John Legend on His Style & Giving Back with the Show Me Campaign
With nine Grammy Awards and countless hits like “Ordinary People” and “All Of Me,” John Legend has a long list of musical accolades, but he’s also one of the best dressed artists in the industry. Whether appearing in a Vogue spread or walking the red carpet at the Met Gala with wife Chrissy Teigen, the singer/songwriter’s style is refined, perhaps owed in part to growing up with parents who worked as part-time tailors. He’s also using his fame for a very important cause: to give back. In 2007, Legend launched the Show Me Campaign, which works to break the cycle of poverty by giving children access to quality education in the United States and in Africa. We spoke to Legend about what spurred him to start the Show Me Campaign, as well as what inspires his music and personal style. Read on and support the Show Me Campaign when you shop seriously stylish pieces by Gucci, Prada, Burberry and more straight from the Legend’s closet.
On Starting The Show Me Campaign
“I founded the Show Me Campaign back in 2007. The idea was to think about poverty and how we could do our part to help break the cycle of poverty, help lift people out of poverty, and we focus on education as the key tool for doing that.”
On Inspiring Moments of the Show Me Campaign
“One of my favorite moments, very early on when we first visited Ghana, was meeting a young girl named Rose. Rose just lit up the place with her energy and her spirit and she didn’t have an opportunity to go to secondary school until we provided her a scholarship to do that. I was really inspired by meeting Rose to do something to help more girls get access to quality education.”
On Selling For Charity On The RealReal
“We’re giving all the proceeds from the sale to the Show Me Campaign, and hopefully you’ll get some cool clothes out of it.”
Nike Air Jordan HighTop Sneakers, $125; Creative Recreation Sneakers, $75; Nike Air Yeezy 1 Sneakers, $595
On His Inspiration
“When I’m creating, I seek inspiration for my music from other music, so I listen to other great artists that move me in a particular way — some of them are classic artists like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, some of are new artists as well. But anything that can open my mind or push me in a different direction, that definitely inspires me.”
On Music, Fashion & Style
“I think music and fashion always go hand in hand because part of what you’re buying into when you buy into an artist is their taste and their style in general.”
Gucci Chelsea Boots, orig. $795, now $275; Burberry Shirt, $75; Valentino Blazer, $245
