Sartorial Surprise: Sam Smith Makes Runway Debut at Vivienne Westwood
In an unexpected sartorial twist, British crooner Sam Smith took to the catwalk today in not one but two show-stopping ensembles at Vivienne Westwood’s Fall/Winter 2024 presentation at Paris Fashion Week. Already renowned for an ever-evolving and delightfully daring personal style crafted with stylist Ben Reardon, the 31-year-old “Unholy” singer captivated the front row by opening the legendary designer’s show in a look that can only be described as couture caber tosser.
Clad in an olive green long-sleeved v-neck tee, Smith sported a coordinating high-waisted kilt in a matching green and red tartan plaid, playfully paired with red argyle knee socks and vertiginous green platform boots that added towering height to the Grammy winner’s 6-foot-2 frame. A red plaid shawl jacket with folkloric fringe draped rakishly off one shoulder, accessorized with a tulle and plaid wrapped headpiece that cascaded to the waist. To complete this Highland fling of an ensemble, Smith wielded a wooden walking stick whilst sauntering down the runway, part Braveheart, part provocateur.
Never one to play it safe in the style stakes, Smith underwent a lightning-quick change into an equally show-stopping second look that elicited audible gasps from the audience. An inky black ankle-length gown featured graphic cut-outs and an intricate plaited construction that bared tantalizing glimpses of the singer’s body beneath. This daring dress was paired with a polka-dot halter neck top in sheer black that evoked the avant-garde spirit of Westwood’s punk heyday whilst still retaining a haute couture polish. Smith topped off the ensemble with a black wide-brimmed hat swathed in diaphanous black tulle.
In both of these show-stopping sartorial moments, Smith demonstrated the same penchant for risk and reinvention that has characterized a musical career which has evolved from melancholic blue-eyed soul to flamboyant big-voiced pop. Since shooting to fame with stayed ballads like “Stay With Me” and “I’m Not The Only One,” Smith has undergone a dramatic style evolution thanks to a creative collaboration with stylist Reardon.
“I used to be so scared of fashion,” Smith confessed in a 2022 interview with British GQ. “Ben started from the basics. He just started to introduce me to clothes that just fit in the right place on my body and matched the way I felt inside. And having fun with it. I like funny things. And so we’ve leaned into that more, and my personal wardrobe has got a bit of humour to it.”
This tongue-in-cheek spirit was evidenced in the singer’s scene-stealing turns on the catwalk today. Both ensembles embodied Smith’s playful persona whilst paying homage to Westwood’s legacy of infusing eccentric English irreverence into high fashion frocks.
Based on today’s triumph, we suspect this won’t be Smith’s last sashay down the runway. So who knows what plaid pirate or polka-dot prince we can expect the style chameleon to transform into next? The possibilities are thrillingly endless.
