What’s Good? Felix Flores (Part Two)

Continued from What’s Good? Felix Flores (Part One) . . .

Retail DJ: But do you think that “otherness” is becoming—or has already become—the norm?

Felix Flores: Not really. I think if anything, it’s fading away. I mean, sure, you can that because Lady Gaga exists, that it’s the norm. But how many people dressed like Lady Gaga do you see in New York City every day? None.

You see people in black, people in . . . pea coats. You see leather boots that go to mid-calf.

Retail DJ: Because people seem to be plateauing here in terms of fashion, what have been people’s reactions to you and what you wear—particularly, things that are a little bit more “out of the box,” so to speak?

Felix Flores: I feel like I get a lot of negative stares. I get them from a lot of guys—and girls! I am really shocked when I see girls who [give me negative stares] because I feel like women would have more of a natural interest toward fashion, especially in New York. For example, last night, it was Valentine’s Day, and I was on the train coming home and saw all these couples. And they were, like, whispering and pointing. And I was like, “What? I have earmuffs on! What’s so shocking about that?”

Retail DJ: But what was the rest of the outfit?

Felix Flores: Just my black jacket.

Retail DJ: Are the earmuffs very large?

Felix Flores: No! They’re like “regulation size.” [all laugh] But I do also get people coming up to me a complimenting me a lot—people you would never imagine—like little old ladies or, like, war veterans. [all laugh]

Retail DJ: Seriously, war veterans? That’s such a specific, yet random, category.

Felix Flores: Yeah! I had this one guy, who told me he was on the way to the VFW. (Veterans of Foreign Wars (http://www.vfw.org/)) when I was in Michigan, telling me he really liked my look.

But, I don’t know. I don’t really think about other people. I just ignore them.

Retail DJ: Did you grow up primarily in Michigan?

Felix Flores: Until I was 13, and then I moved to Florida.

Retail DJ: What part of Florida were you living in?

Felix Flores: This place called Winter Haven. It was near Orlando.

Retail DJ: So what about fashion there? When you were growing up in both these locations, do you think that traveling and those environments influenced how you dress today?

Felix Flores: Yeah, of course, because I wanted to be nothing like that. [all laugh]

Click below to continue reading What’s Good? Felix Flores (Part Two)

Retail DJ: What do you mean by “like that”?

Felix Flores: Well, in Florida, everyone wore Gap or American Eagle. And if you didn’t wear that, you were super “ghetto.” And if you weren’t that, then you were “redneck.” So you wore skinny jeans, but they were, like, Wranglers with a leather belt and a big belt buckle of, like, the Confederate flag, a really tight, tucked-in, button-up shirt, and cowboy boots.

Retail DJ: Did you ever rock any of that?

Felix Flores: That look? Oh no!

Retail DJ: Not even once, just to try?

Felix Flores: Well, I mean, I have worn pants and shirts like that before, but I was never really into the “redneck” look. I didn’t like big trucks. [all laugh]

Retail DJ: What about in Michigan?

Felix Flores: Michigan was kind of the same thing: hooded sweatshirts that said the name of the store you bought it from. And I guess now, when I go back, I see a lot of people wearing flare bottom jeans tucked into Ugg boots plus an “Any College U.S.A.” sweatshirt. That’s really what I see when I go home.

Retail DJ: I feel like that’s what I see here in NYC now a lot too.

Felix Flores: Yeah! And you know, people here are always saying, “the Midwest this…” “the Midwest that,” but that look is here too. It’s really strong here.

Retail DJ: And it’s not just the tourists! It’s people who live here. So beyond that, in thinking about music and fashion, do you think one influences the other more strongly or is it more of a mutual exchange? Is your music influenced by your style or is your style influenced more by the music you listen to?

Felix Flores: I think my style is influenced by the music that I write because it would be very different if I got on stage and sang my songs in just jeans and a t-shirt because, for the most part, before I am a musician or a songwriter, I’m a storyteller. I want to portray that in the best possible way, and think clothes help with that. They help write the story of the performance. So when I get on stage, I want to wear something that fits the mood.

Retail DJ: In telling that story, imagine you are in telling your story in Mexico, musically speaking and, functionality aside, you are only allowed to bring one outfit. What would that outfit be? What would it look like?

Felix Flores: Hmm…what would it look like?

Retail DJ: And let’s say you are literally given a garbage bag to put one outfit in and that’s it. . . though, knowing you, you’d probably wear the garbage bag, huh?

Felix Flores: Wait, I can’t wear the garbage bag!?!? [all laugh]

Retail DJ: No no! And the outfit would be solely for performances.

Felix Flores: Well, I guess if I had access to anything—maybe something with feathers.

Retail DJ: Peacock feathers? (referring to the peacock feathers in a display in Felix’s kitchen)

Felix Flores: No . . . Dodo bird feathers. Or maybe something with the body of as flamingo.

Retail DJ: Ok…what else?

Felix Flores: I don’t know. That’s a hard one! I’m into really big arms, poufy Shakespeare-style arms/sleeves, these days. Maybe some sort of headpiece (maybe that’s where the feathers come in). Maybe pants made out of feathers. That’d be kinda cool. I never see feather outfits—not in real life. 

But maybe if I could only choose one [outfit], maybe I would just go there and just look around, see what I could find.

Stay posted for a special travel edition of Get Ready With Felix Flores Coming Soon!

- Retail DJ

Tags: felix flores, lady gaga, midwest, what's good?, what's good? felix flores