Art Preview: Don't Bring Me Down, a Hypothetical Band for Fashion's sake

Struck by the lack of fashion sense that many Austin bands display, local fashion designer Rachel Fields decided to do something about it. So she created her own all-girl garage rock four-piece that oozes with 60s style. But there's one thing ... the band is fake. They'll never perform a real show, or record an album. Fields, and a collection of creative friends dreamed up the hypothetical Don't Bring Me Down band all for the sake of fashion.

Tonight at the Spider House Cafe, Don't Bring Me Down will make its debut during a multimedia show, which will feature the fashion, photography, videos, and music that was created as a result of making up a faux-but-fabulous band. “I was interested in styling a band as an experiment but didn't feel comfortable convincing a pre-existing band to let me completely take over their entire aesthetic ... there would be too many pre-conceived notions and egos involved,” Fields said. “So I created a band that would play music that I enjoyed and found interesting but that also had certain looks that would lend themselves well to experimental styling.”

Fields started the project a little over two months ago and she began with the fashion, which takes its cues from bad-ass funk and 18th-century popular attire. She quickly brought her photographer friend Christina Shaffell on board to stage a one-day photo shoot of the “band” out the middle of a deserted field. Other friends also teamed up with Fields to make short films about the process. The result of all this hypothetical styling is a very real collection of fashion and images that capture the interplay between lifestyle, music and the artistic process. There may never be a recording deal, but for Fields and crew, that’s enough.