GIRLS ALOUD STOLEN FASHION MOMENT

For those unfamiliar with Girls Aloud they are the one-time winners of an American Idol type TV talent show some five years ago in England. Manufactured they maybe but somehow they have since notched up 16 UK top ten hits (more than the Spice Girls , apparently). Their songs mainly consist of kitsch, fun and unashamedly girlie pop music. The gays love them and surely that is kudos enough. Part of their charm is that they are more Top Shop then Gucci or Cavalli . Though they are an attractive crew of twenty something girls who like to party and drink a little bit, their fans are still predominately teenage girls. Girls Aloud fashion moment comes courtesy of the promo for new song ‘Sexy! No No No’. Trudy Bellinger (director) has managed to have them being pursued by giant pins. Got the girls to dance like robots, wear bright red oversized balloon dresses, latex cat suits and hair scraped back so tightly they’ll be no need surgery in the future. It ends up being an incredible stylised and colourful video that relies on decisive art direction rather than gratuitous cleavage shots. Funnily enough Christina Aguilera had a promo for her song ‘Fighter’ in 2003. It was directed by the award winning visionary, Floria Sigismondi (Sigur Ros, Interpol, David Bowie). Christina can be seen in a black oversized balloon dress, dancing in static/robotic manner and being pursued by giant pins in a very stylised fashion aesthetic. In my opinion the inspiration (theft) is clear, though the Aguilera clip is darker and more gothic and possibly not as contrived. Nevertheless Girls Aloud have completed a near genius move in stealing(allegedly) from the absolute best.