Former One Direction Singer Zayn Malik is Doing The Metal Fashion Thing Now
Metal’s strange relationship with mainstream fashion seems to have become a hot issue of late. If high-end fashion designers and pop stars aren’t ripping off band gear, they’re working with artists to create bizarre promotional material. At least in the latter, the clothing isn’t being worn by teenagers who look like they need to take a shit but are too embarrassed to ask where the bathroom is.
The latest non-metal celebrity to take on the metal look? Ex-One Direction singer Zayn Malik, who has released a new fashion line called Mind of Mine. The clothing therein definitely bites the metal aesthetic hard, most notably the “Zday vintage tee,” which you can view below:
Slayer logo, “Trooper” flag. Any other references I’m missing? Let me know. Meanwhile, the “Alien by Zayn Pullover” seems to rip off the Misfits logo pretty hard.
Interestingly enough, the “Zday” shirt was designed by Mark Wilkinson, who you best know as the guy who did Iron Maiden’s The Book of Souls artwork. According to an interview Malik did with Vogue:
“Working with Mark gave me a license to do something exciting conceptually with a lot of color and detail,” said Malik, referencing his favorite shirt, an apocalyptic piece dubbed the “Z-Day” which depicts the singer emerging out of a city engulfed in flames. “The art we created gives a nod to the vintage rock-band T-shirts but with my own concept.”
Malik also describes this fashion line as “opportunity to extend my ideas as an artist, and to give fans another facet of who I am.” To which I say, dude, get out in front of the metal thing! Are you a metalhead? Do you jam Maiden and Slayer privately? Let the world know! I’m not Justin Bieber fan, but I’ll give the dude a nod for warming up with Metallica, and you don’t seem half the annoying pretty boy diva he does. Defend the faith! Uphold the oath!
Meanwhile, if you have more money than sense, you can purchase one of Malik’s metal-inspired shirts here. We’ll let you know if Demi Lovato releases a shirt with Christ being gutted on it.
[via Metal Insider]
