Wilbert talks to artist and designer Taz Arnold about how to dress when you're a Freaky Bitch

June 12, 2012 3:43 PM

It's so lame when you go to a fashion site and they have features like "What to Wear to Work" or "How to Dress When You Meet Your BF/GF's Parents." Who even has jobs or long term relationships anymore? Don't let those losers dumb your life down into cookie cutter scenarios. You're much more of an individual. You have crazy unique experiences, like the time you went to a gay strip club with your first grade teacher and he bought you a lap dance or that other time you tongue-kissed your cousin in church just to find out if the intense level of sin would make you both disintegrate into dogma dust. And during both of those incredibly weird and strange happenings, didn't you wish you had worn a better outfit? Well, this column is here to solve your super obscure and strange fashion needs with the help of really famous or, at the very least, really cool people's advice.

For the inaugural "What to Wear When," I tapped Taz Arnold. Taz is a regular renaissance man, constantly creating in so many mediums it's kind of impossible to keep up. He's known by most as a member of Sa-Ra Creative Partners, the hip-hop group and production powerhouse that has crafted beats for legends like Jay-Z  and Dr. Dre, and released their own stellar albums. He's also a street fashion maven, running his own label Tisa, which helped spawn the current  snap-back craze and has turned out an incredible collaborative collection with luxury leather brand MCM. Right now he's focusing on growing his vintage Ralph Lauren-inspired El Americans fashion label—in the 90s Taz was a well known Ralph Lauren enthusiast and booster. 

Taz just dropped his first solo LP, Rad America, which features the sexy single "Freaky Bitch." Excited about the prospect of being a freaky bitch myself, I wondered what does one wear when they get into freaky bitch mode? And so started my hypothetical discussion on what to wear when, with Taz Arnold. 

Wilbert L. Cooper: So, there's a huge party being thrown by Twelv Magazine for Obama's second inauguration ceremony and I get invited. I'm bringing ethiopian model Liya Kebede as my date, and I want to look like your music sounds—completely "Freaky Bitch." What should I have on?
Taz Arnold: I would suggest a tuxedo, a really a fitted tuxedo. One that is on some James Bond or Peter Gabriel type shit—very sophisticated and chic.

How would you accessorize it?
Everything would have to be understated with gold accents. But maybe blow them away with some gold shoes.

OK, and what about my girl Liya Kebede? Given her profession, I imagine she's well versed in the ways of the "Freaky Bitch."
The lady might wear some lingerie and a garter belt  with a longer trench coat on top and some heels. That's the kind of outfit that you can get crazy with really quick. It definitely promotes some freaky scenarios without being too risqué.

What kind of lingerie?
Anything that has some French lace. It could have a little black or red satin. No brand in particular, though. Whatever is her favorite. The more time she puts into it, the more freaky it will be—and the more effective. And she can still wear a very nice trench coat and very nice shoes to offset the sexy.

Was there ever a tuxedo that you wore that really made you feel like you were a freaky bitch?
I produced a song with my group Sa-Ra that has everybody on it; Kanye West, Bentley Farnsworth, Andre 3000. We are all in the video wearing these Hugo Boss tuxedos. I'm not too into Hugo, but there was something about these particular tuxedos that was special. It might have been the way we had them altered.

What'd you do to them?
We went to the tailor and had them fitted like we were in the 60s with the flooded pant legs that let people see our socks. I felt like I was David Ruffin from the Temptations. It was the first time I'd ever worn a tuxedo and it really helped change my perspective on formal dressing.

How so?
I could see how a well cultured man back in the day with his mind focused on being successful in business or trying to look sharp for the ladies would wear clothes like that regularly. It represents a certain classiness that people don't have as much today. It's great too because with the pants up about a half inch higher than they would regularly be, you get that sleek effect. None of that baggy stuff. People didn't wear that back in the 50s and 60s.

A Twelv party is where I want to look like a freaky bitch. How about you? What's your ideal place to really express yourself through your clothes?
Paris. It's kind of corny because a lot of rappers are talking about Paris right now, but its true. I really love that city, it's so romantic. 

Any event in particular?
Paris during Fashion Week, where everyone is just enjoying each other's fashion and style.

Yeah, people still talk about the leopard print pants you wore to Fashion Week years ago when you were hanging with Kanye. They even spoofed that outfit in South Park! You definitely had your freak bitch swag on there. Moving on to scents, what kind of fragrances might you use to complete the whole package?
I really like Bond Street Cologne. But when I want to step it up, I like to use some oils from India or maybe Malaysia. Oils like that can run you up to $400 for one bottle. But it's worth it, because the right scent can send a girl who's not really thinking about you way into her favor.

Really? Any experiences with that?
Definitely. I was hanging out with a chick, she lived in Clinton Heights. I was just stopping by to see her house. We were both attracted to each other, but it wasn't a pending situation of us having sex.

And you had on the oils?
Yeah, and every time I would sit next to her she would move away. I thought I had done something wrong. She wouldn't even let me get close enough to her to talk. And I didn't want to be yelling in her apartment. I asked what was up and she was like, "Uhhh, you smell really good." So, I kind of cornered her and was like, "I think you're moving around too much."

