Haute & Freddy Are Pop’s Fabulous New Fashion Freaks

Reported by Vogue.

At the Warsaw concert hall in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, last week, the crowd looked like a fever dream that Vivienne Westwood might have thrown together on a dare — lace masquerade masks, satin 18th-century corsets, and at least one immaculate Liza Minnelli drag. This wasn't a costume party. It was a Haute & Freddy show, and their fans, who call themselves The Royal Court, came dressed accordingly.

If the name doesn't ring a bell yet, it will. The L.A.-based electro-synth duo — vocalist Michelle Buzz (Haute) and drummer Lance Shipp (Freddy) — released their debut album Big Disgrace in March, a wall-to-wall collection of danceable anthems that's already caught the attention of Lady Gaga, who has been looping their tracks on TikTok. Before going solo, the two spent years behind the scenes writing and producing for the likes of Britney Spears and Katy Perry. The pivot to fronting their own project wasn't impulsive — it was overdue. "We've learned how to tightrope, trapeze — but now we feel ready to go out on our own," Haute told Vogue.

The Circus Has Left the Building (And It Dressed Itself)

The Big Disgrace tour is built around the metaphor of escaping that circus — literally and stylistically. Onstage, the duo cycles through Renaissance gear, vintage showgirl costumes, and DIY clown looks, with the more elaborate pieces made custom by designer Sam Franco. Haute has been sourcing vintage from Playclothes in Burbank and Junk for Joy in L.A., and has spent enough unsupervised hours dyeing pirate shirts in mustard yellow, rich merlot, and dried rose that her hands, by her own admission, look like she's "committed art crimes." A very poofy pink, black, and white striped showgirl number is apparently waiting in the wings. The whole aesthetic codes as theater kids with a budget and zero restraint — which is precisely the point. "We want everything to feel like DIY theater kids," says Haute.

The fans are meeting them there. During "Scantily Clad," the duo pulls the best-dressed Royal Court members onstage — and Toronto apparently produced a showgirl look stunning enough to be remembered weeks later. The fashion doesn't just complement the show; it is part of the show. "Going to a show should feel like your own personal fashion show," Haute said. Hard to argue when the audience is doing splits onstage.

The next stops include Lollapalooza in Chicago next month and a European leg in the fall, with new music already being written in greenrooms between sets. Freddy is keeping grounded via Capricorn logic and gear setup rituals; Haute is leaning into her Taurus stubbornness and the gift of finally doing exactly what she wants. When a pop duo this locked-in on their own vision starts dressing the crowd in their image, the star isn't rising — it's already there.

Fashion and music have always been most interesting when the audience stops being passive — Haute & Freddy are building a world where showing up dressed counts as participation.

Read the original at Vogue.