When I video chat with dance duo Sofi Tukker, Tucker Halpern is in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Sophie Hawley-Weld joins from Brazil. Both are cheerful, basking in their respective warm climates, their banter showing how close they are in despite being half a world apart. When the topic turns to fashion, their voices quicken with excitement. Sophie mentions her favorite piece jewelry brand by Rio de Janeiro designer Paola Villas, whose pieces she almost “exclusively” wears; earlier this year, the two even collaborated on a custom dress, along with Brazilian designer Patricia Bonaldi. She also brings up a custom "bread dress" she wore for the cover of their latest album, titled, to no surprise, BREAD. “It’s literally a gown [by Chris Habana] to look like it's out of pieces of bread, but it’s not real bread… otherwise my closet would be very moldy,” Hawley-Weld says.
Though they've been a musical duo for years, when it comes to their overall fashion story—what excites them to wear on stage, to pack into their tour suitcases, to pose in on red carpets—the pair have opposite answers. “We're very different in our fashion outlook and journey," Halpern says. "I've always felt bold and risk-taking, which has led to some embarrassing photos from the past." He references wearing leggings over shorts and cutting shirts to leave one sleeve and not the other. “But I also think that's the fun and point of it," he says. "I've always stuck out. I'm 6’7” and have bleached blonde hair, and I've embraced sticking out a long time ago." Also, leaning into the “musical artist thing” has given him even more freedom when it comes to bold style choices. “It's not always colorful or but I definitely lean towards colors and, at least for right now, oversized baggy things, textures," he says. "I’m also into [Louis Vuitton handbags] and feminine-type stuff.”
For Hawley-Weld, she feels like her style is still in progress. “Typically, I’ve been more about how things feel, rather than how things look,” she says. “I feel that way about things in general. I'll invest a lot in a really good massage and a good workout and then just throw something on. But I'm learning that how something looks has an enormous effect on how I feel.”
She's been honing her fashion instincts, “training myself to figure out what works for me rather than [copying other people],” she explains. “There was a moment when I was trying to be Tucker; I wore these really neon, bright things with contrasting textures and contrasting prints. I look back and I'm like, ‘That's not me at all!’ I was just trying to do something that works for Tucker and it didn't feel right.”
Though they may diverge when it comes to fashion taste, the long-time besties have had a cohesive vision for their sound since they first met at Brown University in 2014. Tucker was a star basketball player and Sophie was studying Portuguese and international development. After an illness forced him off the court, he decided to shift his energy to DJing and music production. Not long after, he ran into Hawley-Weld during one of her performances with a Portuguese jazz trio. The two became quick friends, bonding over their love of Brazilian electronica and high-octane dance music, and once they put their creative minds together, writing and producing singular and genre-bending tracks, voilà: Sofi Tukker was born.
Since then, the pair have picked up a Grammy nomination for their debut track “Drinkee,” amassed billions of streams, reached Platinum and Gold record status on multiple continents, and brought their energy-inducing sets to festivals like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Coachella. Last year, they released their third studio album BREAD—an acronym for “Be Really Energetic And Dance." The album was created to draw people into community and "break bread" together on the dancefloor to infectious tracks like “Throw Some Ass” and “Woof,” both featuring the driving beat with the cheeky lyrical winks the two are known for.
That same energy carries over to their fashion since, whether it’s the authenticity Hawley-Weld imbues while barefoot on a farm in Brazil, or the integrity Halpern showcases while rocking the same fits on stage. “It used to be tougher to do that [when we started]," he says. "But the majority of things I have now are cooler, nicer things I actually like being in. I'm only gonna pack those things [on tour] now. So, even when I'm around the house or chilling, I'll still be wearing a cool fit."
It’s a contrast to Hawley-Weld's current vibe, which currently includes “not putting shoes on.” “I don't wear makeup [on the farm]; I just wear a t-shirt and jeans every day and that feels really good while I'm here. But, if I'm in New York, then it's a different conversation,” she adds, mentioning that her style shifts with the environment. Still, it goes back to how it makes her feel. “Even on stage, if something looks really good, if I can't move well in it and I am visibly uncomfortable dancing, then it's not gonna work for me.”
As their style evolves, so does their sound. They’re currently working on what they call their “most distilled Sofi Tukker era yet.” They’ve started a new management company and a new brand called Animal Talk, which they’ll be launching next year. “It’s the same thing as clothes,” Hawley-Weld says. “Over time, you learn what silhouette works best on you and what feels best and what color palettes really suit you. It takes a lot of wrong turns to get to the right place. And I feel like we've been doing that in our music too.”
It also reflects how they plan to continue building worlds for themselves, their music, and (of course) their closets by going towards what feels good. “We make a song or we make a fashion choice that reflects [what feels good] and then see how it goes and then kind of go back into the lab and refine it,” Hawley-Weld says. "It is a really joyful process.”
Click through the most meaningful items in their tour closet below.
Photography: Vanessa Vlandis
