Your cart is currently empty!
Behind the Scenes of St. Vincent’s Dreamy New Music Video
—
by
START
body
Who is the real Annie Clark? The artist known as St. Vincent is a modern David Bowie: cool, controlled, and able to swap out identities like pairs of latex underwear. The new music video for her single “New York” is a testament to her chameleon-like qualities. Directed by visual artist Alex Da Corte (who has exhibited at museums like the Whitney and worked with the likes of Dev Hynes), the video for “New York” is a lush, surrealist ode to the city―featuring a bevy of saturated colors, NYC monuments like the Astor Place Alamo cube, and plenty of memorable fashion moments including glam bodysuits, thigh high boots, and major shoulder pads.
We spoke with Shibon Kennedy, Fader‘s fashion editor-at-large, who styled Clark for the video, about how it all came together.
What did you know about the concept of the video going into styling it?
“I’ve known Alex for years. I styled the video for his Easternsports show at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia a few years ago, and he really speaks to my artistic sensibilities. His aesthetic is super linear and geometric. The original inspiration reference he sent were these Rauschenberg costumes for a modern dance company in the ’70s. And then I saw the treatment for the video and Annie’s press photos for the new album, which were super glam ’70s, early ’80s. So I decided we needed lycra. We needed soft colors that were still vibrant. I heard the word ‘bodysuits’ then started going down that rabbit hole, and never looked back.”
What was it like being on set?
“It’s amazing to watch Alex work. His surrealist sets are so detailed. Every single component down to the last fiber is carefully considered. This video took three days to make and the setups were no small feat. For example, we shot on location at the Astor Place Alamo cube on a windy day, and Alex’s team put up a 20 foot by 20 foot scrim behind the cube. The whole video was shot in slow motion and sped up in real time. So to get it to look like Annie was pushing the cube by herself required Alex’s assistants to take turns sprinting and pushing the cube to get it fast enough to go with the music.”
What was your favorite look you styled Annie in?
“I really love that strapless, sequined Dolce & Gabbana dress she’s wearing on the purple couch with the swan. With the dark lipstick, there’s something really goth and crazy about it. Anne knows exactly what she likes and I really got her sensibility. Plus, she has the perfect mannequin figure, so pretty much everything we tried on her would be the final decision.
I really went out to my resources. Almost everything I pulled for this was archival―from amazing resources like Albright NYC and Gabriel Held, who’s based in Williamsburg and has the most amazing ’90s-heavy collection. But a definite personal highlight was custom designing these one-legged, ruffled bodysuits the models wear. I worked with Christian Joy, who does Karen O’s costumes, and she introduced me to her assistant seamstress, Caitlin McMullen, who took my sketches and made them come to fruition.”
How does Annie’s personal style compare to the video?
“Even though the video is super glam ’70s/’80s, it’s still very much a genuine extension of what she’s into now. A lot of the pieces in the video or in the press shots are things she had custom made or were already in her closet. The cheetah thong bodysuit is hers. She had the green jacket in the Astor Place shot made from a shiny upholstery fabric you might find at a diner.”
END
prev link: https://www.crfashionbook.com/celebrity/a12157391/st-vincent-new-music-video-new-york-fashion/
createdAt:Fri, 01 Sep 2017 13:20:58 +0000
displayType:Standard Article
section:Celebrity