Style Record: Tiffany Houghton
All photographs courtesy of Tiffany HoughtonTiffany Houghton’s voice is simply angelic. There’s something sweet yet powerful about her inflections, adding a unique, honeysweet texture to addictive pop gems. If you haven’t already heard of her (somehow), a quick Google search will show how prominent the emerging artist has become in only a handful of years. The millions upon millions of YouTube plays for hits like “Catch Me If You Can” and “High” deliver a great prognosis for her forthcoming album, due out in March of 2017.
While the rest of the world focuses on her music, we got to know the emerging pop starlet’s spotless sense of style. Catch our talk below about her mother’s fashion advice, studying fashions of the past and the importance of dressing for oneself.
Paste: Have you always been into fashion or is it a new interest?
Tiffany Houghton: My mom would always say to me growing up, “Take the time in the morning to dress well and feel good, but the moment you’re finished getting ready, forget your looks and go make somebody else feel beautiful.”
Paste: Who are some of your style idols?
Houghton: I love Emma Watson’s style. She always looks so classy, dignified and feminine. Audrey Hepburn had a very simple and stunning style to her as well. I love studying time periods and learning about why they dressed the way that they did.
Paste: Is there a movie, TV show, music video, etc. that you remember in particular as having amazing fashions?
Houghton: I remember watching Breakfast At Tiffany’s and then literally recreating the “Moon River” scene for my song “17 Again.” I also love Penny Lane’s style in Almost Famous. So iconic!
Paste: Do you dress any differently on stage than you do in your day-to-day life?
Houghton: Definitely. Wait, now that I think about it… it’s actually not too, too different. I like to get dressed up whether I’ll be seeing anyone or not. It matters more to me how I feel than what people think. Hence [why] I am currently wearing heels and fur and it’s an off day!
Paste: How do you approach styling for music videos and the various visual components that accompany your music?
Houghton: It’s fun for me to study pop culture throughout the decades, namely fashion. For instance, with “I’m Gonna Love You,” I came across a 60s Diary of a Mod Girl online and she talked about how mod fashion was an expression for the optimistic youth of London after WWII. Mod was all about standing out in a crowd for being clean cut and hopeful. That sentiment stood out to me and served to visually reinforce the message behind the song.
Paste: What’s your go-to outfit for the winter?
Houghton: I’m loving bodysuits right now. Can’t get enough! My go to would be a bodysuit, comfy suit pants and a fur coat with some closed-toe pointed heels.
Paste: If you had to sum up your style in three words, what would they be?
Houghton: Classy, timeless and feminine.
Paste: What’s the worst fashion trend that ever existed?
Houghton: No idea but I’ve probably committed them all. Oh, gauchos! I wore those awful pants all the time growing up.