Shopping With...Melissa Auf der Maur

From: Fashion Wire, 2004-11-24
Date added: 2004-12-01

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Fashion Wire Daily November 24, 2004 - NEW YORK - Standing onstage at Irving Plaza last Monday night, Melissa Auf der Maur pounded her bass guitar and flung her fiery red hair around like the rock star she is, much to the delight of the headbanging crowd.

Of course, what most of them probably didn't know is that the Canadian-born musician (who was playing a triple bill with Monster Magnet and Finnish goth rockers H.I.M.) is as much a hardcore fashionista as she is a hard-rocking MTV babe. Witness her custom-made stage wear, designed by NYC up-and-comer Zaldy — who got his start dressing club maven Suzanne Bartsch and now counts Gwen Stefani (news), Mick Jagger (news) and Keith Richards (news) among his rock royalty clientele — and her affection for the designs of Rick Owens and Olivier Theyskens.

"The three of them make the most elaborate, incredible clothing I've ever had the opportunity to wear," Auf der Maur told FWD, when we met up with her earlier that day for a little retail therapy. "Their designs are all about romance and details and futurism — referencing the past with a dramatic, futuristic kind of vision," she said. "Their fit and understanding of a woman's body is just really great."

In fact, the 32-year-old Auf der Maur — who played bass in Hole and The Smashing Pumpkins before releasing her eponymous solo CD earlier this year — was one of the first celebrities to wear Theyskens designs back in 1999, when a stylist gave the svelte singer-songwriter a Theyskens latex gown to wear for a photo shoot. "It was the most gorgeous fantasy piece I had ever worn," she recalled. "I sent him a Polaroid of me in it with a long letter saying 'You make the clothes of my Victorian futuristic super hero dreams. I love your vision and your idea of beauty and hope to meet you one day.'"

When Harper's Bazaar approached Theyskens to do a fashion feature later that year, his choice of model was none other than Auf der Maur. The two hit it off so well that he invited her to model in his Paris runway show and agreed to design tour clothes for The Smashing Pumpkins during Auf der Maur's tenure. The fashion-forward musician has since appeared in a Calvin Klein Jeans campaign and in a catalog for her designer friend Michelle Mason.

Onstage, she's all about her Zaldy rock-and-roll "uniform": sleeveless high-neck top with peek-a-boo lace insert and fitted, leather-tasseled pants tucked into knee-high black leather boots that she has custom-made in her native Montreal. "I wanted it to be a serious respectable uniform," she told us. "Like a Victorian soldier, with that kind of modest exposure — all the nice, sneaky ways they showed the female secrets."

On this sunny afternoon, however, she was sipping coffee on an East Village corner in her usual offstage gear: vintage, vintage and (yep) more vintage. Her black leather thrift store blazer, '60s-era olive suede coat and Victorian lace-up boots were offset by a lilac v-neck sweater and some "really worn-out Miss Sixty jeans that are like wearing jogging pants because they're so comfortable."

After powwowing with her publicist, Jason Roth, and guitarist Steve Durand (a dashing mustachioed lad who just happens to be sporting a MaDM zip-front sweatshirt, which they sell at their concerts), she shooed the guys away and lead FWD to The Good The Bad and The Ugly (437 East Ninth Street; 212-473-3769; www.goodbaduglynyc.com), one of her all-time favorite stores. "I haven't been here in six months because I don't live in New York anymore," she said. "Montreal is very very good for vintage, but New York is good for oddities like this." By which she means new clothing based on vintage designs, something that TGTBATG owner Judi Rosen does incredibly well.

Entering the cheery red-ceilinged store, which utilizes tree stumps, disembodied mannequin legs and moose heads to display the whimsical-yet-wearable wares, Auf der Maur was immediately drawn to a vintage dresser whose drawers overflowed with patterned socks and stockings. Does she need more hosiery?

"No, I have too much of everything," she said gleefully. "It's a terrible exploding closet that I have." That didn't stop her from picking up a pair of lacy brown Miss Dater by Judi Rosen kneesocks ($16).

"I'd wear this offstage," she told us, holding up a Granny Takes a Trip puff-sleeved sweater ($168). Unfortunately, they didn't have any more size smalls. "Oh, I have one of these," she said of a chocolate suede belt with an oval floral buckle. "It's gorgeous. I wear it all the time. Mine is more for spring though — it's got a pastel, rainbow-striped belt with a cameo — and this is definitely more fall. How much is this?" she asked salesgirl Gloria Maximo while cinching the belt around her narrow hips. $68? Into the pile it went.

