02 February 2021

6 reasons why It’s a Sin star Olly Alexander should be on your style radar

02 February 2021

If you’ve ever seen It’s a Sin – Channel 4’s incredible new drama – you’re probably already a fan of Olly Alexander

The enigmatic 30 year old actor, who is also the lead singer of electropop band Years & Years, is winning plaudits for his incredible performance in the moving show, which follows a group of friends in London during the 1980s HIV/Aids crisis.

But it’s not just Alexander’s brilliant acting skills that have utterly charmed us. He’s also a style icon in his own right, having carved out a menswear niche with his joyful stage costumes and gender fluid dressing. Here are some reasons why we’re calling him one to watch in the fashion world.

1. He collaborates with fashion students for his stage costumes

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When a massive celebrity like Olly Alexander wears your clothing, it can turn a designer’s fortunes around overnight.

Rather than always wearing big name brands on stage, the style-savvy singer is a big fan of championing young and undiscovered talent.

In 2016, Alexander enlisted students from Ravensbourne University to design the stage costumers for his Years & Years tour, giving the designers a brief that his outfits should be “colourful, bold and with an element of fantasy,” according to Dazed.

2. He uses clothing to spread awareness of LGBT issues

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Fashion and politics have long been intertwined, and Alexander often uses his attire as a way of conveying his social and political views.

Identifying as gay, he’s passionate about LGBTQ+ issues and even appeared on a Polish television show decked out in a gloriously vibrant rainbow-themed outfit in solidarity with Poland’s LGBTQ+ community.

3. He isn’t afraid to blur gender lines

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We always look forward to seeing what Olly Alexander will wear on the red carpet because there’s never a boring suit in sight – and he always brings something fresh and exciting to talk about.

In particular, he’s a great role model for young, gender-fluid people as he blurs the lines between menswear and womenswear, dressing in a way that he loves without worrying about what others might think.

4. He has fun with his fashion

GQ Men of the Year Awards 2018 – London (PA Archive)

Always one to make a statement, Olly Alexander brings so much joy to getting dressed – which is particularly helpful at the moment when most of us are stuck in a ‘hoodie and leggings’ lockdown rut.

Whether he’s twirling around in a giant cape, wearing head-to-toe sequins or throwing on a dress with a pair of creepers for a photoshoot, we’re always inspired by his love of colour, print and mood-lifting fabrics.

Take this look for instance, where Alexander rocked up to the GQ Awards wearing a corset with ostrich feathers.

5. He’s the king of streetwear

The Graham Norton Show – London (PA Wire)

That said, the utterly disarming frontman knows how to do loungewear in a really stylish way.

He’s the undisputed champ of outlandish trackies and he’s partly to blame for our recent obsession with colourful sweatpants.

6. He champions some really cool brands

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Remember Daniel Fletcher the menswear designer from Netflix’s Next in Fashion? Alexander is a big fan of his work and recently wore one of his incredible denim two-pieces on Instagram.

He also helped to bring Paloma Spain into the mainstream – that’s London College of Fashion graduate Alejandro Gomez Palomo’s brand that beautifully subverts gender stereotypes. This Brit Awards look was created by the designer and we are still thinking and talking about it, two years later.

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