Since the success of his debut studio album All I Want Is You in November 2010, Grammy Award-winning Miguel has gone onto become one of the planet's biggest musicians. Best-known for his tracks “Adorn", “Skywalker” and “Beautiful”, he stands among a new wave of R&B artists including Frank Ocean and Childish Gambino that have shaped the music industry.
Miguel is also one of the best-dressed musicians in the biz. Though he had a rocky start back in the early 2000s - think high-shine metallic blazers and cut-off vests - he has developed a style that is incomparable to anyone else in the industry. Today the 36-year-old’s uniform merges the flamboyance of Prince and the feminine drapery of Bowie's fits with the edginess of Iggy Pop and Jimi Hendrix.
With favoured brands including Acne Studios, Charles Jeffrey and Haider Ackermann, his aesthetic is a combination of 1950s rockabilly, ’70s rockstar, and early aughts skater boy, and he's rarely seen out of a pair of ripped jeans, an open shirt, and a pair of platform boots or Converse Chucks.
Miguel’s unique style is just one of the reasons why the star has just landed a role in the BBC's new streetwear-focused programme The Drop. Alongside skater Blondey McCoy and designer Marc Jacque Burton, the singer will judge the competition that seeks to find the next big streetwear brand.
We spoke exclusively to Miguel to find out how his personal style has changed and what he looks for in a brand.
I'm not afraid to take risks. Sometimes it works well for me and sometimes it doesn't. That's the sacrifice you make in this game.
I pay less attention to the word fashion and I'm more invested in style and expression. Fashion is a medium through which we can express ourselves. Style is all about taking an idea and making it your own and telling a story about your beliefs, your passions, your flow, your modus operandi.
I like sharp edges and I like curves. Sounds weird, but that's how I describe my style. There's always an undertone of edge combined with pared back finesse. I like a little danger, and I like to push the boundaries and add some aggression to my outfits, but with that comes refinement. I love patent leathers, and those things we associate with edginess, risk and utility, and then pairing them with things that feel more comfortable and elevated - silks, suedes and flowing fits.
I am in love with creepers. I love punk and rockabilly subcultures. I grew up in San Pedro, which is an art punk haven in Los Angeles, and it was especially relevant in the 80s when I was born. I grew up around punks, but I also grew up around gangsters. Seeing all of that in-and-around my neighbourhood was amazing, and it stuck with me.
Growing up my uncle's GQ magazines influenced the hell out of my style. I would only see them when I'd visit my dad, who would take us to see him and my grandma. He was my youngest uncle and we were incredibly close. Our family actually called him GQ, rather than his name, and I was obsessed with those magazines. Seeing the Jean Paul Gaultier and Versace ads, and the watch and fragrance pages really introduced me to fashion and piqued my interest.
I couldn't actually afford fashionable thing when I was younger. Hell no. I did my best to replicate what I saw on catwalks and in magazines by thrifting. I had this full length trench coat, which I loved and got from a vintage store. San Pedro has amazing military gear as there's a big base there.
I hope as I've got older my style is more fun. Before it was about mimicking my influences, which I think is true of a lot of musicians when they start out. Now it's less about that and focusing on my own vibe - which is that blend of soft curves and sharp edges - and doing my own thing. I'm also all about craftsmanship.
Dressing for the stage can be difficult. Sometimes when you dress you don't take into account how the light is going to fall on your when you're on stage or on the red carpet. I was once in Miami for a show and I wore this knitted tank top. It was fucking hot, it was so humid, but I wanted to wear this thing as it was a festival and I wanted to look the part. In the 2010s there was this moment when vintage shit was the rage and I also wore these amazing vintage Porsche wraparound shades on. Someone snapped a photo of me from an awkward angle and I was truly shocked - those pieces together was not the vibe, nor was the sweat. That taught me to be more mindful about what I'm wearing on stage.
With age I've realised that clothes are meant to be thrown on. You should go with your gut instinct and not think about it too much. Nine times out of ten I look my best when I don't overthink what I'm wearing.
I think creating a recognisable uniform is key to gaining icon status. You look at any artist in musical history and they've always had a uniform that propels them to icon status. Michael Jackson, Bowie, they had these specific eras and looks. There's something fascinating about how powerful repetition is. I think creating a uniform will be the next evolution of my style. There's so much to choose from out there, and the power comes when you are identifiable through clothing. It's a minimalist approach, in a sense, and it's about being mindful. By being methodical, your image becomes more impactful. It's also easier to dress in the morning.
I am not a drop-crotch pant kind of man. I love Rick Owens and what he's doing, but it doesn't work for me - I don't have the physique. I also hated that trend in the early Noughties when people wore button-down shirts with hoodies. Ye was doing it, but even he couldn't make me want to do it.
Ye will always be a fashion god. I don't care how controversial he can be, he will always kill it with his style. He has the most influence. A$AP Rocky too. Someone who people might not be familiar with is Taz Arnold, he's worked with Ye, and he and Om'Mas Keith are really killing it with their style. Growing up Andre 3000 was a massive influence. He's always been experimental with his style, which I admire.
People don't give Pharrell Williams the recognition he deserves. He's the original star who made a transition from musician to fashion icon in the modern day. He's had an undeniable impact, but he isn't recognised for it in the way he should be. Also Lenny Kravitz doesn't get enough air time as a fashion icon. He just gets on with it, that big scarf moment, those shirts - they all became hits.
I fucking love Charles Jeffrey. He is amazing. His punk attitude, the clothes, he's just nailed it. He's doing his own thing, building that community, in the same way Vivienne Westwood did. When I'm in London I try to only wear UK-based designers. The capital is one of my favourite places to shop, probably because of its affiliations with the punk movement. You have so many dope brands out there. I also love Hernán Guardamagna Footwear, who is based in London and has amazing, avant-garde shoes.
A brand has to have a unique identity. Vivienne Westwood wouldn't be Vivienne Westwood if she didn't create a unique community of likeminded individuals, that didn't fit the mould anywhere else. She created a shop for a certain person, and thus created her brand identity. It's the key. That's what will work for any brand today, I think, and that's what we're looking for with the show.
With musicians and artists, people expect that artistry and real life should be the same. That isn't ever the case and stage fits and off-duty looks are rarely actually in tune with one another. But then that's not authentic to me, so I like to try and dress similarly on stage to how I am on the streets. My fan base knows what to expect, and they can trust that I'm not faking this on-stage presence.
I pierced my ear with a safety pin. I was shooting a video about two years ago and I really wanted to just get my ear pieced. So my best friend iced down my ear, it went numb, and he jabbed a pin in. It worked, it's punk.
I'm becoming more myself through my style. Whether that's clothing or my hair. I have nothing to prove anymore, and I feel I can do whatever I want. I was a black Mexican kid growing up in a Crip neighbourhood, that had a staple punk venue just blocks away, and finding whatever that is in my own identity has taken time.
It's easier to express yourself today, as there's so many ways to do it. But there are more repercussions today, and the reception isn't always good. I think that is relevant with fashion as much as the music I've written. Some of my songs that I put out into the world ten years ago wouldn't surface today. “How Many Drinks” is a great song that people loved, but would I release it today? Probably not. There's a fine line between expressing yourself through art, fashion and music and being inappropriate.
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