If you want to get to the core of Charlotte Lawrence’s style—or her identity as an artist—look no further than her closet. At the center of it all is her prized collection of vintage rock tees, a trove that speaks volumes about her musical influences and personal history. “I have collected so many,” she tells us gleefully, gesturing toward the ever-growing stash. One of the first was a David Bowie tee from his 1978 tour—a gift from her mom that remains one of her most cherished pieces.
Music, and style, runs in the family. Her mother, actor Christa Miller, came of age in Manhattan’s downtown rock scene and had a knack for pairing sharp suits or lived-in denim with old band tees—an effortless kind of cool that made a lasting impression on a young Lawrence. “Basically, my mom is the coolest ever,” Lawrence says. “She was in the sickest rock and roll scene in New York.” Through her, Lawrence was introduced to bands like The Police, Talking Heads, and of course, Bowie.
For Lawrence, wearing a band tee isn’t just about the look; it’s about the love for the music. “My only rule is that I need to at least know two songs from the band before I buy the shirt,” she says. “I can’t just buy it because I like how it looks.” That’s not to say she’s above admittedly reverse-engineering things a little: “Sometimes I’ve found a shirt that I love so much and then forced myself to discover the band after the shirt," she says.
Lauren Leekley
In addition to defining her personal style, Lawrence’s rock t-shirt collection serves as a catalog of her musical influences and evolution as an artist. Musicians like Elliott Smith, Joni Mitchell, and Fiona Apple are key players large in her creative universe not just for their sound, but for the way they carried themselves. “I think all of them have this sort of casual-cool style," she says. "It feels relaxed, like they didn’t even try, but Fiona Apple onstage is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen."
It spills into how she shows up onstage, too: some outfits are practically tributes. “Especially with Fiona or Mazzy Star, I will almost accidentally cosplay them,” she laughs. “I’ll buy a dress that looks like an album cover of theirs. Whatever I put on, it dictates the performance that happens that night.”
Lauren Leekley
Ironically, the most profound period of artistic growth in Lawrence’s career occurred during a time when hardly any performances were taking place at all: the pandemic. When COVID happened, she had just turned 19. "It’s natural to feel like you don’t know who you are at 19, but I went through a lot," she says. And there is, in fact, a clear evolution on display between the pop-y, plaintive vibe of her teenage EPs and the more considered sound of her post-pandemic music. “When I was releasing these first two EPs, I was still in high school at first, and it was kind of just about having fun and being young and dumb and partying and just having a blast," she says. The result was an infectious, fizzy take on indie pop, with songs like “Everybody Loves You” and “Why Do You Love Me” offering direct, unfussy perspectives on feelings like heartbreak and reckless infatuation.
Then came lockdown. “I felt kind of lost and didn't know who I was as a person or as an artist," she says. "I took that time to heal and work on myself and go to therapy and do all the shit I needed to do." The experience pushed her to get serious about making music that truly excited her—leading to Somewhere, her debut full-length album, out June 27. “I wrote the first song for this album in 2021, and I felt like I was just relearning how to be a musician and who I was as an artist," she says.
That process of rediscovery has resulted in an accomplished first album that functions as a snapshot of an alchemical moment in a young person’s life. In contrast to her early work, Lawrence’s new music carries the air of someone who’s learned to live with the messy, in-between emotions that so often accompany meaningful growth. “Bodybag,” for instance, explores the masochistic sting of trying to work through an intimate betrayal instead of abandoning the person who hurt you. “Us Three,” meanwhile, taps into the dizzyingly addictive guilty pleasure of being the bad guy in someone else’s relationship. To listen to Somewhere is to meander through a musical archive of a newly adult woman maturing in real time, for better or for worse.
Lauren Leekley
Perhaps unexpectedly, one of the inspirations for her album comes from a non-musical source altogether—though equally brimming with the angst and forbidden love. “Luca Guadagnino is such a phenomenal director,” she says. “'Call Me by Your Name' was the first movie I saw of his, and it really affected me because I just wanted to live in that movie."
Like many of her musical predecessors, her hometown of Los Angeles also plays a recurring role in her work. “Growing up in the city definitely shaped me as a person,” she says. “It’s so fast-paced and exciting and colorful.” And while some people write off L.A. entirely, she insists the magic is still there—you just have to know where to look. “If you jump in the beach or go on a hike, see some trees, go to Laurel Canyon or Sunset Strip and walk through the old bars, you’ll feel inspired," she says. "The music comes alive.”
As for other artists she admires, she names the U.K.-based Flyte as one of the few modern bands she listens to on repeat—and also, Addison Rae. "I think Addison Rae is killing it times a thousand right now," she says. "She is making impeccable pop music, and everything from the actual music to the visuals to her style to her hair and makeup is just one-hundred percent." What inspires her the most is Rae's authenticity: "She's not trying to be anything but herself and it's just freaking awesome."
Lauren Leekley
Like her music, Lawrence’s closet is interwoven with disparate elements that reflect key moments in her life. When asked about the most sentimental pieces she owns, she immediately reaches for a vintage Chanel watch, designed by Karl Lagerfeld and gifted by her boyfriend for her 25th birthday. “I would never have bought it for myself,” she says, “but he saw it and thought of me. It’s so beautiful and so special.” For her, it’s not about the price tag—it’s about the intention. “Nothing I’ve bought for myself feels close to my heart because at the end of the day, things are just things," she says. "But the gifts that people have given me throughout my life—those really matter.”
With one exception, it seems. As we peruse her wardrobe, she pulls out a red leather suit she cobbled together from two separate finds: the pants from Etsy, the jacket from the Silverlake Flea. “They almost match—they're just a little bit off—but nobody can tell,” she says. “And honestly, it’s what I get the most compliments on.” She beams, holding it up. “It’s just sick. Full red leather, head to toe.” And when she pairs it with that original Bowie tee, the full-circle moment clicks into place. “Sometimes I put it on and I’m like, oh, maybe I’m doing the Bowie thing right now. Maybe I’m giving him a little bit of homage in my own way,” she says. “His style is unbeatable. If I could have one percent of the style he had, I’ll take it."
But at the end of the day, for Lawrence, this era of her life is for one thing only. "Right now, the only thing that matters to me, besides my dogs and the people that I love, is my music," she says. "I just want to hustle as hard as I fucking can, and sleep when I die, and really, really succeed at all my dreams before I settle down." If Somewhere is any indiction, then it's clear: Charlotte Lawrence is just getting started.
Credits:
Photographer: Lauren Leekley
Production & Talent Bookings: Gillian Stern
Social Creative Lead: Natasha Sheridan
Editor-in-Chief: Faith Xue