And the rest is history… Thanks for the tips Taz! Those oils are on my shopping list. I'm trying to get my freaky bitch on ASAP. 

Listen to Taz's new album Rad American below:

http://www.2dopeboyz.com/2012/03/08/tia-taz-arnold-rad-america-mixtape/

Wilbert L. Cooper is an assistant editor at VICE Magazine. He loves his job and Morris Day and the Time. Follow him on Twitter: @WilbertLCooper 

edited by Jessica Appelstein

related posts

Photo: Puyang.

Ricostru: Interview & F/W18 Backstage

In Italian, ‘Ricostru’ means ‘reconstruction,’ but designer Rico Manchit Au was constructing an entirely new notion of designer Chinese fashion when she launched her label in 2011.

April 10, 2018 9:00 AM  |  Fashion

Jill Stuart Fashion Story "Suburbia"

FASHION STORY "SUBURBIA" is now available! 
 
Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.
April 02, 2018 1:00 PM  |  Fashion

TWELV MAGAZINE "BLONDE SASHIMI FROM PLANET TWELV" PARTY @BETTER DAYS

TWELV returns to Better Days on the Lower East Side for "Blonde Sashimi from Planet TWELV" as New York City relishes in the post-Fashion Week calm.

March 20, 2018 10:00 AM  |  Fashion

Fashion Story "Lolita in Zadig & Voltaire"

 

Check inside for the Full Page Editorial.

 

March 14, 2018 10:00 AM  |  Fashion
Kitsuné x NBA Tour at Kitsuné Store on Lafayette St. Photo: Ryosuke Miyai.

Maison Kitsuné X NBA Tour Visits New York City

Kitsuné Co-founders Gildas Loaëc and Masaya Kuroki continue their exploration of curious collaborations as they partner with the NBA for a first-time capsule collection, and recollection of...

March 13, 2018 11:00 AM  |  Fashion

Interview: SAGITTAIRE A Debuts in Paris with Fashion Film "Samphrenia"

Sagittaire A is a place deep within the Milky Way that emits radio waves, possibly the location of a black hole, and its perplexing, almost esoteric nature makes it a befitting...

March 09, 2018 12:00 PM  |  Fashion
1 PIERPAOLO PICCIOLI

A Breakdown of Moncler Genius: an 8-Capsule Collaboration

New York. London. Milan. Paris.

March 05, 2018 4:00 PM  |  Fashion
Lisa Verberght. Photo: Ryosuke Miyai.

TWELV MAGAZINE NYFW F/W18 PARTY @BETTER DAYS

TWELV returned to Broome Street to bring New York Fashion Week to a close at "Better Days" where DJ's Keiichiro Nakajima, Kristian Kirk, Oliver Stumm, Grier Newlin, Cat Pace, and Phil Anker took...

February 19, 2018 4:00 PM  |  Fashion

MARC JACOBS NYFW F/W18 READY-TO-WEAR

For Marc Jacobs Fall-Winter 2018 collection, a foreign kind of drama played out on the runway this season.

February 18, 2018 11:00 AM  |  Fashion
Adwoa Aboah

R13 NYFW F/W18 BACKSTAGE

R13's conception has been one shrouded in a certain kind of cool mystique.

February 16, 2018 11:00 AM  |  Fashion

LINDER NYFW F/W18 READY-TO-WEAR SHOW & INTERVIEW

Fall-Winter 2018 marked an amiable separation of the Linder design duo, with Kirk Millar leading the men’s collection and Sam Linder taking control of womenswear.

February 16, 2018 9:00 AM  |  Fashion

Jill Stuart NYFW F/W18 Presentation: Video and Backstage

The anticipation and excitement buzzing from the queue that formed outside of an 1840’s brownstone in Gramercy Park could be felt blocks away.

February 13, 2018 10:00 AM  |  Fashion

Interview: Wei Lin and Mijia Zhang Unite Knitwear and Tech with PH5

To be truly innovative, a designer must be able to control a garment's construction down to each thread.

February 10, 2018 11:00 AM  |  Fashion
Bella Hadid by Cass Bird

Bella Hadid in Dior's Latest Lip Glow Campaign

By the time you finish reading this sentence, three more tubes of Dior Lip Glow will have been sold around the world.

February 09, 2018 12:00 PM  |  Fashion

Raf Simons NYFW F/W18 Men's

The Raf Simons collection is undoubtedly the highlight of New York Fashion Week: Men’s, and his Fall-Winter 2018 show left an exceptionally decadent impression.

February 09, 2018 10:00 AM  |  Fashion

TWELV Magazine 2018 New Year Party @Better Days

TWELV celebrated the arrival of the New Year at the Lower East Side spot "Better Days" with a late-night dance party spun by DJ's Keiichiro Nakajima, Grier Newlin, Phil Anker, and Cat Pace.

