Some people might ask: What does a guy who’s been shirtless for at least two-thirds of his life have to say about fashion? If you’re one of them, this interview is not for you. Read it some other time, after you’ve listened to The Stooges, Raw Power, Fun House, Lust for Life, and The Idiot and realized that Iggy Pop’s animalistic physicality has informed style for decades and will continue to do so well after the last time he writhes and slithers across a stage.
Iggy’s ubiquitous uniform—pants so tight they could have been spray-painted on, a sinewy bare chest that didn’t start aging until his 60s, and Beatle boots or bare feet, depending on his mood—undoubtedly looks at least five times better than whatever you’re wearing right now. It was also carefully calculated, like a sleek, stripped-down hot rod built with the single-minded goals of efficiency and speed.
A thorough perusal of archival photos and video of Iggy reveals that he took the same care in his appearance offstage, where he tends to wear a bit more clothing; almost every outfit seems iconic in some way, but also natural and unforced. As far as I can tell, over the past four decades he hasn’t worn anything that could be considered embarrassing or dated in 2012. I’m not sure there’s anyone else on Earth—save menswear designers who never stray from suits—whom you could say the same thing about.
But Iggy’s not just a historical figure. In the 21st century, he has worked hard to revitalize his name, with Stooges tours, records, and collaborations with various clothing brands. His argument for participating in these unabashedly commercial enterprises is that the Stooges never got the recognition and the sales they deserved in their brief lifetime. So if this is the way to finally achieve some payback, he has no problem jumping on board.
As far as I could tell, no one has interviewed Iggy explicitly and exclusively about fashion, so that’s precisely what I did.
Read: The Iggy Pop Interview
