Alison Mosshart on Her New Collection for R13 and Why She Digs a Messy Hotel Room
It was 1:00 p.m. and Alison Mosshart had just woken up. The artist and front woman for The Kills and The Dead Weather was on the phone after a late night session working on her latest project: a recorded version, mixed with music and sound, of her book, CAR MA, which was released earlier this year. The tome includes Mosshart’s writing, drawings, and photography, and it goes a long way to illustrate just how multidimensional this rock icon is.
Now, as it turns out, she also has an eye for fashion. Mosshart has designed a capsule collection for the punk- and rock-influenced New York brand R13, which goes on sale today. Led by R13 designer Chris Leba, the artist created 16 items, including zebra-patterned mohair sweaters, a psychedelic leopard-print blazer, printed button-down shirts, and a range of her favorite R13 skinny jeans. A hoodie with a tire and the words Free Soul written on the front was inspired by her favorite movie, the 1971 cult classic Vanishing Point.
“I basically drew pictures of the clothes that I wanted to wear, things I needed,” Mosshart said. “I referenced Elvis and Iggy Pop, especially with the jackets, and Chris really gave me full creative control.” She is close friends with Leba, but she was a fan of his brand first. “The way Chris cuts everything, it just totally feels like it’s an entire line that is meant for me,” she said. Indeed, Mosshart is famous for her rocker style both onstage and off, always in a pair of skinny jeans or pants paired with T-shirts, leather jackets, or silk button-downs. Dresses aren’t really a part of her personal style vernacular.
When Mosshart signed on with R13, she told Leba that she “wanted it to be representative of me and my life.” That’s why she decided to shoot the lookbook in a messy old hotel room in the middle of Manhattan. “I spend most of my time in hotel rooms on tour,” Mosshart explained. “When we were talking about the lookbook, I spent, like, 26 hours going through every photograph of every hotel in New York City on Trip Advisor. I wanted to find a hotel that hadn’t been renovated.”
New York’s Chelsea Hotel was a reference point. Mosshart spent “formative years” there with her bandmate in The Kills, Jamie Hince. “I was in my early 20s, and Jamie and I used it as our satellite living and creative space when we were working in America,” she noted. “I’ve missed it ever since it closed, so I wanted to create a set that felt like our spot, with clothes everywhere, because I would always have clothes everywhere, along with my guitar, my typewriter.” Mosshart continued, “The whole room was a wreck in about seven minutes. I dug it a lot.”
Another thing Mosshart digs is the process of sketching and drawing prints, which she’d like to do more of. “I absolutely would do more fashion design,” she said. “Working with Chris was such a great experience because I completely trust him. He knows my references because we basically have the same references, so working with him was a total joy.” She added, “I have to trust the person I’m working with if it’s fashion because this is obviously not my forte, but I would like to do my own line of silk shirts with all of the prints I’ve created. I’ve actually made three shirts already, so that could be what’s next.”
The collection is available at R13.com, R13 Soho Flagship, Barney s New York, and Browns in the UK
Photo: Courtesy of R131/9
Photo: Courtesy of R132/9