For his love-centric 2022 album Superache, Conan Gray leaned into soft, ethereal fashion. There was a slew of standout moments from the era, which saw Gray lean unabashedly into a more-is-more sensibility fit for a burgeoning pop star. Some memorable ensembles? His discotheque-meets-fairy look by Valentino at the 2022 Met Gala; the billowy hot pink ensemble, also Valentino, that he wore at Coachella; and the impressive collection of Shakespeare-leaning garb he wore out and about and on tour. Now, with the music video premiere for the Max Martin-produced “Never Ending Song,” released today, Gray is formally kicking off a new sartorial era—a more hard-edged look.
Gray’s transition can be best described as morphing from the school’s theater kid to its bad boy. For the visual, which was directed by frequent Vogue contributor Bardia Zeinali, Gray dances around a fluorescent-lit supermarket in a fashionified James Dean-get up. The look includes a slick leather jacket decorated with stars, fingerless leather gloves, an ’80s-flavored V-neck tee, and crispy cuffed jeans. The rough-and-tumble video perfectly fits Gray’s latest sound, which draws on signature ’80s melodies and production.
For the look, stylist Katie Qian says she and Gray wanted to nail down a simple, but enduring, look. “We collaborated with the wonderful team at Coach to create a custom-painted version of their classic leather motorcycle jacket,” she tells Vogue. The statement jacket, paired with some classic jeans, a ringer tee, aviators, motorcycle gloves, and sneakers, was simple yet still a statement. Conan and I had so much fun putting together an outfit that felt classic but with a new look and feel!” It’s also a look that aligns perfectly with the moment. Expertly crafted leather has become all the rage in fashion, from the bikercore looks at Glenn Martens’ Diesel to the more subdued and refined offerings at Matthieu Blazy’s Bottega Veneta.
The look was one key-part of Gray’s mission with the slightly surrealist visual, which sees a grocery store—employees and shoppers included—suddenly turn into a venue for some high-voltage synchronized and choreographed dancing. "I wanted the "Never Ending Song" music video to be the example of what we all wish we could do when our favorite song comes on,” Gray explained of the visual. “You’re snapped into your own little world, where suddenly everything feels like a music video. Your walk falls into the beat, your outfit feels a little cooler—you just want to sing along. I’ve had so many moments in life where I've been at a grocery store, in school, anywhere in public and just desperately wanted to break into a full-blown lip-sync dance break, but couldn’t. "Never Ending Song" is that kind of song."