Malaysian artiste Alan D turns to fashion to help him stand out from the crowd. Photos: Alan D
For Alan D (real name Vellanprasad Durairaj), fashion is very much part of his life. It is seen as an extension of his persona as a performer.
The 30-year-old, who has lived in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and India in his teenage years, says style can be so incredibly interpretive – which is the beauty of it.
“That’s what makes it fun!” he quips. “The ‘more than meets the eye’ ambiguity adds the mystery in individualism.”
Hailing from Subang Jaya, Alan D relates how he suffered from stuttering as a child. He then was acquainted with drumming at 11 years old. Making music helped develop his interpersonal skills too.
“Using rhythm, I practised lip syncing rap songs everyday for a year until I saw improvements. The solution was to formulate my speech in a pattern which significantly reduced my stuttering,” he says.
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Today, he aims to bring a competitive edge to the local music scene by delivering fresh new sounds, which span not only hip-hop, but dancehall, RnB and pop as well.
His discography includes Kita, Menipu, Laut and lots more. One song, IMSO, released three years ago, garnered over 14 million views on YouTube.
He has also collaborated with Malaysian artistes like Faizal Tahir and MK K-Clique.
In addition to creating his own songs, Alan D runs his own boutique agency that produces for local musicians.
What’s your view on fashion?
I think fashion is uniquely intuitive, it is multi-faceted. Fashion could be the representation of how you’re feeling that day, your mood, or your overall energy.
It may serve a purpose to embellish a part of your personality that is not easily distinguished by body language, demeanour or voice alone.
Fashion could even be a representation of the weather, rain or shine; it is temporal so what you’d wear may be a consequence of function. Still, you’d be hard pressed to assume with absolute certainty that if someone dresses for functionality, they’d have a cut and dry straight-edged personality.
Can you describe your go-to style?
On stage, I like to stand out – I like dressing like a rockstar. Chains and designer clothing, its very similar to what I wear in my music videos too.
It’s my alter ego, so I enjoy the opportunity to express “him”. I like rocking boots, jeans, sunglasses and a fist full of rings. Off the stage, I definitely dress for comfort or functionality.
That means I’m rocking joggers or loose pants and oversized shirts – either that, or I’m in full athletic gear top to toe. With footwear, I’d be seen with a pair of slides or sneakers.
Hip-hop is a big thing in fashion right now. With this year being the 50th anniversary of the music genre, what’s your personal take on its influence?
I think Kanye West really opened up the flood gates and Virgil Abloh rode the waves between the two oceans.
To me, high fashion has always felt like an ethereal representation of what garments could be. Whereas hip-hop fashion comes from daily human struggles – it is born from the streets.
The bridging of this fantasy to the reality of streetwear has been so cool to watch. For hip-hop, it’s brought a new level of sophistication and class.
For the fashion houses, I think it brought relatability – a common ground between the elite and everyone else aspiring to be wealthy.
No doubt, it certainly helped bolster the large fashion houses’ market share! On a personal note, I’ve got a few pieces from Virgil’s stint at Louis Vuitton before his passing. I absolutely love them!
Do you think there is a stereotype when it comes to hip-hop fashion?
Definitely, I actually started my hip-hop fashion journey donning skinny jeans, painting my fingernails black and wearing androgynous clothing!
I reckon that the 1980s to 90s stereotype of hip-hop’s baggy clothing, which is ingrained in people’s heads, may not be so relevant with Gen Zs anymore.
Regardless, there are so many sub-genres of hip-hop, which consequently bred fashion movements. Just to name a few, we’ve got Playboi Carti and his Opium style movement, Tyler The Creator’s preppy dress sense together with his brand Le Fluer, and Kanye West’s often outlandish usage of garments with Yeezy.
There is so much that has evolved beyond baggy pants and bling. Although, to be fair – bling is still a big proponent in hip-hop fashion. In the end, I guess we are all just looking for a way to shine.
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What are your fashion essentials?
I recently took a trip to Chennai and came across a 925 fine silver necklace. I got it blessed by a priest there and now I don’t leave the house without it.
Another piece is my silver high-school graduation ring from Mont Kiara International School that has my initials on it. I wear it everywhere I go – on stage or in business meetings.
I don’t have 20:20 vision so I’ll never leave the house without my Moscot glasses. I’ve got two pairs of Arthur’s and Lemtosh’s, and I just love how they fit comfortably on my face.
Finally I’ve a got a DeathWish ring that I wear a lot. It was gifted by my ex – a reminder that we’ve got limited time on this earth and we’re all going to expire anyway, so just have some fun while you’re at it.
