It's hard to find someone who hasn't heard of or even seen Harajuku fashion. It's practically become synoynmous with Japanese culture at this point, an eye-catching postcard for everything Japan has to offer.
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Danny La Rue was a genuine star. It was never complicated, never crude, never excessive. Simple, genuine, funny, talented and glamourous. He never missed a performance in his 60 year career, and critics never denied his likeable and grand nature off-stage.
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She was a sex symbol, a ‘blonde bombshell’, a figure to represent the sexual revolution of the late 50s and early 60s. Her signature blonde hair and feminine figure has become synonymous with 50s fashion and femininity - becoming a muse for many people to come.
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Now I will be honest here, is the film good? Not really. It failed in the box office upon its release in 1986, but has grown to become a cult classic over the past 3 decades. It most loved aspect is the aesthetic, it’s combination of 80s cool, 40s noir and an underlying goth attitude. For what it lacks in depth, it makes up the visuals.
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It’s the perfect combination of teen drama, horror/sci fi and iconic 80s fashion. It capitalised the Millennial/Gen Z nostalgic fascination with the 80s aesthetic and did it incredibly well. But, was the fashion really accurate to 1980s mid-America? Let’s find out.
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Freddie Mercury was constantly reinventing himself. He is the symbol for constant reinvention. He was a free spirit, wanting to capture the gaze of others and look good while doing it.
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Fashion plays the same role in video games; without meeting a character in-game, we can already begin to understand them by looking at what they’re wearing. And, you can also begin to understand the world around the character and the society they live in.
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Across all her fashion ‘phases’, Madonna has always presented the idea of controversy, femininity, sexuality and dominant identity through fashion.
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In terms of progression, fashion has always moved towards form-fitting garments and absence of fabric to show skin, which is typically why all futuristic works of art lean towards liberation of the body through fashion.
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Costumes are a big deal, and they need to be hand-made in order to sustain the full program. Swarovski crystals are used in abundance, and are hand-applied, often taking 40 hours to fully stone. Even high-end designers can design costumes for skaters, including Vera Wang (who is a retired figure skater herself) and Roberto Cavalli.
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Also known as the ‘Queen of Pinups’, Bettie Page became one of the most well-known American models in the 1950s. Known for her shoulder-length black hair, blue eyes and trademark blunt bangs, Page has become a muse for many artists and timeless figure of the pinup industry.
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One cannot talk about corsetry without mentioning legendary corsetier Mr Pearl. Committed to his craft to the point of wearing a corset 24/7 in order to achieve a 18-inch waist, Pearl is one of most iconic and extreme corsetiers in today's world, even creating corsets for designers Thierry Muger, Alexander McQueen and performer Dita von Teese.
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Whilst their fashion was respectable, their smart dressing made them more intimidating rather than mature. Full of middle-class rebellious teenagers, Teddy Girls were essentially a well-dressed middle finger towards the austere upper classes of their post-war world. Forming gangs and becoming important figures in the media, Teddy Girls are one of the first British female youth subcultures to exist, and one of the most forgotten.
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Prince was always a pioneer; pioneering the 'Minneapolis Sound", a mix of funk, rock, pop, synth and new wave, as well as pioneering an unrestricted form of men's fashion. Experimenting with 'post-fashion'; post gender, post human and post race; Prince created a style that forever transformed the world of men's fashion.
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Wanting to rebel against ‘common’ ways of thought, the poor British youth were completely helpless in their fight to change reality. Therefore, the only way to initiate change in society was to “transform themselves into directly offensive and threatening beings.” But what was punk all about and how did it reach the runway?
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Between 1982 and 1987, the power suit took the focus off a woman’s gender and on to what she could achieve; a ‘uniform’ to demand respect, authority and power in a corporate setting. The power suit is now considered synonymous with feminism, equality and the breaking of gender roles.
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They protested against mainstream gender norms and feminine expectations in a male-dominated society. The idea of a woman 'behaving badly' went against the gender norms of how a woman is supposed to act, and provided a thrilling way to challenge society. In addition, the expectations of how a woman dressed were restricting and sexist, and the sukeban weren't going to accept this anymore.
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They created a space in which the disenfranchised youth of 1980's New York; gay, queer, transgender, non-binary and different could experience a feeling possibly unfelt during the day; freedom. So, how did this fabulous scene start? Well get ready to get schooled on club kid history.
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