Behind the controversial outfit Hayley Williams wore to perform with Taylor Swift 12 years ago on the 'Speak Now' tour
- Insider spoke with Hayley Williams in January about the most daring looks she's ever worn.
- She then shared the story behind the fanny pack she wore to perform with Taylor Swift in 2011.
When Hayley Williams and I connected over Zoom in January, there hadn't been any hints that a collaboration between her and Taylor Swift was on the horizon.
But as we sorted through photos of her fashion evolution throughout Paramore's history, I had to ask about her appearance at the 2011 "Speak Now" tour in Nashville, where she joined Swift on stage to perform Paramore's hit "That's What You Get."
More specifically, I wanted to know about her outfit: red jeans, black boots, a Paramore-patched vest, and a studded fanny pack.
So I asked. In the words of the famous TikTok meme, did Williams "just call Taylor up" and suggest a performance? Or did Swift spring the idea on her, leading Williams to throw an outfit together at the last minute?
"It was kind of that," Williams responded to the latter with a laugh. "It's usually that."
"We had just been in New York and I went to a couple of stores that I love in the East Village," she said. "I got this spiked fanny pack because I was so tired of touring and carrying a purse. But then for some reason that night I was like, 'Make it fashion, bitch. Bring it on stage.'"
Not only did Williams wear the purse to perform, but she also filled it with her phone, money, and other necessities.
"You would've thought I was fucking Aretha Franklin getting paid before I walked out and keeping that money on my person at all times," she joked.
But what Williams remembers most is the backlash she received for wearing the fanny pack on stage.
"The funniest thing is that I got so much shit for this look," she said. "I got hated to a degree that does not even make sense over a fanny pack."
"But then the next year, everyone had one," she continued. "I don't think it was because of me — I think I was just early. But I felt so vindicated when people were into it. I was like, 'See bitch.'"
While the infamous fanny pack is now a thing of the past, the friendship between Williams and Swift continues.
The Good Dye Young founder will be featured on Swift's vault track "Castles Crumbling," which is set to be released as part of "Speak Now (Taylor's Version)" on Friday.