A new album provides an opportunity for an artist to reinvent themselves, both in terms of music and appearance. Shawn Mendes does both with his new album, Wonder.
Briseno and Mendes have been collaborating for five years and have experimented with a variety of approaches. Mendes’ recent style has been quite a rock & roll, even grungy at times. He and Briseno, for example, wore a Saint Laurent tuxedo with sequin accents to the Met Gala last year. “We concentrated on the raw and rebellious spirit of apparel last season,” Briseno explains. “The stage was ruled by cut-off shirts layered down to tank tops and black skinny trousers with bare hems.” Briseno and Mendes, on the other hand, intended to evoke a more nostalgic vibe for Wonder.
Mendes has worn this new look in several press engagements and concerts to promote Wonder ahead of the album’s release. The suit she put Mendes in for the recent American Music Awards when he sang his song “Monster” alongside Justin Bieber, was one of Briseno’s favorites they created together. Mendes wore pleated pants with a traditional button-down (with a hint of a tank underneath!) and heeled ankle boots, while Bieber looked more skater-inspired in loose denim and flannel. “Shawn looked stunning in a Dolce & Gabbana shirt and pleated wool leggings.”
This new, more understated appearance compliments Mendes’s boyish charm and heartthrob’s hair, but it also upgrades his image from adolescent pop star to mature singer. It’s been dubbed Mendes 2.0. And we can anticipate him sticking to this more simplified, simple look in the days ahead—at least for the duration of this album’s era.
Photos from Mendes’ latest appearances and performances are included below.
