EVOLVE

Erykah Badu is a pioneer of all things. Music? Of course. Fashion? Undisputedly so.

Badu is well known for her range of crazy hair styles; huge afro wigs, ornate head dresses, at one point she had a shaved head. I like her style because she always stays true to her roots whilst adding a futuristic touch. Perhaps that’s the best way to describe her music too.

Recently she made headlines following the release of her controversial video for the single ‘Window Seat’. The video shows Badu walking through the streets of Washington, shedding her clothes one by one until she is completely naked, bearing the word ‘EVOLVING’ on her back. She walks up to the point where JFK was shot near Dealey Plaza and then collapses as if she too has been shot. Some present at the time voiced their objections saying it was offensive and not performance art. The video was shot guerrilla style in one take, no licenses were applied for and the Police have confirmed that it was not legal but apparently she went without charge.

A poignant message is spoken at the end of the video:

“They play it safe…Are quick to assassinate what they do not understand. They move in packs ingesting more and more fear with every act of hate on one another. They feel most comfortable in groups, less guilt to swallow. They are US! This is what we have become, afraid to respect the individual. A single person within a circumstance can move one to change, to love our self, to EVOLVE.”

This should be applied to how we feel about fashion too, don’t be afraid to be an individual!