TORI AMOS TALKS ABOUT HER STYLE

On May 19, 2009, “Abnormally Attracted To Sin,” the tenth Tori Amos studio album, was released on Universal Republic, and she recently began a world tour.

The packaging shows Amos in a variety of guises, photographed in various rooms of a plush, cream-colored Victorian hotel room, by glamour expert Karen Collins. The sound of the album is typically detailed and wide, dominated by dark, rich reds and hints of silver.  “I want to make audio mescaline,” Tori has said.

Q: Let’s start with all the characters that you’ve channeled in your music and photos. What’s the appeal of all this transformation, and how does the process of creating these archetypes start?

A: Well, the more I studied mythology, the more I began to really understand that we as women, first of all, carry a multitude of these ancient character types – or archetypes – in our genes. And as I started allowing myself to take in some of these ancient mythological creatures through my music, through my work, what it did was it allowed me to find that in myself.  Not that it’s doesn’t happen to be there in the genetics, but through channeling it creatively, you’re able to step out of the image you have of yourself, and the image that other people or your friends may have of you. 

Q: Would you describe your style as eclectic?

A: Well, yeah I have a mix. But Karen styled the last tour – note the beaded jumpsuits. There’s a beaded jumpsuit that’s like an American flag, which I wore on the fourth of July two years ago, which was sort of Freddie Mercury from Queen meets David Bowie.  I really admire the people who do that beadwork.  I love the strength of their hands, because people’s hands cramp when they do that elaborate hand beading.


Q: So your style icons are people like Bowie, Freddie Mercury, and you’ve got a lot of old Hollywood glamour-meets-fetish in your latest photos. Who are some of your other style icons?

A:  Barbara Stanwyck.  I love the fact that in my mind she always looked like she had a padded-shoulder suit on.

 

Then we do sound-checks for two hours – we have to work with the main song for the show. And then I do a photo call for the media. I always prefer to do a photo call not in the show itself because it doesn’t help the publication if they can’t get the right shot, and it really upsets the audience if you have all these photographers making a circus out of the whole thing. So I always do a photo call for the media after sound-check, because I’m all ready, I have my make-up on. So I’ll just put on the dress or gown for that evening and shoot in that.  I go over the set list with the band, make sure we’re all on the same page.  I have a lockdown period, with no conversations with outside people coming in. You know, no phones or anything.

Images courtesy of Tori Amos and the Fashion Spot forums.

 


X