Music touches every aspect of our lives and has an important place in the fashion industry.

There is a bumpy but long-lasting relationship between fashion and music, both in terms of being an inspiration and exhibiting to the masses, while bringing together patterns and colors, giving concrete examples of imagination.

The Music and Fashion Industries are Among the biggest growing industries around the world contributing billions to our services sector to Uganda's GDP. These two play a fundamental role in the social and economic lives of many Ugandans, especially the youth.

The Music and fashion Industries are unified on several levels: one influences the other and vice versa. As the Music Industry grows, the fashion industry also raises along, The two-work hand in hand.

In the never-ending shift of trends around the world, did you know major fashion trends were born due to music? And that certain fashion trends influence the way artists write their music?

One artist even once said that people see you before they hear you and when they look at you, it’s got to sound like something. Having a strong image, especially in fashion, can help the musician stand out among his peers, to convey a certain message, which should complement the musical offering.

“Today, music and clothing are inextricably linked because they are both visually entertaining industries. But music is of a more enormous meaning to the latter.” Bryan M. Morel the executive Director of Bryan Morel Publications says

For instance, not long-ago contemporary Ugandan Rap/Trap artistes Recho Ray and Vinka started wearing boyfriend jeans, crop tops, tracksuits and colored hair on stage and in music videos. Their fans are recreating what they visualized these stars appeared clad in. Almost every student at Nabisunsa Girls and other schools has adopted similar styles. Audiences are more concerned and obsessed with what their favorite musicians wear. In the short run, they also buy as they consider star wardrobes fashionable.

Byan Morel continues to say that Music acts set trends by endorsing brands. Ugandan Musician, Desire Luzinda has been the face of Sham Tyra while Iryn Namubiru for Fatuma Asha who are big fashion designers in Uganda. Through their melodies and artworks wearing fashion lines, they continuously highlight lifestyle for society by dictating, telling a story to all fashion lovers.

Music possesses a significant uplifting relationship to costume and tailoring as seen in paid collaborations: Karole Kasita and fashion stylist Solomon Tazibone, Kai's Divo Collection and Sheebah Karungi, Kushona Designs and Rema Namakula. Lastly Pia Pounds and Iconic UG. When these designers tap into the pop stars' fanbase and ready market, they are assured of sales i.e., growing the fashion industry.

“These days artistes are even consigning fashion labels into their compositions and video prints. Such contemporary acts include Musicians such as Grenade Official, Lilian Mbabazi, Hanson Bariluno, Levixone and Fik Fameika. They post pictures and Instagram Reel videos in street wear and I assure you that 50% of the boutiques down and up-town are now selling that.” Bryan Says.

Ugandan top Singer, Winnie Nwagi has also influenced young women dress codes through her candid looks that incorporate things like oversized clothing that still look feminine with patterns and new-school embellishments. Her music has affected how middle-class women dress up. Artists like Chozen Becky's lyric and chatting have undertones of feminism and empowerment, which translate into a certain wear style.

Currently, musicians have been taking tour merck very seriously, releasing several designs alongside their show tickets for sale. You remember how Cindy Sanyu printed many t-shirts labeled 'Team Cindy Cates' and they were all sold out a week to her maiden Boom Party concert in March 2020. It is now easy for people to imitate their favorite artistes' exact sense of fashion. That connection can only be engineered from music.

Music is influencing people to create self-expression through style!

Six months later, I attended a Digitally generated Collection done by Kasule Allan Raphael alias K-Rafael, at Kampala Serena Hotel.

At the show, local music was used as background soundtracks to reinforce themes and inspirations of the collection. “Musicians inspire designers, designers dress musicians and that's what music means to the fashion industry!” According to Bryan M. Morel.

According to Kabunga Marvin, a renowned Fashion Stylist under his brand Mavo Kampala, the rising popularity of the Ugandan music industry leads to market rise for creative art through video shoots, concerts, photoshoots since fashion goes hand in hand with music.This creates more showcase platforms thus increasing the rate at which creatives create work hence boosting & challenging creatives to create a more brilliant art.

In Uganda Today, The Music Industry is continuously rising every day which also rises healthy competition among fashion creatives since there is demand for art hence boosting the production scheme of fashion designers, this competition has given birth to more fashion creatives due to the increased number of music artists, directors, make-up artists where by each field need a fashion creative Marvin says.

Music is an ever-changing animal, and so is fashion: the two will keep on walking toward the future, sometimes together, sometimes in reverse. And that’s cool, isn’t it?