Glad Rags: Eliza Legzdina on Clothes, Confidence and the Power of an Iconic Coat
Get your glad rags on gang! Glad Rags is a column where we chat to some of our favourite musician's about their best garms. This week we're joined by Latvia-born and UK-based musician Eliza Legzdina.
How important is clothing to you for a stage presence?
It’s completely significant to the max degree - the way you present yourself sets the tone for the audience and how you look and feel will shape how you feel about your performance . There’s no rules, so your clothing allows you to become various characters or present your values and aesthetic. There’s something visceral about great stage style that speaks to the audience about what you’re feeling inside, the mood that inspires you and what you’re trying to say-it can all exist within the clothing.
I get messages all the time from women who come to my shows who thank me for being myself and showing my body and showing how confident I am in myself. I get blowback from people sometimes who say I use my sexuality too overtly and wear revealing clothing just for attention, so when I get messages from women who say thank you for representing yourself and being confident as it makes me feel more confident, that tells me that I’m doing the right thing by incorporating sexy styles in my performance outfits! By being free in my performance I allow my audience to free themselves on an unconscious level!!
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Do you have a different style on stage compared to off stage?
There’s many things that cross over , I feel like my style is more similair than different on/offstage . Perhaps the main difference is that I wear less makeup in everyday life because I enjoy having clean skin, but on stage I love having dramatic makeup looks so that all of my facial expressions and my feelings are apparent to the audience. Elements of glam can be incorporated like fans and boas and other things I use as props! I love crop tops , big boots, big earrings and cargo trousers on and off stage.
More recently I’ve started wearing similar hairstyles on stage so that when you see my bouncy blond pony tail in curls or swinging off the top of my head you know immediately it’s me☺️. I also love wearing different things, I enjoy pushing myself in my style . I grew up thinking that all clothing doesn’t suit me cause I’m not a size 0. In my womanhood I now realise that fat phobia is another way to control and humiliate women and that my body is special and beautiful just like everyone else’s and that I can wear fetish tights underneath little black dresses or at video shoots and not think this means my style is slutty. I can wear minis and crop tops , I don’t need to wear baggy clothes to hide myself and I’ve killed this idea of promiscuous clothes.
Purity and modesty are traps in which we position ‘wholesome’ behaviour against what we feel is evil and now I know being a sexual and self aware woman is not evil. I wouldn’t ever tell anyone what to wear or how to be . I just want to be me, on and off stage.
Do you think image is important for musicians wanting to be successful?
Image is important because it allows the artist to communicate their ideas and feelings even before anyone hears their music. The most successful artists have strong styling teams and create visual styles that really represent who they are as people. Its much more than just feeling comfortable or looking great- it’s an opportunity to share how you feel on the inside and make note of your references.
You have to take care of your outfits and make an effort because it communicates that you care. We live in a visual world, so yes image is very important!
Who are some of your style inspirations as an artist?
Right now I’m really inspired by Madonna and Buffy the vampire slayer. Give me 90s, give me glam, give me badass. I’ve always been inspired by Mugler because of the shapes and the sleek nature of the brand. I love the use of leather pieces and fur , both faux more so these days. The spice girls were my icons when I was a child and I think their dramatic presentation was always exciting to me.
I’m inspired by the underground. Recently I’ve been so inspired by Latvian designers such as Loreta Asermane who’s got a real vision and there’s something so carnal about her work.
Ushi Couture from London by Ariana are amazing too. The mesh prints and colourful designs are so fun to wear and make me feel beautiful any time I wear her clothes.
Solana by Sanna is incredible - she made a bright pink crochet dress for and when I wear it I feel invincible! It’s also a very Nordic style that influences her so as a Baltic babe I feel I really understand it. I love wearing clothes made by women. You can feel the love in the design.
I’m inspired by tattoo artists and beauty techs too - I love tooth gems and piercings and tattoos and everything that helps you share your story in a visual way. Perhaps my blond hair and glam 90s visuals would make you think I’m a girly girl or a glam monster but really I’m a punk at heart.
What is your favourite piece of clothing to wear on stage and why?
I love wearing big boots and stretchy fabrics so I can get on my knees and prance around and be dominant . I’ve worn Mugler and I’ve worn cargo pants, I’ve done shows in Studio Hiii by Skye Cooper Bar - her one pieces that I’ve worn are iconic. But regardless of anything I wear, attitude is paramount. It’s my face my voice my spirit that is always the same.
What is your favourite piece of clothing to wear offstage and why?
I looooove an iconic coat - that’s the one thing that never usually lasts during performances as I get too hot. I have a few hand me downs from mum, I have some thrift store leather jackets and a beige PVC. It’s like an outer shell and I think my collection of coats is pretty badass. I get a lot of compliments for my coats and I’m usually always cold so it’s very important.
How has your style evolved alongside your journey as an artist?
I take more risks and more recently I lean in on this alternative style . Somewhere closer to the indie side. Performing has made me a lot more confident and that has helped me make bigger risks! These days I don’t say no to things, I just try them on. Sort of like musical styles I’m not afraid to blend styles, mixing and blending music and fashion. It should be fun, it should be a creative way to express yourself - and that’s what I’m trying to do with my style now! I don’t take things too seriously and it makes it much much easier to exist in a space where you feel you are being watched and maybe even judged for what you dress like.
What advice would you give someone struggling to find their image as an artist?
Think back to your childhood, your teenage years, who were your idols? What did you see on TV that you thought was the coolest thing, the centre of the universe. Don’t be afraid to go back in time and look at visual inspirations, don’t be afraid to be inspired by things other than fashion or design. Clothes are a necessity but image is about creating an illusion and telling a story. Don’t be afraid to break the rules to create something special that people can remember.
Do you think there is too much emphasis placed on artists’ personal style in the age of social media?
I think it’s not as much the emphasis as it is the the demand for constant supply of content which makes it harder to deliver things at a high calibre that are authentic and not rushed . The speed of the internet is what I think people feel resentful about, as speed doesn’t always allow for good art. We must fight against it and take time to create things that leave the right impression and have impact. We must take time to work with great creatives and honour their process as well , because as much as we are fed that TikTok and IG prefer DIY content, truly beautiful things are more likely to be achieved when we work together. We’re all solo artists but we are inspired and create more meaning in teams.
Words: Eliza Legzdina
