In January of 2012, an anonymous fan took to Tumblr to track down Joanna Newsom’s outfits. Titled Joanna Newsom Fashion, it pairs professional and candid shots of Newsom with runway models in the same looks and a brief rundown on the bottom pinning the designer, year, and line. The site is meticulous, tracking everything from Have One on Me inserts to her dress in MGMT’s "Kids" music video is present. A fan-made book of art in response to her music seems diehard, but the outside research of a meticulously kept Tumblr page reveals itself as its own, more intense labor of love. It’s more than a personal connection to Newsom’s music. It’s the steady hand of a university student holding a magnifying glass to catalogued runway lines, waiting to find a match.
The fashion life of a musician is a strange thing. We come to them with open ears, not wide eyes. When a musician is able to cater to both with strong content, however, they become more 3D. Joanna Newsom's lifelong interest in fashion mimics her appreciation for daedal, provincial stylings in both word and cloth. Newsom, apparently, has been sporting vintage designer dresses from her late teens onwards. As a child, she cut up magazines from her parents' offices to make collages and drew hundreds of her own imagined designs. Newsom has had a quiet flirtation with high fashion since The Milk-Eyed Mender blew up. She modeled alongside Jennifer Lawrence and Hugh Dancy in Giorgio Armani‘s W magazine. She’s popped up on street style blogs. She graced the cover of Paper Magazine. She’s hosted Rodarte parties and sported Margiela in a Bullett fashion spread.
The Internet has once again given birth to a nook of magical fixation. The website’s followers submit their own finds, throwing in new photos and applauding at the realization that they’re not alone in their fascination. They share outfits they imagine would suit her, mentally dressing her like a doll. Occasionally posts appear citing lyrics or reminiscing about her relationship with Bill Callahan. It’s a labor of utter adoration. Self-imposing becomes that much easier. You too could learn the harp. You too could buy Marc Jacobs and Michael van der Ham. Joanna Newsom memorized Marc Jacobs' 2002 spring line and so have these fans.
This is miles away from the thirst surrounding Beyoncé and Lana Del Rey’s H&M fashion lines. Newsom is a recluse musician, not a pop star. Even when on her own promotion route, she stays quiet, modest, humble. Following her footsteps is a challenge on its own when press is minimal. Obscure fashion designers aren't idiomatic to the average Newsom fan, but for this group, it is.
The most requested image is one they can’t get their hands on: her Zac Posen wedding dress. Newsom has kept the photographs tucked away from the corners of the Internet. What they do know is that its "pastoral maximalism" was inspired by Czech Art Nouveau, Austrian secessionism, and Greek agrarian mythology. "Because I overthink everything," Newsom explained to the New York Times Style Magazine, "that’s just the tip of the iceberg." Yet as obsessive as the Tumblr is, it’s clear her fans have the utmost respect. The cult following of Joanna Newsom as a fashion icon is intense, but not creepy. There’s no impending iCloud breach to get a hold of her wedding photos. Though if there’s a The Strangers-style incident in her mansion, the site may be a good starting point.