What the Band Wore - by Alice Harris & Christian John Wikane (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

"Even the book's cover sparkles with gold, a brilliant visual cue -- at least for those of us of a certain age -- of what's in store: A traipse through that time in our lives when the sparkly flash of pop-cultural figures served as guides to millions of youngsters desperate to connect to a dim constellation we knew to be out there but couldn't see alone." -- East Hampton Star
What The Band Wore by Alice Harris is an unprecedented collection of photographs that illustrates four decades of pop, rock, soul, disco, funk, punk, reggae, heavy metal, and hip hop fashion. Sparkling sequins, safety pins, and even suits from outer space are spotlighted in more than 80 images by acclaimed music photographers, including Terry O'Neill, Henry Diltz, Matthew Rolston, Bob Gruen, and Lynn Goldsmith.

Featuring exclusive comments from legendary artists, What The Band Wore traces the evolution of stage wear from the 1960s through the 1990s, from the self-made counterculture style of Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, and Sly & The Family Stone to the custom designs that Bob Mackie, Bill Whitten, Larry LeGaspi, Vivienne Westwood, and Issey Miyake created for the most renowned names in music. Whether it's Elvis Presley or Janet Jackson posing in tight leather, Freddie Mercury masquerading as a harlequin, or Run-DMC sporting their iconic footwear, these pages thread together a fabulous celebration of fashion and music.

Review Quotes

"In her book What the Band Wore, Alice Harris looks back at the intersection of music and fashion, worlds that are both parallel and perpendicular. From an extensive analysis, the writer confirms: stars are made both in front of the spotlight and between the seams."--Vogue Portugal

"Even the book's cover sparkles with gold, a brilliant visual cue -- at least for those of us of a certain age -- of what's in store: A traipse through that time in our lives when the sparkly flash of pop-cultural figures served as guides to millions of youngsters desperate to connect to a dim constellation we knew to be out there but couldn't see alone."--East Hampton Star

"Fashion flashbacks and exclusive tales from iconic artists and some of the biggest names in the music biz."--Maxim Australia/NZ

"This was a comprehensive book dealing with the biggest names in music throughout 4 decades".--WLIL FM NPR

About the Author

Alice Harris is a prominent, best-selling author. Her catalogue of art books include The White T, The Blue Jean, The Wedding Album, Blow Me A Kiss, and I Only Have Eyes For You. As iconic and stylish as her coffee-table books, Harris has been inspired by her world travels and career in the fashion and music industries. She resides in New York City with her husband and family. Christian John Wikane is a NYC-based writer who's interviewed 500+ recording artists. He's a Contributing Editor at PopMatters, Co-producer of Unscripted: Conversations with Christian John Wikane, and Consultant on Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over (CNN), Love to Love You, Donna Summer (HBO), and the Emmy-nominated Tina Turner documentary, TINA (HBO).