‘Lizzie McGuire’, the first Disney TV shows, things we grew up on like Mary-Kate and Ashley [Olsen] and seeing how haphazard fashion was back then, ”Delgadillo said of the“ Brutal ”process.

In many cases, a pop group with Rodrigo’s fame has reportedly already signed sponsorship deals with fashion and cosmetics labels. But its rise has been so rapid that fashion has yet to catch up. When that moment comes, Delgadillo believes Rodrigo will still be able to put his stamp on it, noting, “Yeah, she might have to wear a certain brand, but it’s also cool and fun. We’re always like, “You’re a pop star and a lot of people don’t wear these clothes, so take advantage of it for us. We will always be adding smaller brands and accessories just to keep him young and fun. I think it all comes down to style.