Everybody’s Watching Katseye

Vogue: You’ve done plenty of live performances, including at the Video Music Awards earlier this year, but how are you all feeling about hitting the road for the first time?

Megan: I think we’re all just so, so excited about this tour. We’ve been putting in so much work behind the scenes, and now that it comes to the actual weekend of starting, I think we couldn’t be more excited to just see the Eyekons, travel city to city, and show everyone what we’ve been preparing for the past couple of months. It’s our first one, so it’s gonna be insane for all of us!

I imagine choosing looks for all six of you can be a big task. Can you give us a peek into that process? What are the discussions like?

Lara: Each one of us has a pretty distinct style. At least for this tour, Katie kind of had a vision for each of us already set before we even came to the fitting. But we definitely have made a lot of Pinterest boards for our personal styles and for the entire group, and how we want the entire look to be together. Obviously, sometimes there’s looks that everybody wants and I feel like we take turns and we try to alternate. It’s never usually too much of a thing, because we are quite individual and each outfit is pretty representative of each girl.

Are there Zoom meetings?

Lara: I love a text. [Laughs.] We text a lot, but our team handles a lot of it. I think eventually as time goes on, we would love to be more involved in those calls and really in the details, because there’s a lot of time that gets taken up with rehearsals and everything else. So our team is awesome and they are very, very, very involved in the details of the styling.

Sophia: We were all extremely excited because we worked with Katie before, and the amazing thing about her and our whole team is that they really make an effort to learn each of our styles.

Speaking of tour looks, I know your team worked with LVDF on your own upcycled merch. What was the thinking behind that?

Sophia: [The plan was to] reinvent our merch to kind of make it Katseye-like, [so it changed] depending on who was gonna wear it. For each girl, it was very much something that we would want to style ourselves in. And it was really fun to get into the fitting and see the outfits. We look at the racks now and always know which outfit is going to which person. At this point where we’re at with our team, they really learned a lot about what we like. And we also learn about what we like, with our different proportions and personal styles. My favorite thing is to get on that stage, and I feel like the fans aren’t gonna realize it right away that we’re wearing our merch that you can literally buy at the venue. I’m excited to see them get creative and to inspire them to see what they can do with it.

Your Gap advertisement broke the internet when it premiered this past summer. What was it like being in the middle of that cultural tornado?

Sophia: We were always saying when we were filming the ad how iconic Gap is with all of their previous campaigns. Just being on set with all these amazing dancers, this amazing team, and with our group members, we sort of had a feeling that this was gonna be something so impactful. But just like anything, you never really realize how big it is until it actually happens. We had such amazing energy on set and everybody was so passionate and everybody was so on it. When it came out and it sort of blew up, it was just overwhelming—but in a really good way. It was really exciting because it was a big reminder and a big statement of just what our purpose is as Katseye and what we intend to do with representation and passion and sort of just celebrating our individuality but community at the same time.

The first time I heard “Gabriela,” it reminded me thematically of “Jolene.” Take me into the studio when you recorded it. Dani, I know it was extra special for you.

Dani: It was actually so, so, so much fun. We love “Jolene” and we think that song is so iconic, too. So for people to say that is really, really cool. For me, that was the first time I got to sing in Spanish on one of our songs, and that was very special. I was excited when I first found out that I was gonna do that, because at first it was up in the air. We weren’t sure about it. But once they landed on it, I was like, “Let’s do it!”

It was all about getting in touch with my roots again, not just in the studio but also in the dance studio. I also helped the girls out with some of the Latin movement, and my mom was involved because she was a Latin ballroom dancer. That’s where I get it from! So the whole creative process was very new for all the girls. It was so exciting to be able to share my culture and my heritage with the girls and with the rest of the world—with our fans.

What do you do to cool off after a big show or performance?

Manon: I think that’s something we’re definitely gonna figure out over the tour, but for me, I like to work on coloring books. I’d wind down in bed, color, and go to sleep because we have a really, really tight schedule. So I think anything that helps me to go to sleep as early as possible will help.

Sophia: I love taking bubble baths with lots of Epsom salt and candles lit. I also picked up journaling, because I feel like I haven’t put pen to paper in years. I’m trying to build a habit of it with gratitude prompts and grounding stuff.

Lara: Well, I brought my studio equipment on tour with me. This is the first time I’ve traveled with it. I love to journal, too, and write down every single detail that happened in the day. Then I call my loved ones and go to sleep.

What artists do you have on repeat right now?

Manon: I’m obsessed with Lexa Gates. She’s up-and-coming, and I love her swag. Also Olivia Dean—she’s nominated for a best-new-artist Grammy right now—and I absolutely adore her music; her performances make me so happy.

Megan: I’ve really been into Frost Children, Cece Natalie, Arca, and PinkPantheress. Those are my vibe for the moment.

Dani: For me it’s more of a very chill vibe, I’d say. Casper Sage is a very underrated artist—just shout out to him. He is really, really good. I also really like Rhyan Douglas, Brent Faiyaz, and Frank Ocean.

Yoonchae: I’ve been loving listening to Korean indie bands, so I love Jannabi and Wave to Earth. Though I’ve been listening to a lot of Justin Bieber’s songs too, as well as Daniel Caesar.

Sophia: I’m gonna go a little pop mainstream and say I’m really excited for Tate McRae’s deluxe that’s coming out, ’cause I really loved her recent album. And then I also endlessly listen to Ariana Grande. And as a musical theater girlie, I’ve been listening to a lot of Wicked to prepare myself for the new movie. So that’s where I’m at.

Lara: My favorite artists right now are Rosalía, ’cause of her new album—it’s so insanely good. Tame Impala—his new album is also fire. Rihanna is always on repeat. And M.I.A. and Erykah Badu!

And finally, who are each of your fashion icons?

Megan: Okay, I have two. Devon Aoki and Kate Moss.

Yoonchae: Me too—Devon Aoki.

Sophia: When it’s my own styling, I really like how Sofia Richie dresses. And growing up, I’d look up to a Filipino celebrity named Heart Evangelista.

Lara: The model Alton Mason. And then the Bollywood actress named Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.

Dani: Kate Moss too! Or Gigi Hadid, or the Kendall Jenner looks. Or Bella Hadid.

Get a first look at Katseye’s tour wardrobe below.