Paramore have played thousands of live shows, but this summer they're taking their set to a whole new audience: Swifties. The Hayley Williams-fronted rock trio open Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour for a handful of European dates, and for the three-night stand at London's Wembley Stadium, Williams joined forces with designer Stella McCartney to create four different stage looks. Each outfit paid homage to Williams' chameleon style, from Stella's “Rock Royalty” T-shirt to a feminine purple dress that serves as an Easter egg for Taylor Swift fans.
Williams' stylist, Lindsey Hartman, wanted to “give [Swifties] a callback that would mean something to them,” so for Williams and Swift's “Crumbling Castles” duet, Hartman chose an outfit that recalled “last time.” [they] they performed together on stage in 2011, during the speak now turns During this performance, Taylor wears a purple dress with an extremely similar silhouette, so it was a no-brainer when we tried it on.” Two other looks that tapped into Williams' true rock roots: a cropped black jacket and mini shorts paired with a vintage t-shirt and the now infamous “Rock Royalty” t-shirt, first seen on both McCartney and Liv Tyler at the 1999 Met Gala, worn with glass briefs for the ultimate effect 90s-today.
The fit was a dream for the stylist-artist duo. Stella McCartney's team in London welcomed them with open arms (and a personalized Falabella bag with Williams' face on it), and Hartman was thrilled when McCartney herself appeared and greeted: “As my hero and Hayley, I loved how excited she was with us when we almost swooned over her. The whole process was so easy and magical. We both left saying, “Why can't every day be like this?!” Photographer Daria Kobayashi Ritch came along to capture the fit, snapping photos of the final adjustments, and even caught Williams and McCartney catching up on the couch.NYLON caught up with Williams to find out more working with McCartney, his current stage aesthetic and his vintage Holy Grail T-shirt.
When you're building outfits for a tour, comfort is obviously the number 1 priority. What else are you looking for in a great stage look?
I love simple concepts with scenic aspects. Like, let me get out there and get to work—I've got shit to do! And I'm pretty partial to a masc moment at the moment… like Freddie Mercury's look for the Queen set at Live Aid.
What was the creative process like working with Stella and her team? What was the inspiration behind the four looks?
I feel very fortunate that this was my first experience working head-to-head with such a big name in fashion. The whole process with Stella and her team was very empowering for me. We started with my look for the “Castles Crumbling” duet with Taylor. I saw the purple halter dress on the rack and immediately loved the idea of making my own version of what Taylor would wear during the speak now shows. Then we just decided to go a little further and team up for the Paramore sets as well.
Night One was the most feminine and I loved referencing Stella's “Rock Royalty” moment at the Met Gala. For the second night, I paired one of their cropped jackets and shorts with a vintage “Beatlemania” t-shirt I found at a vintage store in Nashville. Night Three was my favorite though, and more in line with how I dress for our opening sets throughout the summer. I wore the tank that Stella wore to her dad's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with some old Dickies carpenter pants and vintage Puma combat boots.
Your vintage t-shirt collection is admirable. Is there a particular shirt you have your eye on?
I have a really, really good Fleetwood Mac shirt tusk turns It's baby blue and perfectly worn. I think I'd like to find a good one Tango at night vintage shirt Time to save the search for “Fleetwood” on all my favorite sites and apps and ask Black Shag in Nashville to save anyone who walks through their doors!
