Confessions of a Singing Shopaholic: How study abroad inspired my style and songwriting

By Leigha Francis ‘25

They say clothes make the person, but in London, they also make the musician. When I decided to study abroad last spring, I had no clue that my fairy godmother would bless both my styling and songwriting abilities. But, as it turns out, that’s exactly what happened. 

Before coming to Middlebury in 2021, I took a gap year to focus on music. I chose my stage name, ELLE, built a brand, and began recording covers to get my voice out there. I even started vocal lessons, and I remember my coach telling me, “Leigha, I can’t wait for the day you write your own music. You’re so emotive and passionate—just imagine what could happen when you sing your own songs!” She didn’t know I’d been trying for ages, but songwriting didn’t come naturally to me. Honestly, it didn’t even come unnaturally. 

When I got to Middlebury, I poured myself into dancing. Yeah… I sang… but dancing seemed to define me here, and I loved it. I’m in Evolution Dance Crew and I’m a Dance major, so it just made sense. However, I eventually got tired of passing up singing opportunities because I didn’t have my own music, so during my Junior Fall, I decided to give songwriting another shot. Lesson 1: Don’t give up! I had space in my schedule to take an Independent Study in the Music department, so I approached Prof. Matthew Taylor, and we got to it. We met every week, but low and behold... I still couldn’t finish a song. 

Around that time, I worked on the Midd Kid Video. Although I still couldn’t finish a song of my own, that experience offered an exhilarating environment for collaboration. The process taught me a major truth: Lesson 2: Inspiration thrives when you work hard and unite with others. For years, I’d pressured myself to write songs that had to be as groundbreaking as Lauryn Hill or Alicia Keys, but this was holding my creative flow hostage. 

London: A Catalyst for Creativity 

Living in Camden, London’s music heart, I found myself mesmerized by the boldness of those around me; from music to style, to dance, to art. And coming from Vermont—no shade to Patagucci—I felt like a kid in a candy store. 

A Sofar Sounds show was my first stop. Sofar is a business that organizes intimate live music experiences featuring emerging artists. I’d been to a show in Jamaica before, but they’re quite established in London, so I was really looking forward to it. Sofar’s secret locations and lineups meant I was stepping into the unknown, fully open to being inspired. 

Picture this: the first time I went, I sat alone on the floor in my knee-high boots because I was late. The artists poured stories into their music, and I hung onto every word, frantically taking notes. I probably looked rude, but I didn’t care. It felt like I was learning how to live my dream, so I kept going back to school. I attended Sofar shows week after week to soak in that energy and inspiration. 

Dressing for Inspiration 

In London, I was living with a friend who was working full-time and finishing university. Needless to say, she didn’t have time to frolic around the city with me, but my class schedule was wildly open, so I spent hours exploring different parts of the city on my own. People-watching, lingering an extra minute at the artists busking in Hyde Park, and creating Pinterest boards of the unique ways Londoners would style themselves (Lesson 3: Make Pinterest your best friend), were some of my favorite activities. I was determined to see all that London had to offer – jazz clubs, concerts, events – so I had to go alone (Lesson 4: Get comfortable doing things alone). 

Before London, I actually really enjoyed putting outfits together, and unfortunately for me and my bank account, I’ve always loved shopping (I blame my mother). However, in London, I realized I hadn’t yet found my personal style. Brits are quite fashionable, and a quick note for everyone going abroad in the spring: Europeans don’t wear sweats outside. They may not even wear them in the house! And athleisure? In some ways, even worse. If you do opt for sweatpants or leggings, you may as well write “tourist” on your forehead. I love a good sweat set, so this forced me to get creative (Lesson 5: Challenge yourself to go a week without wearing sweats. You’ll be surprised how liberating it feels to dress up, even just for yourself!). That said… If you do step out in sweats, you better accessorize that, honey; think layers, a cap, statement jewelry, and a cool bag or standout sneakers. Lesson 6: Accessorise like you mean it! 

Embracing this new city girl lifestyle, I experimented with new outfits every day. Constantly walking around the city in a sea of fashionable people empowered my individuality. Uniqueness was cool, weirdness was wearing, and even if you missed the mark, there was no one to judge. Lesson 7: Experiment fearlessly: Does your school or city have a sidewalk? Make it your concrete catwalk, honey!

Finding My Sound

London also introduced me to extremely talented, intimidatingly cool people in the same industry as me. At a Black creatives event with Prophet Magazine in Hackney, I met an artist I’d just seen perform at Sofar.

Returning to those spaces every other week reawakened something in me, and I started writing again. By the end of my time abroad, I’d written four songs, including my debut single, “Give Me a Sign.” The other three will either be out or be coming out soon in my EP by the time this is published. Funnily enough, they all have at least one lyric from the song I was working on during my Independent Study at Midd. It’s crazy how things come full circle.

Fashion became integral to my creative process. Once the songs were done, I immediately started thinking about the music videos that would bring them to life, and I got really invested in styling. I was riding the high that songwriting gave me and took it straight into style. I drew inspiration from Sofar Sounds, creator events, and artists like Rihanna and Tyla, who use style to command attention (Lesson 8: Locate your role models). This, in turn, lent heavily to my personal branding, engaging color schemes that complemented my complexion (warm tones: yellow, red, pink, orange) and hairstyles that embraced Black femininity.

Thrifting in London, though…now that was my kryptonite. Once I started to understand my personal style, I discovered one-of-a-kind pieces at “charity shops” and free thrift events like “kilo sales” (Lesson 9: As a baddie on a budget, thrifting is where it’s AT). I only bought items I could style multiple ways with what I already owned (Lesson 10: Don’t buy ‘til you can multiply). I forced myself to think outside the box while ensuring I didn’t let any pieces collect dust.

A Journey of Self-Expression

London flipped a switch in me; I had finally found my sound. I stopped chasing perfection and started listening with my eyes and my ears—from fashion on the streets of Shoreditch to musicians busking at Charing Cross station. There was inspiration everywhere, and instead of pressure, it felt like a release.

By no means can my perfectionist ass write a song in 15 minutes, but I actually can write songs now. In fact, I’ve written five songs since being abroad to prove to myself that London wasn’t this utopia where my songwriting abilities were kept. In London, I realized that music and fashion are intertwined forms of self-expression. I began crafting a persona that not only reflected my personality but also felt like a natural extension of my music. So, here’s my advice: dress like life is your runway and sing your pretty little heart out. Creativity has no limits when you embrace what makes you, you.