Renee Baumann explores how Zara Larsson has made her mark on the fashion industry with her outspoken views of feminism, the influence of her model boyfriend and her music.
Zara Larsson is perhaps one of the most remarkable young artists of our generation. Making a name for herself worldwide, she had a humble start to life in Stockholm. Now Zara Larsson is known for her outspokenness, her strong feminist views and her music which empowers young women all over the world.
As we can see with this year’s Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks, Zara has always been interested in fashion, wearing clothes ranging from Balmain and Moschino to Miu Miu and Giambattista Valli. She was also asked to perform at the Etam Live Show and the amfAR Gala Milano, where she sported a beautiful Moschino floor-length gown, embellished with BVLGARI diamonds. Being an influential artist we are not surprised that the singer too wanted to spread her message of selflove and feminism through her fashion.
Zara Larsson has undergone many changes to figure out her signature look, similar to many other singers who have a particular style with which we associate them. Take, for example, Beyoncé’s various skin-tight bodysuits or Michael Jackson’s gloves. Although the singer has only recently found her official look, we now see her wearing custom-made outfits for her performances.
Displaying her initials Z and a reversed L in white and black, she makes a strong mark on her fan’s idea of her. But this has been an ongoing development, as earlier looks the singer wore in her career were similar to the American artist Ariana Grande, with both of them frequently wearing knee-high boots with an oversized t-shirt dress. Zara Larsson made a debut with this look in her infamous ‘It Ain’t My Fault’ video, where she wore sparkly silver over-the-knee boots and an oversized white t-shirt dress. This same idea was later translated into her collection where we first got an introduction of Zara as a fashion designer or part of the fashion industry, as H&M announced their collaboration with the ‘Lush Life’ singer. The collection was a reflection ‘of fierce and feminine women, but also the pop star’s personal style’ as described by H&M. The clothes included knee-high boots, oversized shirts, denim coats and comfort wear. And most of the clothing sported the iconic line ‘Lush Life’ taken from her hit single, released back in 2015. Throughout the whole collection, Zara was preaching a strong message for all women, with jumpers covered in words such as ‘Equality’, ‘Feminist’ and ‘Girl Power’. She also included a more comical take on cat calling as an oversized denim jacket read ‘Cats against catcalling’. The collection is dominated by the colour pink which Zara Larsson explains as being a ‘feminine, powerful’ colour which ‘everyone looks good in’.
Just a few months ago we have seen the singer not only make bold statements with her music but also with her hair. She was pictured at the Coachella Festival 2018 with a brand new mix of turquoise and blue hair. This is a trend which we have seen on other celebrities such as Kylie Jenner and Dua Lipa. Kylie Jenner is known for her colourful wigs and choice of bold colours, so it wasn’t hard Zara to fit in. The naturally blonde singer was also joined by her boyfriend who had made a significant change to his look, as he dyed his naturally dark brown hair to bleached blond. But this is not the first time Zara had changed her hair; in the music video for ‘Symphony’ we are introduced to a gorgeously blended pink colour faded into her blonde hair.
As mentioned before the Swedish singer has recently become more present within the fashion world and we could attribute this to her British model boyfriend Brian Whittaker, whom she started
dating in June 2017. The pair have appeared together in the media, with Zara talking about her long-distance relationship with her boyfriend of two years and the struggles they face with their schedules being very different. Brian is on his way to becoming a world known model for his poignant green eyes and mixed skin. His knowledge and current involvement in the fashion world could be a strong reason as to how the singer stays on top of all the fashion trends and has increased her presence at this year’s fashion month.
Zara Larsson is an exciting and new influence in our understanding of music and fashion. She has made her mark with a strong and outspoken collection and made a conscious effort to always stay on top of current fashion trends. Zara has achieved a high status within the fashion industry because of her hands on attitude and involvement in the creative process but also because she is a fashionforward woman representing all women.
