“I’m nervous but so excited,” Bing says. “I want to inspire people to be vulnerable—to look inside and really work with ourselves—because when we do that, amazing things will come.”
Whether they knew it or not, Anine Bing fans were treated to a preview of her new project when she slipped some of her tracks into her anniversary campaign with Kate Moss. The words of fashion and music are, to her, entirely complementary. “I get so inspired when I’m in the music studio to go back to the design studio and bring back my style of music through style as well,” she says. “It’s an exciting chapter for both the brand and for me as a person.”
Asked to compare the process of designing a new collection with working on her debut solo album, Bing explains that “it’s actually a very similar feeling, because I love designing clothes; I get very excited when I know somebody’s going to wear a piece and feel empowered. While getting together with the band, I feel empowered being surrounded by these incredibly talented women. I hope our music will inspire women—and men, of course. And hopefully, some of the lyrics and melodies can help them with whatever they’re going through.”
The special bond between an artist and fan is something that Bing holds close to heart. She reels off some of the bands that have inspired her, or been a guiding light during dark times: “God, I love The Cranberries. I just think Dolores’s voice is incredible, and I love her haunting, kind of sad melodies and lyrics,” Bing gushes. “I think Mazzy Star is amazing, too. Of course, I adore The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel because I love their harmonies. So, I guess I love a lot of music, but the music that really stands out to me is people that write from within their soul and make it feel real.”
To celebrate the album’s launch on May 2, Bing is gathering her close friends and family for an intimate listening party at the Chateau Marmont. There, Bing and her band will perform live for the first time.
How does her signature style translate on the stage? Bing’s plan is to keep things simple. “Every time I go into the studio, I put on a pair of skinny jeans, a rock and roll tee, and a pair of boots. And that was exactly what I used to wear back in my early music days,” she says. After all, this new era isn’t a rebrand—it’s a release.