Music

Meet the mysterious 'fashion tribe' transforming Taylor Swift's style. Abundant snake motifs and a harder, sharper sound aren't the only defining characteristics of Taylor Swift's "Reputation" era: Gone are the brightly-colored matching sets of her "1989" days, to say nothing of the retro dresses and pearls she favored while promoting "Red." In their place? Oversized hoodies, cargo pants and plenty of camouflage print. French label Faith Connexion has played a key role in Swift's recent style reinvention. The star first began wearing its pieces last fall, while previewing her then-unreleased album for fans during her famous "Secret Sessions." Since then, the brand's designs have popped up in her "End Game" music video, as well as in most of the backstage snaps from the "Rep Room" where she greets her "Swifties" after each tour stop. "She's really become an ambassador," Faith Connexion president Maria Buccellati told Page Six. "Her stylist [Joseph Cassell] comes in and out of our Soho store almost every month to see what's new. And we deal with her directly, too, choosing and picking different pieces. She's been requesting more and more, because she loves it." As for the specific pieces Swift gravitates towards? "She really likes the military look -- the jackets, the cargo pants," Buccellati said. "And I know she bought a bunch of the wrap skirts. She loves those." The president added that despite Swift wearing the label on a near-weekly basis, it's "still a surprise" whenever she's photographed in its clothes. Founded in 2004, Faith Connexion is designed by a collective of artisans -- all of whom choose to remain anonymous -- rather than one-star couturier, which is why Buccellati prefers to call it a "tribe" rather than a traditional fashion house. And now that Swift's embraced its clothing so wholly, Buccallati says, she's "part of the family." But for a musician once famous for her "red lip, classic" look (so immortalized in the lyrics for her "1989" single "Style"), Faith Connexion -- with its distressed, studded, rock n' roll vibe -- represents a sharp shift. Asked why she thinks Swift is leaning so heavily on Faith Connexion to shape her "Reputation"-era aesthetic, Buccellati immediately points to the clothes' comfort. "When you're an artist like her, I think you want to feel really comfortable in your own skin," Buccellati said. It helps, she added, that the brand is "so in tune with music people" -- artists like ASAP Rocky and Swizz Beatz are also fans, and "Beyonce's stylist came in just the other day to buy a dress for her." At prices ranging from about $300 to well over $3,000, Faith Connexion designs come with A-list price tags, too. Still, high-caliber celebrity placements can add up to big business for a fashion brand regardless of its price point, and Buccellati confirmed that the "Delicate" singer's support has "absolutely" helped from a sales perspective. "It's key," she said, adding that "other stylists will often start asking for those same pieces, too." Ironically, one of Faith Connexion's earliest superstar supporters happens to be a famous foe of Swift's. "One of the first big celebrities who loved the brand -- he even came and visited our showroom -- was Kanye West," Buccellati recalled. "He wore one of our shirts, and the style's been a top seller ever since. We actually renamed it the 'Kanye West shirt!'" To that end, don't be surprised to see a "Taylor Swift skirt" for sale sometime soon. After all, says Buccellati, "our creatives are inspired by the people who wear our clothes -- and Taylor really wears it well." (PageSix)

Is there a good reason why this happened? Selena Gomez fans are freaking out over an eerie short video of her naked in a bathtub. Canadian artist Petra Collins published the horror movie, titled "Love Story," via Instagram on Wednesday, June 20, causing outrage among 25-year- "I think you changed Selena. I miss Selena in 2016 and I want in 2016 and I want it back ... I'm afraid," one fan commented on the creepy clip. Added another: "This has a serial killer vibe to it!" "I had to stop watching," noted a scared viewer. Another frightened fan chimed in, "This is not Sel, she changed. I know everyone changes, grows up, but now Selena is half-Petra and I don't like it (just like too many Selenators)." The psychedelic video features the former Disney star humming while bathing in murky water. At one point, Gomez peels a human-like mask off her face, which later reappears on her back. The "Back to You" singer has yet to respond to the backlash or repost the clips on her own feed. Gomez previously worked with Collins in July 2017 while filming a video for her track "Fetish" in which she appears to have somewhat of a meltdown in a suburban home. She also ties her tongue, bites into glass and hosts a candlelit dinner for one. The 13 Reasons Why executive producer opened up about working with Collins in a July 2017 interview with Dazed. "People don't know but my personal life ties into the work we do together because [she] knows things about my life that nobody knows and I know a lot about [her] life that nobody knows," Gomez explained. "It comes out, somehow." (US Weekly)

St. Vincent Dances in Sweat-Drenched Gay Club in 'Fast Slow Disco' Video. St. Vincent recently released a reworked and remixed version of her song "Slow Disco" and fans have been eating it up. And now, as we steam toward the end of Pride Month, the singer has gone one step further and released a sensual, late night music video that matches the feel good, new wave beat of the remix, "Fast Slow Disco." The clip, like the song itself, is edgy and almost hypnotic, following Clark dancing through crowds of sweat-slicked men in a gay club. They lift her up over their heads and otherwise surround the singer in a thicket of warm lighting and a generous amount of leather in the Zev Deans-directed visual. While promoting the reworked song, Clark wrote, "I always felt this song could wear different outfits and live many different lives. Here she is in disco pants, sweating on a New York dance floor." (Billboard)

Dan Reynolds Talks Inspiration Behind Upcoming LGBTQ Doc, 'Believer'. "They are told something that is beautiful, something that should be celebrated -- their sexuality which is unchangeable -- is sinful." Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds opened up to Noah about the inspiration behind his new documentary, which explores the plight of the LGBTQ people in the Mormon religion, Believer. Dropping by The Daily Show on Wednesday night (June 20), Reynolds explained that his friend growing up was both gay and Mormon. Watching him deal with the pressures to remain closeted mixed with Reynolds own experience in the community, and the high-rate of suicide among LGBTQ youth served as the inspiration for the film. [My experience at BYU] on a very small scale is what our LGBT youth feel every single day in orthodox religion," said Reynolds. "They are told something that is beautiful, something that should be celebrated -- their sexuality which is unchangeable -- is sinful." Reynolds was raised Mormon and briefly worked as an LDS missionary until he was expelled from Brigham-Young University for having sex with girlfriend. To this day he still considers himself part of the faith. Believer is set to premiere on HBO on June 25. (Billboard)

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