When it comes to creating both look and sound, Katy Perry has it all covered. In her nearly 15 years in the spotlight, the pop star has proven time and again that she knows how to make hits.
In fact, a glance behind the scenes on set at her May 12 cover shoot with FN in Los Angeles, watching Perry build a look felt a bit like witnessing the making of a pop song. From strong shapes and flashes of color, to cheeky prints, retro hints or even a film reference, the 37-year-old star knew what it would take to ignite a narrative.
Perry also knows that for her fellow millennials, nostalgia is powerful, both in fashion and music. Of the latter, many have inevitably circled back to the artist’s music catalog, especially as some of her hits have reached the decade mark, solidifying into anthems for a generation that is now looking back at their 2010s young adulthood.
“Enough time has passed where people are telling stories of that time,” she says. ”Once I got onto the scene in 2008, it was basically 10 years of just going, going, going and putting out tons of music and things were bursting. It’s nice to be able to be a part of that time and to keep putting out music in such a popular way. I am so grateful for all of it — the peaks, the valleys, the ups, the downs, all of it is a blessing.”
So how does the star square her prowess as a creative footwear mind with her blockbuster music career? By matching one to the other, of course.
In FN’s latest installment of “The Shoe Game,” Perry finds the perfect pairing for each hit song.
“California Gurls”
“We have a geli that has whipped cream on the toe, on top, so those are probably my ‘California Gurls’ shoes,” Perry says.
“Roar”
We’ve had multiple versions of leopard and animal print and zebra and prints like that,” she says.
“Firework”
“Yeah!” screams Perry as she lifts up her leg to show the sneaker she is wearing, the rainbow-covered Rizzo style from her spring ’22 collection. “I’ve still got it,” she says as she pivots her leg into a split.
“Teenage Dream”
“Any of my gelis are a ‘Teenage Dream,’ she says. “I think they make you feel young and they’re fun to wear. Some of them are sophisticated and some of them are just downright fun and funny and have a sense of humor.”
