Bruno Mars creates alter ego, channels the ‘70s in his first clothing line
Can you believe the ‘70s were 50 years ago? Musician Bruno Mars is bringing the decade back in his first ever clothing line, dropping on March 5.
If you loved the tracksuits and tie-dyes of the decade, you’ll feel right at home slipping into the pieces the Filipino-American singer and composer designed. Plus, some work-from-home shorts and wide-legged pants.
Mars has often namedropped fashion labels in his funky songs: Versace, Chucks, Saint Laurent, among others. In fact, when he was in the recording studio making his “24K Magic” album, he revealed to the Associated Press that he had a dress code: “wear your finest clothes, and leave your sloppy sweatpants at the door.”
“I made it a point: I’m showing up to the studio, we working, but I’m not showing up in sweats ’cause you’re going to get what sweats sounds like ... so I’m going to wear every jewelry piece I collected, and my finest shoes, and write some songs,” Mars said. “It just helped keep the motion (going).”
Indeed that album produced Versace on the Floor, that silky song that talks about, well, sexy times.
So it comes as no surprise that “fashion brands have been knocking on his door to collaborate for years,” Vogue reported on Saturday, Feb. 27. “But it’s Lacoste creative director Louise Trotter who finally broke him down and sealed the deal.”
Mars said he was a fan of the sporty brand growing up. ““Going to school, if you had that crocodile on your chest, that meant something.’ When Lacoste said Mars could design whatever he wanted, he was instantly on board.”
When he was designing the line, “Mars began adopting an alter ego to help him think like a designer,” continued Vogue.
The alter ego? Ricky Regal, “an extremely fashion-forward man with an eye for design” and some serious swag going on. He even created a Twitter account for Regal.
“When I'm on stage my name is Bruno Mars. When I’m making lavish luxurious garments, I go by Ricky Regal,” Mars said.
Called Lacoste x Ricky Regal, the collection of footwear and accessories gives a nod to the ’70s. The pieces are in mustard yellow, petrol blue, eggplant purple, coral red and tie-dye. Materials include velvet, silk and cotton fabrics with in fluid vibe—but with a modern feel. The sportswear influence is also seen in in striped tracksuits and “groovy camp-collar shirts with exaggerated collars.”
Mars said that big collars “feel like a cape.”
“Collaborating with Bruno and entering into his unique world has been a great adventure, he has a very clear vision and is obsessive with every detail. From concept to fittings, there wasn’t a single aspect that he was not fully involved,” Lacoste creative director Louise Trotter said in a statement.
? @LACOSTE messed up and gave the boy the KEYS!!! Imma seriously need you to F*#K wit me on a real BUSINESS type level! @ricky_regal ? pic.twitter.com/y5CEiOISEW
— Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) February 28, 2021