While most of the members of Phish have had wholly unpredictable fashion arcs, the band’s namesake, drummer Jon Fishman, has managed to keep his style consistent and instantly recognizable for much of the group’s nearly 40-year existence. Live For Live Music contributor F. Alex Johnson, known online by his Twitter/Instagram handle, Phish Phashion, reached out to Fish’s longtime dressmaker, Lisa Simpson, for her first public interview to find out more about her history with the iconic “donut dress.”
Phish Phashion: Could you tell me a little bit about how your collaboration began?
Lisa Simpson: I had friends from high school that went to college in Vermont and saw Phish in bars in Burlington, so I was aware of the band early on. It was a few years before I would see them play but I did hop on the train early in the journey. I had made a dress for Jon in 1994, I think was the year, the fruit dress, that Jon wore once, maybe more, not sure. When the band came back in 2009, I made a new dress and gave it to Jon—the X dress. I followed that up with the hurricane dress [pictured below], and that’s really where the fun started.
[Photo via Jon Fishman – Fishman in his Hurricane dress]
Phish Phashion: Do you know who made his dresses before you?
Lisa Simpson: The original came from the “free” box at the Salvation Army in Burlington, VT, as I understand it. The dress was by an American designer from the 1970s. I stumbled across a picture of it in the library once when I was doing research for a show I was working on. But at that time, Phish had broken up, and I never thought we’d see them play again. So, while it was amusing, I sort of pushed it to the side as a sad memory.
That original dress was replaced by someone in Japan, I believe, and it was still in use when the band returned in 2009. I sent him the X dress as a bit of a joke. But it turned out he needed a dressmaker who could create exactly what he needed. What he was wearing had reached the end of its life and Jon needed a replacement.
Phish Phashion: How many dresses have you made for Jon? Do you have names for them?
Lisa Simpson: Gosh, I never stopped to count all the dresses I’ve made, but there are quite a few. The only one I have a name for is the new green and yellow dress. I’ve been calling that one “Baby Lemonade,” and it’s one of my favorites. I try to keep things fresh.
[Screengrab via LivePhish – Jon Fishman sings “Baby Lemonade” in his “Baby Lemonade” dress, 12/31/21]
Phish Phashion: Can you describe the construction? Is it one piece, or are there buttons/snaps/zippers, etc.? Is it a single layer of fabric, or do some/all have a lining? Do you create the fabric?
Lisa Simpson: The construction is a custom fit designed for comfort and movement. I drafted the pattern to Jon’s measurements and specific needs and the fabric is a special blend of fibers that provides him with the comfort and performance he desired. And, yes, I create the fabric.
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Phish Phashion: The lights really do change the colors on both the base and the donuts drastically. Is that something that’s planned out beforehand? It seems like we went from trusty red and blue to a whole assortment of vivid colors in the blink of an eye. Whose idea was that?
Lisa Simpson: Yes, the dresses are designed to work with the lighting and appear to change colors when exposed to certain stage lighting colors. I had been gently suggesting to Jon for several years to try something different. It took some time, but after several baby steps, we are now seeing more fun color combos. The idea to have the donuts glow was mine.
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Phish Phashion: Can you talk a little bit about the tropical bird jacket and shorts suit you made for Mexico? It’s really a thing of beauty.
Lisa Simpson: Thanks. I can build just about anything, and sometimes I get silly ideas. So…
[Photo: Peter Wallace – Jon Fishman in his tropical bird suit, 2/22/20]
Phish Phashion: Do you make clothing for anyone else?
Lisa Simpson: I worked in theatre for many years. I designed, built costumes, and managed a costume shop for a mid-sized theatre in Boston and worked for several other theaters on an as-needed basis in Boston, Cape Cod, and Provincetown. I’m semi-retired from costuming but still do some work for theatre and, of course, for Jon.
Phish Phashion: Anything else you’d like to add?
Lisa Simpson: Jon didn’t always wear donuts. If you look back far enough, he had a few other dresses that he wore from time to time. One of them was the fruit dress that I made for him but there were others that he wore more often and they were not donuts.
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