Some of the most enduring outfits in pop culture history have been worn not on the runway or the red carpet, but on stage. There are plenty of gems: Madonna’s Gaultier-designed “cone bra;” in 1990; the sparkly bodysuit Diana Ross wore as a thunderstorm erupted over Central Park in 1983; Elton John’s 1975 sequined baseball uniform.
The Australian-born and NYFW-favorite designer Dion Lee has admired fashion moments of this ilk for a long time. He speaks lovingly of attending high-production arena tours, “where everything had a strong visual aesthetic,” growing up. Fittingly, late last year, the Spanish singer and trendsetter Rosalía approached Lee about designing every outfit for her Motomami world tour. Backup dancers included. Lee did not flinch or balk at the vast proposition, which he called “a collection of its own, really.” He said yes and, while simultaneously designing his brand’s Resort 2023 collection, spent a significant chunk of time jet-setting between New York, his home base, and Barcelona, where Rosalía was rehearsing and prepping the tour.
The result? A smart expansion of the motorcycle-driven aesthetic behind Rosalía’s latest album, Motomami, that’s fit for the big stage. One of the standout looks from the choreography-heavy show involves a micro school girl skirt, thigh-high leather boots, a tough belt-slash-corset, and a biker top embellished with thick leather shoulder pads. The look feels like a stadium-ready adaptation of what Rosalía and Lee both do so well: marry soft and hard. It’s no surprise the large-scale collaboration comes after the two creatives have worked together in the past, with Lee loaning Rosalía and her team pieces occasionally. Still, the tour, which kicked off in July and is set to run through December, is undoubtedly their biggest collaboration yet. The designer ultimately created ten outfits, in various colorways, for the singer.
Lee says his work on the tour initially started towards the end of 2021—nearly six months before the first show. There were a lot of practical concerns to take into consideration. For one: Making sure the clothes could work with all of the choreography in the show. “There’s a lot of jersey and mesh, for breathability,” Lee says. “But obviously one of the defining aesthetics for the album is this Moto-leather concept. So we’re working within this perimeter of heavy, tough clothing, but meaning for it to be breathable and have a high level of movement. And also make sure you do not completely melt under the stage lighting.”
New looks and colorways of outfits will debut as the tour progresses. “There’s multiple colorways of every look,” Lee says, sharing an exclusive sneak peek at sketches of the outfits with Vogue. “And there’s still so many of the looks that will be released throughout the tour up until the end of the year.”
One of Lee’s favorite looks involve “taking motocross padding and creating these almost butterfly-like corsetry motifs. They were really fun and something that was new for me and something that has also extended into our resort and spring collection.”
Lee’s close involvement in the show has already led to a new wave of customers and attention. He’s even achieving virality, thanks to a fan-favorite moment of Rosalía pausing during the show and sassily chewing gum . Who knows how many eyeballs —A million? A billion?— have seen Lee’s designs because of this one video, which spread rapidly across social media. “I don’t know anyone who hasn’t seen that meme at this point,” Lee says. Which sounds like grounds enough for entry into pop fashion history.
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Originally posted from “VOGUE” by ANDRÉ-NAQUIAN WHEELER
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