Archive note: This newly written account revisits Bespoken and Halfbluud, paired in an earlier Grandpa Style feature. It uses separate historical sources to explain their connection through Sammy Fayed. The original article and photography have not been recovered.
Bespoken: tailoring with a musical background
For Bespoken designers Liam and Sammy Fayed, music formed part of the label’s creative background. In GQ’s July 2013 profile, Sammy discussed playing drums while studying film at UCLA and the influence of musicians on his interest in clothing. The brothers described creating a mood through design, connecting the work of a clothing label with the ambitions of filmmakers and musicians.
That connection also appeared in the clothes. Vogue’s review of Bespoken’s Fall 2014 collection, titled Tailored Vandals, described narrow lapels and pendants inspired by drum-tuning keys. A quilted jersey suit brought a sporting material into the tailoring. These are details of that particular collection, rather than a description of every Bespoken garment.
Halfbluud: the link through Sammy Fayed
Halfbluud connects the clothing story to Harley Cortez’s work in music. In its 2016 announcement for Cortez’s Poemas exhibition in Tokyo, curator mAtter described a practice spanning painting, photographic collage, film and music. The Japanese text identified Bespoken designer Sammy Fayed as a collaborator on a forthcoming Halfbluud LP. This documents the creative relationship and a plan at that time; it does not establish the album’s eventual release.
From inspiration to participation
Read together, these sources show two ways music can enter fashion. It can supply an image or a detail for a collection, and it can be something a designer actively makes with another artist. Our reading of the pairing centers on this movement between practices: the same person can approach clothing through silhouette and fabric, then approach a musical project through collaboration and sound.
Looking at the clothes
One useful way to examine a collection is to separate its outline, fabric and small details. Consider how a lapel frames the torso, how a softer fabric changes a suit’s appearance, and how a pendant adds a reference of its own. These are our suggested viewing questions, extending the historical discussion into a closer reading of dress.
For another account of a musician’s working process, read David Longstreth and Dirty Projectors, or browse the Grandpa Style Archive for more profiles and editorial histories.