If I were to ask you which of One Direction was the most fashionable - then you would probably (undoubtedly) answer with Gucci’s posterboy Harry Styles. I can hear you shrieking that Harry was literally a co-host of this year’s Met Gala - he painted his nails and even pierced his ear for the occasion! However, no matter how much I fancy Harry Styles, I am here to tell you that this is wrong; it is in fact Liam Payne who is the patron saint of the British fashion industry. Think I'm wrong? Just take a look at this snap, taken by fashion photographer Mert Alas, in which Liam recreates Kate Moss’ naked photoshoot from April.
That's not all. The singer has just helmed a 10-piece capsule collection for Hugo Boss. It’s – you guessed it – athleisure, and it’s branded with a chevron print, inspired by one of his earlier tattoos. The campaign was again photographed by photographers Mert and Marcus. The collection’s launch party, which he obviously sang at, was attended by fashion darlings Winnie Harlow and Stella Maxwell at Berlin Fashion Week. But these are far from Liam’s only friends in the industry, and, with him popping up at various fashion weeks, it’s fair to say that he socialises in The Right Circles. He’s regularly invited to British Vogue parties by editor Edward Enninful, and lest we forget that he was supposedly dating the inimitable Naomi Campbell. (He’s also been linked to models Cairo Dwek and Duckie Thot.)
Not only is he designing and schmoozing but, friend, he is leading. Liam has always been slated for his sartorial choices and, admittedly, they have been questionable at times – think tracksuit bottoms emblazoned with the Mona Lisa; a Supreme headband, teamed with a green tracksuit; a blue tracksuit vest hoodie, partnered with a Gucci bumbag. Basically, there are a lot of tracksuits. But he once told me, during an interview, while he was wearing a tracksuit, that he felt underdressed because I was wearing silver thigh high boots and a matching puffer jacket.
Because Liam loves bold clothing, and like all the best fashion provocateurs – Madonna, Billy Porter, Lady Gaga – underdressed or not, he just genuinely doesn’t care what you think. In fact, like the aforementioned, he probably prefers it if you hate what he’s wearing. ‘There’s a shot of me wearing this furry thing with no T-shirt and sunglasses on – inside – and red jogging bottoms,’ he told The Evening Standard recently. ‘I don’t know what was going on that day. I think there was a part of me that enjoyed that the way I was dressing was annoying people – I was like, I’m going to get abused whatever I wear.’
During that chat he also said he felt had a long way to go before he was considered a style icon. And I'm here to say to him: babe, you made it. You are, finally, iconic. Harry who?