Jamie Campbell Bower Is the Rising Style Star You Need to Know
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When it comes to Hollywood’s red carpets, the menswear assortment is—more often than not—very safe. Snoozy, even. Sure, classic suits and tuxedos will always have a place at a splashy movie premiere, but whatever happened to fun? No one’s fun anymore!
That being said, there are a few actors who are taking a more eccentric and unexpected approach to their fashion choices. Take Alexander Skarsgard, and his freaky shoes. Or, more recently, there’s Jamie Campbell Bower, who has been bringing a unique fashion energy to his press tour for The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power this month. (The star recently joined season three of the hit Prime Video series.)
You may know Bower for his music, or for portraying the villainous Vecna on Stranger Things, but we are fast associating him with an impeccable sense of style. Throughout his press tour this month, he and his stylist Nathan Henry have been infusing traditional tailoringTailoringThe craft of cutting, shaping, and sewing structured garments such as suits, blazers, and trousers to fit the body precisely. Good tailoring relies on skilled pattern work and fine finishing,Go to Tailoring Glossary looks with cool, off-kilter accessories—like brooches and headpieces!—that make the outfits feel a whole lot more fresh and modern.
Last night in London, for one, Bower emerged wearing a black cape coat from Matières Fécales—the avant-gardeAvant-gardeExperimental, boundary-pushing design that challenges conventional ideas of beauty, shape, and dress. Avant-garde fashion favors unusual silhouettes, materials, and concepts, often appearing on runways and in editorials before its ideasGo to Avant-garde Glossary Parisian label that is fast becoming a celebrity favorite. Punctuating his sleek outerwear? There was a bejeweled crown headpiece, oversized eyeball and flower brooches, and even a spider-like jewelry piece that fit like a glove. Talk about fun!
Some of his other recent Lord of the Rings looks have been more subdued—but equally as slick and contemporary. For the New York premiere, there was a perfectly-slouchy black pinstriped suit with layered silver necklaces; For the Mexico City screening, he chose a black suit with a burgundy velvet lapel, and a crisp white shirt with a high collar and oversizedOversizedA cut that is intentionally larger and roomier than the body, producing a relaxed, voluminous silhouette. Oversized blazers, shirts, coats, and knits balance comfort with style, and they work especiallyGo to Oversized Glossary lapels. These slight exaggerations of silhouette imbued his looks with a little personality: They’re not so formal or standard; rather, they have a little zest to them.
Given he is also a professional musical artist by day, Bower’s rock-and-roll sensibility could play a big part in why his red carpetRed CarpetThe ceremonial walkway at premieres, award shows, and galas where public figures pose for photographers in their most carefully chosen looks. Red-carpet fashion launches trends, fuels designer visibility, and generatesGo to Red Carpet Glossary style feels so noteworthy: He simply has that innate, effortless way of dressing that so many musicians seem to nail. (Think: Mick Jagger, Prince, Bowie.) And we need this energy from a whole lot more men in Hollywood. . . Life is short: Take a risk!
This article was originally published on Vogue.com.