indie rock and fashion

you know what i hate? i hate pretentious people. i hate the pressure to look good and stylish in the indie rock community. so when i read articles like this about how you need to wear certain labels to have cred as an indie artist, i say FUCKIN' BULLSHIT! but it is cool that they mention kari's party at the delancey and the misshapes party at luke and leroys. what's up this bloggers mention though:
House of Diehl, Craig Robinson, Bonnie Barton, Christian Joy and Cloak are hitching their stars to musicians who wear the clothes onstage and at select parties — Thursdays at the Delancey, Saturdays at Luke and Leroy, art openings at galleries like Rivington Arms — sure to attract stylists, bloggers and fashion assistants.

uh, bloggers?

Craig Robinson agrees. An independent men's wear designer known for luxurious suits that enhance the male physique and are made of fabrics like Venetian wool and cashmere, he dressed the singer Ezra Reich and the bands Dead Combo, Bad Wizard and Interpol. "Some of the bands I dress don't even have 75 cents in their pocket and may never be famous, but they're considered some of the coolest and fashionable kids on the scene," Mr. Robinson said. His suits retail for $2,100 to $3,900 at his Fifth Avenue atelier, but he justifies free perks and discounts to rock bands as a good investment. "Other customers like that cool bands wear my stuff," he said. "It adds a bit of romance to my brand."

i guess i'm not cool enough for these clothes.

When her band's album "Fever to Tell" started gaining national attention on television and radio, Karen O, who sometimes crawls around the stage and sucks the microphone during Yeah Yeah Yeah performances, gave Ms. Joy enough commissions for Ms. Joy to quit her day job. "It was amazing to go to the MTV awards and all of a sudden there's Karen, dressed in a spandex silver space-age costume that I made her, trying to rock out in this beautiful set of giant weird tulips that Spike Jonze did," she said.

hahaha, sometimes sucks the microphone... or... ew. ok that was a little raunchy.

With H&M and Urban Outfitters selling downtown garage-rock style, many bands are seeking clothes that are not easy to imitate. "The worst is turning on MTV and seeing bands that have been heavily styled," said Diego Garcia, 26, lead singer of Elefant, who gets free clothes from the small men's wear label Cloak. Cloak is sold at Opening Ceremony on Howard Street, and Fred Segal in Los Angeles. The line combines elegant tailoring and a dark night-stalker look.

Mr. Garcia said that a major Italian design house tried to entice Elefant to wear its clothes onstage. "They said they'd pay us money," Mr. Garcia recalled, "and they'd promote the event." But he rejected the offer emphatically, he said. "The clothing was tacky and derivative. Having your own designer with a fresh perspective adds integrity to your band, and the public picks up on that."

oh, that diego. having your own designer is kinda pretentious, no?

another funny diego quote:
"Aren't these scarves great? When I perform, I like to take them off and throw them to the girls in the audience. They love it!"

hahahaha i can't stop laughing. make it stop. seriously.