Six buds in a freaky coat: Split Enz share stories behind their colourful costumes – in pictures
Split Enz’s striking costumes helped the band develop a distinctive identity as its music and career changed. In a retrospective, members Tim Finn and Noel Crombie describe how the outfits grew from improvised early looks into a succession of deliberately unusual styles.
Crombie made the band’s first coordinated “zoot suits” for touring, then drew on commedia dell’arte for the Clownz look in 1975. The group later wore makeup in London amid the emerging punk scene, while black tracksuits with silver ferns expressed an identity that stood out without being a deliberate national campaign. By 1977, asymmetrical suits inspired fans to recreate keyboardist Eddie Rayner’s sideways jacket.
- Split Enz built a distinctive image through changing costumes.
- Noel Crombie created the band’s early coordinated outfits.
- Their looks evolved alongside their music and touring.
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Split Enz were a rock band whose striking, colourful costumes were as important to their identity as their music. Noel Crombie, a band member, designed the group's outfits, which evolved significantly throughout the 1970s from improvised early looks into deliberately theatrical designs. The costumes were central to how the band established its distinctive visual presence.
The band's approach to costume changed as different musical trends emerged. Their designs drew on diverse influences including commedia dell'arte and punk aesthetics, creating distinct looks for each phase of their career, from coordinated zoot suits to asymmetrical suits. The outfits were influential enough that fans would recreate individual members' most striking designs.