Rapper, producer and actor Machine Gun Kelly made his debut catwalk appearance at Joshua Kane’s AW16 show at LC:M this season. We had a chat with him backstage before the show about fashion, collaborations and, of course, London.
Great to see that you’re working with Joshua Kane, walking his latest show. What attracted you two, a gentleman and a bad boy, to choose to work together?
I think that he’s an amazing tailor and anyone who’s doing something against the grain is top of the list, in my book. There’s a reason why the ‘always’ have been around for so long, right? For hundreds of years its been that way and then technology swooped in and diminished a lot of things that I didn’t want to go away, and something like being an amazing tailor is one of those crafts. You don’t hear a fifth grader saying they want to grow up and be a tailor nowadays so I think the fact that he’s a true craftsman, a real designer, he’s there, his hands are on it, he’s touching it. When you’re wearing one of his pieces you feel like you’re wearing one of him. It gave me something to be proud of, like if you’re performing a piece of music it’s because you’re proud of it so if I’m wearing a piece of clothing I’d want to be proud of it, so I think that’s what attracted me.
Your personal style has an element of London punk rock aesthetic to it and you referenced some scenes from the Cockney gangster film ‘Snatch’ in your video for ‘World Series’. Do you feel any association to the London scene in this way, and how has your music been received over here?
I do feel that association. Even back in the day when I was doing tours in Europe and certain places would be little to no people at the shows, London was always one of those places that seemed to understand me from the jump. It was always a packed house, always a real high energy and punk rock attitude. I was drawing these kids out like, damn even though they’re coming to see me, I want to be like that! So yeah, I think that London and me have had this unspoken connection for a while. Coming over here now and making my first appearance on the fashion scene, it’s been very inviting. Maybe I have beginners luck right now but it truly has been very inviting and I feel that I think that they respect the fact that I respect the roots of where a lot of my style comes from. I think a lot of my style now too, depending on my mood, is mostly contemporary.
You’ve collaborated with some amazing artists in the past, is there anyone you’ve always wanted to collaborate with but haven’t managed to yet?
Randomly somebody mentioned Little Dragon the other day. I’ve loved Little Dragon for so long so that would be really great.
Following on from this show with Joshua Kane, do you think you’d like to make any moves into the fashion industry?
I don’t think that it would be an appropriate time for me to start a line now because I don’t feel like it would be authentic, so that would be something I’d have to truly concentrate on – so that people could talk about me as a craftsman in the same way I’m talking about Joshua. But I’d love to get a campaign or become a spokesperson for a brand I support, that’s the goal for the moment.
