Kesha On Her Pretty Connected Chain Collaboration, Fashion, and Touring

May 2024 · 5 minute read

We often talk about the non-existence of fun fashion during the height of the pandemic, when sweatpants reigned supreme as we worried about…well, everything else (health, money, family, you name it). But that, of course, isn't entirely true. Somewhere out there, a whole category of accessories, aka the chain, was thriving, and as people hooked them onto their masks, sunglasses, water bottles, and more, Pretty Connected's statement-making options lead the pack.

These versatile and helpful pieces brought us a teensy bit of joy during a super scary time — and, unsurprisingly, celebrities like Kesha were enjoying them, too.

"It's how I've always felt about shoes, purses, sunglasses, or hats — I love being able to wear a trashed old band T-shirt from the '70s with a pair of Wrangler cutoffs, but then you add a nice pair of shoes or a nice bag and, all of a sudden, you feel like a fancy bitch," the singer tells InStyle over the phone. "That's kind of what the mask chains turned into for me during quarantine. I just felt a little cuter, a little bit more myself, a little bit friendlier when people can't see my face. Things that are shiny just really do it for me. I started wearing them all the time."

It was that genuine love for the product and the company that led her to connect with Pretty Connected's founder, Lara Eurdolian. The two ended up collaborating on a limited-edition collection that's available to shop now. The eye-catching designs feature a yin-yang pendant, which is a symbol that Kesha was drawn to during her time at home.

"I was supposed to be on tour this whole time," she explains. "So, I kind of asked my spirit guides like, 'Can you give me a symbol?' And my symbol was the yin-yang. I just started seeing it everywhere, and now it's one of my favorite things. It reminds me that in the dark times, there is light coming and that everything is cyclical. Just try and stay balanced."

Courtesy

Kesha tells us that having this small reminder on a chain, which she wears as a necklace and hooks onto everything from her keys to her phone, is helpful to her. It also bringing the singer joy, which is her main rule for all things fashion and beauty.

"I think of myself as a soul that has a body to decorate — with tattoos, earrings, a nose ring, a gold. I like decorating myself with things that make me happy, or keep me grounded, or make me laugh. I feel I'm now like a Christmas tree. Anything I wear, I want it to bring me joy and feel it's a representation of how I feel on the inside."

Of course, only wearing things that spark joy also means getting rid of what no longer serves you, and while Kesha is a big fan of nostalgia — "It's one of my favorite emotions"— she also says she recently spent a chunk of time cleaning out her closet.

"It feels really good to make space for the new clothes and the new memories," she tells us. "To be honest, I've gotten rid of over a thousand things."

Simultaneously, this process of cleaning and organizing has also helped Kesha connect with fans from afar.

"I'm selling [my clothes] to fans with a percentage is going to charity," she tells us, speaking about the items she sells on eBay. "Just some of my personal items that I don't want anymore, that I sleep in. And my fans across the world have been really stoked to be able to sleep in a shirt that I've slept in. I don't know if that's weird, but it's been a really enjoyable experience because it's making space and it's making a connection. It's making them happy, and money's going to [Black Lives Matter and Musicares]. So, it's a win-win-win across the board."

Jeff Kravitz/AMA2019/FilmMagic for dcp

While Kesha has definitely kept busy over the past year and a half, between her Pretty Connected collaboration and her supernatural podcast, Kesha and the Creepies, she's excited to hit the road and perform once again, now that it's safe to do so. The singer will begin her next tour starting in August — and she promises it's going to be an extremely fun time.

"I've always loved touring, but I've never been more excited to go on tour in my entire life," she says. "I'm just so full of gratitude that that's what I get to do as a profession — I get to run around the world basically host dance parties. So, it's going to be the fucking hardest, gnarliest, sweatiest dance party that you've been to in a year and a half. That's my personal mission. I just want a place for people to come and feel they can be totally 100% themselves, and free, and let out all the energy that's been pinned up for the past year and a half."

And as for whether we'll spot a yin-yang somewhere on the stage alongside her?

"I'm pretty sure you might. It's definitely something that has become very symbolic for me, and I love power symbols. So, I would not be surprised if you see one here or there."

You can shop Kesha x Pretty Connected now, at shop.prettyconnected.com.

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