Some people seem born to wear clothes well: The Italian musician Mahmood (Alessandro Mahmoud) is one of them; and fashion has taken note. Prada, Palomo Spain, Willy Chavarria, and Atelier Swarovski are among the brands that have created custom looks, shared first here with Vogue, for his latest concert series.
“Mahmood has a confident and brave sense of style,” Riccardo Tisci, then at Burberry, told me back in 2020. “He knows what he likes and is not afraid to take risks in anything he does, and this, along with the fact that he is one of the kindest people I know, is something which makes him an amazing collaborator.” Ramona Tabita, the artist’s stylist, concurs: “Working together is really fun,” she wrote in an email. “He’s full of ideas, and we collaborate by merging our visions.”
On tour to promote his album Nei Letti Degli Altri (On Other People’s Beds), Mahmood has parlayed his ability to “play well with others” to new heights, creating a gesamtkunstwerk involving, sound, lighting, choreography, plot, and clothing. Conceived “as a theatrical rave,” his NDLA performance has three different “chapters,” which are entered into via an “introduction” which finds the artist at the dentist. There, he explains, “due to the anesthesia, I fall asleep and begin to dream, imagining that I am embarking on a journey, a metaphor for the whole show…. The first [part] represents the flight into the unknown, the second the actual journey—always different for each of us—and the third the arrival beyond the clouds, in a non-place which actually represents a state of mind, the present.” Each segment has its own costume, with the red and black color palette creating a sense of consistency.
“Dressing an artist for a concert is a completely different process than for the red carpet,” Tabita esaid. “There are many factors to consider; concert costumes need to fit with the lighting of the show, as well as the movements and choreography….I like how fashion supports the show, enhancing the choreography’s movements or highlighting the lyrics of a song,”
The opening and closing costumes, by “the two brands Alessandro is most connected with, Prada and Willy Chavarria,” notes Tabita, will remain constant. (Mahmood walked in Chavarria’s spring show.) For the middle section there are several looks on rotation, commissioned from Palomo Spain, Luis de Javier, Isabel Marant, and a to-be-revealed ensemble from the last couture collection designed by Jean Paul Gaultier. Atelier Swarovski not only created accessories and a crystal mesh blouse and matching balaclava, requiring 150,000 crystals and 25 hours of work, but also worked with some of the other brands using crystals.
Fashion isn’t immune to financial uncertainty and in times like these when luxury can seem unattainable to Jane and John Doe, it’s cheering to see the fantasy aspect of design being used to support and enhance stories and personas. It’s a reminder of the transformative power of clothing; add to that Mahmood’s rich, yet sweet, voice and you’ve got a transportive experience.
Prada for Mahmood
Prada provided the opening look in the tour’s red-and-black color scheme. It consists of a crystal embroidered black poplin shirt, red faille tie, black trousers with satin sidebands, a black shearling coat, and leather shoes. Tabita wanted to provide a contrast between the physicality of the dance moves and the suave sophistication of the ensemble.
Palomo Spain for Mahmood
Luis de Javier for Mahmood
The second part of the show, featuring vocals and piano, is meant, per a statement, to evoke a dream world. (The piano’s “floating” effect references the Japanese opera Ghost in the Shell.) One of the outfits Mahmood will wear for this section is by Palomo Spain’s Alejandro Gómez Palomo, and features radiating lines of crystals.
Palomo Spain and Luis de Javier for Mahmood
Continuing the streetwear references, Luis de Javier designed a tank and full pants for the second section of the NDLA show.
Willy Chavarria for Mahmood
Mahmood’s journey ends in the present moment, imagined as a cloudscape. He performs “Tuta Gold,” an upbeat dance song with a catchiness that rivals his early hit “Soldi,” in custom Willy Chavarria pleated pants and a durag with a very long train that acts as a sort of “red thread” connecting the artist’s earlier works with his latest.
