Daily News Record (October 18, 1999) p.42 

TAKING A DIRECT APPROACH
VIDEO DIRECTORS ARE HAVING A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON ARTISTS' IMAGE, AS WELL 
AS THE WORLD OF FASHION.

by Nelson Mui & Elena Romero.

For many young men, there's nothing as fashionable as the one depicted 
in music videos. Woven into a panorama of fast and fancy camera work, 
and set to a catchy, rhythmic beat, the fashions in the video look all 
the more enticing -- perhaps even more than a still high-fashion 
photograph.

So it's not surprising that today's hottest music video directors are 
leaving their imprint on the world of fashion, either by inspiring 
fashion photographers and stylists, or by directing fashion 
commercials.

For example, Hype Williams, widely considered the reigning king of 
music videos -- he's worked with Will Smith, Busta Rhymes and Tupac 
Shakur to name a few -- most recently directed the hit Gap commercial 
"Khaki Soul."

"I have relationships with different artists," said Williams. "A lot 
more rap artists and performers are more inclined to trust my judgement 
when it comes to image making and apparel. My point of view is 
different than many directors that may not have a real investment in 
the culture. People know I have a real friendship with them. I'm a 
painter -- what they wear, what set designer. We are going to use and 
different colors. I use a different paint brush each time."

According to Williams, though, some rappers styles have naturally 
evolved. "Things change, people change," he said. "I remember when 
Lauryn Hill wore baseball caps and backpacks. Today, she's a grown 
woman as an artist and her style reflects that."

Little X, who has directed videos for Red Man and Deborah Cox, said 
choosing a wardrobe is a question of finding the right balance between 
being edgy and cool 

"A music video is about selling cool," said Little X. "It's a 
reflection of the music itself though, and you've got to be putting 
people in brands that people are actually wearing, but it's got to be 
cool at the same time. My eyes are more on the street and that's where 
it's coming from, looking at what the kids are up to."

Little X also acknowledged that in an urban environment where a 
standard uniform consists of T-shirts, baggy pants and timberlands, 
having the right accoutrements can make all the difference. "Sometimes 
it's about having the coolest pagers, or the coolest watches," said 
Little X. "The whole idea is to be different -- that little extra 
something."

For Zodiac, who has directed videos for The Lost Boys, getting the 
right fashion attitude comes from understanding the artist. "I try to 
get to know them, hang with them, shoot some pool," said Zodiac. "I 
spend a couple of days with them, get a feel for things, and then I 
start to get a vibe that helps me create."

Zodiac added that through videos, artists can most effectively change 
their image. "The next Lost Boys video, we're going to move away from 
that straight white-T-shirt baggy look," said Zodiac. "They want to 
smooth those edges out, we're going to go for more colorful stuff. If 
you take that rag off [the tops of their heads], that makes all the 
difference. They're not really strong on the gangsta rap stuff, but 
they're still to the street and like to keep it fun."