January 29, 2018 3:00 PM  |  Fashion

GUCCI S/S 2018 CAMPAIGN “UTOPIAN FANTASY”

For Spring/Summer 2018, Gucci commissioned Spanish artist and illustrator Ignasi Monreal to create digital paintings of a mythical universe and utopian fantasy.

January 24, 2018 3:00 PM  |  Fashion

René Caovilla S/S2018 CAMPAIGN

Delicate heels and grainy denim may not make an obvious combination, but stylist Viviana Volpicella uses the classic fabric as a clean backdrop to the scintillating shoes in René Caovilla’s Spring...

January 18, 2018 3:00 PM  |  Fashion

MIU MIU S/S2018 CAMPAIGN “Return to Arcosanti”

January 16, 2018 1:00 PM  |  Fashion

Roberto Cavalli S/S2018 Campaign

The first Spring/Summer Roberto Cavalli campaign developed under the creative direction of former menswear designer, Paul Surridge, proves to be a delivery on his promise to firmly...

January 11, 2018 4:00 PM  |  Fashion
Photo: Yurika Morimitsu.

TWELV Magazine "Blonde Sashimi from Planet TWELV" Party @BETTER DAYS

To bring in the holidays and to bid farewell to the flocks of New Yorkers fleeing the icy city, TWELV held its illustrious party "BLONDE SASHIMI FROM PLANET TWELV" at the renamed-but-not-forgotten...

December 12, 2017 12:00 PM  |  Fashion

Helmut Lang NYC Taxi Cab Campaign & Capsule Collection

This year has been a transformative period for Helmut Lang, a brand so inextricably tied with its enigmatic founder who left his label in 2005 and whose influence still manifests in...

December 06, 2017 3:00 PM  |  Fashion

Chanel BoyFriend Watch Celebration at the #CocoClub

Chanel's latest Instagram-geared affair celebrated their BoyFriend watch collection, a line of angular, masculine watches for women.

November 13, 2017 2:00 PM  |  Fashion
The Cover of "Dresses to Dream About" Photo: Brad Walsh

Christian Siriano's "Dresses to Dream About" Celebrates a Decade of Work

Christian Siriano's decade of empowering women through his epononymous label launched in 2008 is now being celebrated in the designer's first coffee table book entitled Dresses to Dream About...

November 10, 2017 5:00 PM  |  Fashion
Video still from "STEFFI"

Roberto Cavalli X TWELV Fashion Video "Steffi"

TWELV Roberto Cavalli Video Story "STEFFI"

November 08, 2017 12:00 PM  |  Fashion

TWELV Magazine Halloween 2017 Party @Better Days

TWELV Magazine's annual Halloween party was on the cutting edge of horror haute couture with costumed guests attending as their alter egos for the night.

October 30, 2017 6:00 PM  |  Fashion
Tetra Neomatik 39

Nomos Glashütte Debuts "At Work" Collection

Luxury German watchmaker Nomos Glashütte has been in the market for 25 years now, but it didn’t take...

October 30, 2017 2:00 PM  |  Fashion
Video Still from "The Gate"

Björk Wears a Custom Gucci Masterpiece in "The Gate"

The genius of Björk, if we can condense it, is her ability to enable the human voice to express in sound what cannot be put into words.

October 12, 2017 9:00 AM  |  Fashion

Enisa Exclusive Interview/Fashion Story "Freedom"

ENISA Exclusive Interview / Fashion Story "Freedom" is now available!

October 06, 2017 4:00 PM  |  Fashion

MIU MIU S/S18 PFW READY-TO-WEAR

While there were no show stopping, jaw dropping surprises among the 44 looks presented by Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu's Spring/Summer 2018 collection, it was a solid representation of the brand's...
October 06, 2017 10:00 AM  |  Fashion

Stella McCartney S/S18 PFW Ready-to-Wear

Stella McCartney's longstanding commitment to maintain a business model with environmental impact in mind was employed...

October 03, 2017 10:00 AM  |  Fashion

Roberto Cavalli MFW S/S18 Ready-to-Wear

With the Spring/Summer 2018 shows of Milan Fashion Week now in the rearview mirror of fashion month, we can reflect on some of the visions thatpresent the most radical new creative...

October 02, 2017 12:00 PM  |  Fashion

All:One, the Skate Brand Promoting Inclusivity

The hyper-connected, instantly gratifying world of social media has given people a platform to express their viewpoints and make their voices heard.

September 28, 2017 11:00 AM  |  Fashion

MARC JACOBS NYFW S/S18 READY-TO-WEAR

"The future is uncertain and the end is always near" sang Jim Morrison in the song "Roadhouse Blues," and if there is any truth to the rumors that have been swirling all summer, this...

September 15, 2017 4:00 PM  |  Fashion

Bruce Weber Photographs Frame Denim

The latest collection from Frame Denim comes like a soft ripple, wending and spreading itself through the fashion world in an organic wave.

September 15, 2017 11:00 AM  |  Fashion

Pages

SITE BY: monocomplex©Marbles & Marbles International Inc. Drupal Development by: DivDiv, NYC
▲ back to top ▲