ABSTRACT
In this chapter, Vesey argues that female rock musicians’ forays in capsule collection design operates as a negotiated form of what she refers to as “citational feminism,” a practice of referencing popular feminine and female emblems as an intergenerational expression of women’s solidarity through creative expression. Capsule collections are singular, often mass-produced seasonal wardrobes of affordable basics. Self-identified celebrity designers like singer Beth Ditto, Best Coast leader Bethany Cosentino, and Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon have used their partnerships with Topshop and Urban Outfitters as designers to enact citational feminism by drawing inspiration from their favorite female artists in the creation and marketing of their collections. As a result, these collections then become expressions of feminist solidarity for the designers, who collectively struggle to be taken seriously in a male-dominated recording industry by insisting that female musicians’ style is integral to their influence and by extending their legacies to shoppers. Such expressions allow these designers to use fashion as a way to interface with their fans and favorite female artists across generations. However, due to retail’s post-industrial labor practices and environmental costs, the fashion industry primarily offers such opportunities for both feminine and feminist identity exploration with the constraints of neoliberal capitalism.
