Sponsored by River Island.
Having only broken into the music industry a few years ago, Zak Abel is still rather new to the scene. But, that hasn't stopped him from racking up an impressive fan base, releasing several successful singles, collaborating with the likes of Gorgon City and Avicii, and appearing on the I AM Zak Abel show with River Island on 4Music. Not bad for a 22-year-old Londonder.
Sitting in his dressing room in a studio in Camden, Zak tells me that growing up, he was inspired by the likes of Michael Jackson and Paolo Nutini - the latter of whom 'has such an amazing rawness to his voice, and a real honesty about his music.' As for his love of Jackson, who was known for his eccentric yet polished style, it 'was just something about his voice and the way that he bought musical styles in from all around the world. He wore very outlandish clothes, and I think that definitely played a part in how he was perceived as a huge popstar both to me and to the world.'
Less outlandish, but equally as confident when it comes to his personal fashion tastes, Zak describes his style as 'street' - think camo pants, comfy sweatshirts and a heap of colourful hoodies. He tells me: 'I'm really into Japanese fashion and colour blocking. I always tend to colour match my clothes, so if I'm wearing blue trainers I'll probably want a bit of blue on my t-shirt. There’s no reason for it, but I just always do that - if I don’t, it just feels a bit wrong.' He points to his completely colour-coordinated outfit (a smart printed shirt, grey trousers and slick black trainers) at this moment in time, showing me that yep, he's definitely fashion conscious and yep, he does know how to dress well, especially when it comes to occasion-wear.
But this wasn't always the case: 'When I wasn’t really that interested in fashion at the start of my career, I just used to wear jeans and a t-shirt while performing,' Zak says. 'And then I thought "why not start to get a little more creative?". I tried to see my style as something I could experiment with. After all, it's important for people to see you on stage and it look like you've made an effort.'
Zak's style has definitely evolved since he started his music career. If you went along to one of his gigs now, you'd probably see him donning a bright 'orange pair of Marahishi camo trousers', or some 'Kikoy trousers from Kenya'. He tells me that 'some people might feel a little bit awkward wearing them, but I think it’s quite important for me to get out of my comfort zone and learn to feel more relaxed in all situations.' While he doesn't consider himself as someone who pushes 'boundaries fashion-wise to other people', he does try to push his boundaries personally, be that with a colourful top or printed bottoms. However, he does admit to us: 'when I’m at home lazing around, I’m an underwear man.' And one look at his Instagram confirms this (I took one for the team and checked for you - several times, in fact).
As for his suave, trademark hair? Well, it's modelled on the quiffs once flaunted by big-name, tuxedo-wearing stars like Elvis and Marlon Brando, and styling it has become an important part of Zak's daily morning routine. 'It takes me about half an hour [to do my hair]. It's my way of letting myself know that I’m going to give it my all for the day. It's like a ritual, in the same way that a navy seal would make their bed.' And this ritual is especially important when it comes to getting into the creative headspace to write a song. Such a task requires primed-to-perfection hair, 'tunnel vision' and a real sense of focus, which Zak admits can be jeopardized if he's 'on Instagram - so [he puts his] mobile on airplane mode when writing.'
Although Zak's personal style hasn't had any influence on his soulful music, he believes that the two are intertwined: 'I think your style does stem from the music you're listening to and the clothes the artists are wearing. For example, Paul Garred from The Kooks told me that the band wore straw hats [for a certain period], and then it suddenly became a thing. So, I think that in society we are very, very influenced by music.'
In fact, Zak thinks that his own taste in music may have influenced his taste in fashion. 'About two years ago, I got really into highlife music, which is African music from the late '60s/early '70s. After that, I kind of toyed with the idea of wearing African trousers. So, I looked up a load of trousers on Pinterest - in the end, I didn’t go with any of them, but in doing that research I found a load of other cool clothing. So, I suppose me toying with the idea of using African music in my own music led me to somewhere else, fashion-wise.' Wonder which fashion journey he'll embark on next?
Be just as bold with your fashion choices by shopping the new autumn/winter collection at River Island. Plus, to be in the chance of winning a £1,000 voucher from River Island, enter our competition here!
Keen to look on-trend and individual this AW/17, but not sure how? Send your styling questions into theteam@thedebrief.co.uk and it might get answered during our Instagram stories with The Debrief's Fashion & Beauty Editor Lucy and River Island on 27th November 2017. Be sure to tune in!
Like This? You May Be Interested In:
**Follow Arianna on Instagram: **@ariannachatz
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.