Avril Lavigne has been the epitome of what’s cool ever since she stepped onto the scene following the release of her 2002 debut album, Let Go, wearing baggy cargo pants and a men’s tie.
“It’s kind of fun, because I think of how each album naturally had its own look and feel,” the pop-punk princess tells Billboard of her ever-evolving sense of style, noting that following her “tomboy-ish” Let Go era, she branched into “goth and bondage pants” for 2004’s Under My Skin and played with “hot pink” and “plaid skirts” for 2007’s The Best Damn Thing. Her latest album, 2022’s Love Sux, she says is “a little bit of all of my styles over the years,” mixed with a defining orange and black color scheme.
“It’s a big part of my music,” she explains. “Visuals, with fashion and all that.”
The “What the Hell” singer’s unique ability to capture the emotions tied to her music through fashion made her the perfect fit to perform at retailer SHEIN’s Rock the Runway show this past weekend (Sept. 25), which showcased the brand’s fall-winter 2022 collections through music, artists and professional dancers. Lavigne headlined the event alongside Jamaican dancehall star Shenseea and Flipino-Australian artist Ylona Garcia.
For her performance, Lavigne delivered a music video-style rendition of her recent single “Bite Me,” wearing a distressed black sweater over a strappy bodysuit, paired with cut-out cargo pants. “I dig things with holes in it right now,” she shares of her current style.
As for the way fashion history repeats itself and how styles of the early 2000s are now popular again, Lavigne says she’s loving it. “It’s more sexy now too,” she says. “Everything used to be so baggy and low, and now, the new versions are high waisted with a crop top. On my second album, I used to wear a lot of corsets and now corsets are back!”
“Can you tell how long I’ve been doing this for?” she jokes.
Watch the full Rock the Runway: SHEIN for All fashion show below, with Lavigne’s performance beginning at the 45:50 mark. The fall-winter 2022 collections for all SHEIN brands are currently available here.