"I definitely know what I like and I don't experiment much," admitted speed shopper Auf der Maur. "I go for the same color range — browns, rust, all the autumn colors — and buy the same style socks, belts... I've had this coat since I was 19! It's quality '60s vintage but it looks so medieval."

True to her word, she noticed a wall of hand-knit hats next to the counter and tried a few on before settling on a deep burgundy number by In God We Trust ($68) that looked great with her coloring. Just the thing for the coming winter, which Auf der Maur — who was looking forward to some time off after eleven months on the road — will spend shuttling between Montreal and at her family's house in Cape Cod, writing songs for her next album, which she is set to begin recording in March.

"I'll be completely alone in isolation with a little home studio set up," she said. "One of my grandparent's best friends lives down the street, so once a week I can get out and have wine with this 70-year-old French woman. Otherwise, I will walk along the cold beach and the dunes." Wow, she really is a Victorian at heart.

"Definitely," she said with a laugh. "It's very exciting to go from eating life at its fullest — people, people, people, rock, rock, rock — to complete and total quiet. I'm so excited about it! Plus, I'm single for the first time in many years, so [I like] the idea of going away to a shutdown beachside town in winter to reflect on being alone as a woman. It will be good for writing."

But first, there was more shopping to be done. Ignoring her FWD-imposed budget of $100, Auf der Maur tallied up the cost of her belt and hat ($136, as Maximo threw in the $16 socks as a gift for the musician's loyal patronage), paid the balance and hightailed it over Atomic Passion (430 East Ninth Street; 212-533-0718), her other favorite New York store.

The cluttered boutique is all vintage, all the time, and boasts a killer collection of wool and canvas spats, floaty dresses, veiled hats, slinky slips, Frye boots and fanciful platform shoes with birds encased in lucite heels or houses carved into towering wooden wedges.

Auf der Maur greeted her old friend Gigi Elmes, who co-owns Atomic Passion with Justin Vogel, and stopped to admire a pair of red-and-black lace-up ankle boots on a shelf behind the counter.

"I'm not a big dress person," she said as she passed a mannequin in a delicate floral frock. "I know it's terrible, but I cut up a lot of phenomenal 1800s dresses and wear them as tops with jeans. It's the modern world, and ladies wear pants."

She eyed the wall of vintage heels. "This is the perfect shoe for me," she announced, holding up a chunky brown wooden clog. "It's definitely the type of thing I would buy. In fact, believe it or not, I [already] have it in different colors. I love them so much." Alas, after trying on the clogs — which elevated the 5'8" singer to a regal 5"10" — she pronouncing them uncomfortable ("It's tough leather; not giving at all"), and returned them to the shelf.

Growing philosophical, she confided her belief that people tend to gravitate toward a particular style of clothing because "it references moments in time that you connect with — whether it's just your body type of photos or films you've seen. Certain things resonate with you and then you look to re-amplify that everywhere for the rest of your life." Does she think that's true of music, as well?

"Oh, absolutely," she replied. "Music has a way of tickling your senses in a very unique way because it's sonic. Sometimes I hear music that sounds like rolling fields or that projects images of water or outer space or psychedelia or mysticism. There are a lot of associations. Like this song [she gestured to the 1991 Stone Roses tune playing in the background] brings me right back to being 19 years old and discovering the aloneness in love. I'll probably subconsciously visit this kind of mood in my own music when I'm feeling that same emotion."

We followed her to the back of the store, where she picked up a beige Boy Scout shirt ($24) and declared it the perfect thing for Durand to wear during the band's Last Call with Carson Daly taping the following evening (the episode will air on NBC Thursday, November 25th). "I'm wearing a Canadian Boy Scout jacket I found with all the patches and stuff, and this looks like it might fit Steve perfectly. I'll have to get him back here," she said, reaching in her bag for her cell phone.

While she waited for the guitarist to show up, Auf der Maur tried on a fire engine red belt with a gold tone buckle, then modeled a red-and-white gingham dress with off-the-shoulder puffed sleeves, and a salmon-hued satin frock that laced up the back and fit like a glove.

"TV sounds disgusting," she said as she twirled in front of the mirror. "If it were an acoustic performance it would sound ok, but when it comes to loud rock guitars it never does it justice. It's fun to do but it's not fun to listen to."

After Durand arrived and tried on the shirt (score!), Auf der Maur carried it, the two dresses and the belt to the counter and charged the $200+ tab to her Visa card.

"I never have time to shop while I'm on the road," Auf der Maur said of her grueling tour schedule. "That's why I was so excited to do this." Then, bags in hand, she headed off to rehearsal.

by Lauren David Peden for Fashion Wire Daily.
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