Rebel Rebel (Article

REBELREBELARTICLE

An exploration of the most iconic fashion statements by three amazing performers spanning between the 1970s and 80s - Freddie Mercury, David Bowie and Madonna - and how their innovative approach to style shattered fashion’s norms, and continues to influence fashion to this day.

The twenty years between 1970 and 1990 can be summarised in one word: individuality. Identity was embraced and tradition was broken. In the 1970s, discos were loud, colours were popping and outfits were explosive. Riding on the 1960s’ heritage, bright colours were embraced and, in the music industry, glam rock was born. This combination of the music of rebellion and liberation, intertwined with a sweet desire to express one’s identity free of constraints, originated in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s as a counter-movement to the psychedelic and pretentious approach that had been taken to music in the previous years: it was time to have fun, in all of its materialistic and excessive glory.

The punk counterculture, embraced in its “pop-punk” form by singers starting from the late 1970s, added a new layer to this: unique, yes, but accessible, and it resonated with all those people who did not see themselves reflected in the glaring lights of the early 1960s and 1970s.

David Bowie

David Bowie’s influence on fashion cannot be overstated. Starting with his early collaborations with Kansai Yamamoto, his multiple personas and androgynous style sprouted his iconic kimonos and unitards from the Ziggy Stardust and Aladdin Sane eras, and allowed him to forever alter fashion’s landscape, just as much as he did music’s. But David Bowie was not one to limit himself to any one broken norm: his androgynous style faded during his 1985 Live Aid performance, during which he instead donned a stark light gray suit with a matching light tie - a symbol of masculinity and composure, juxtaposed with his early outfits and an ironic symbol of revolution to be donned by a rock artist at one of the biggest concerts of the 20th Century

Bowie’s style has inspired countless designers: from Jean Paul Gaultier’s SS13 collection, which saw models donned in full Ziggy Stardust outfits, to Dries Van Noten and Lanvin’s FW11 looks which evoked the Thin White Duke’s stark elegance. Hedi Slimane of Yves Saint Laurent has “openly cited Bowie as one of his greatest influence”, reports GQ Magazine, and particularly his 1976 persona, the Thin White Duke, mastermind behind Heroes and Low.

The likes of Gucci, Missoni, Balenciaga and YSL continue to draw inspiration from David Bowie’s eccentric looks to this day: from Gucci’s SS22 androgynous, floral looks, to Balenciaga’s iconic power suits, and YSL and Collina Strada’s catsuits, BBC’s “best dressed Briton,” who’s posthumous exhibit recounting his life was fittingly sponsored by Gucci, continues to influence the fashion scene to this day.

Freddie Mercury

A symbol of flamboyancy in the 1970s, Queen’s lead singer moved towards single statement pieces in the 1980s. Unlike David Bowie, Mercury’s approach to style consistently framed the same persona: a passionate and theatrical performer, who consistently sought to “dress to kill, but tastefully.”

Freddie Mercury’s collaborations across the years have spanned from Zandra Rhodes, who was responsible for his 1970s wardrobe, to the Emanuels, the minds behind Princess Diana’s wedding dress, who designed Mercury’s famous military jacket in which he jokingly married Jane Seymour during Fashion Aid 1985. Freddie Mercury’s famous yellow jacket, and the matching white trousers embellished with red and gold, were said to be inspired by the Spanish opera and flag respectively, and were designed by Diana Moseley

For Gucci, Mercury has recurringly been an overarching influence, while Balmain’s bold, wide-shouldered trophy jackets from the SS19 collection masterfully embraced his 1980s look, as did Céline’s 80s-style leather jackets. Colourful outfits, statement pieces and exposed chests characterised YSL and Ann Demeulemeester’s menswear runways, demonstrating the profound versatility of Mercury’s style.

As in his video for I Want to Break Free, Freddie Mercury spent his life embracing androgynous and unconventional styles, with a complete disregard for gender norms. David Bowie himself appreciated this thoroughly, having always admired “a man who wears tights”, with Mercury having gone on to inspire plenty of young artists, such as Mykki Blanco and Young Thug, who’s androgynous style has become an icon of youth revolution against gender norms and societal constraints. her influence on fashion.

David Bowie, Fred- die Mercury and Madon- na have been some of the most influ- ential people in the histo- ry of fashion. Enter-

taining certs ultidouconwhich mately bled as

fashions shows,

they were

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performers in every sense of the way - undeniably and unapolo- getically themselves, they steered modern culture in a way which cannot be overstated, and the fashion industry was no exception.

Madonna

From punk, to androgynous, and even classic Hollywood, Madonna’s influence on fashion cannot be overstated. Her controversial name, heavy with religious connotations, is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her outrageous take on style, sexuality and gender which has come to define much of the last three decades’ show business, her influence being evident in young performers of the 1990s, including Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears.

It can hardly be denied that Madonna’s most defining style choice was her 1980s take on ‘underwear as outerwear’, with Jean Paul Gaultier’s ‘cone bra’ being the most evident expression of this - having been first released on catwalk in 1982, the cone-shaped brassiere only became widely known and recognised in the popular mainstream in 1990, when Madonna wore one. Her rebellious attitude struck a chord with the growing youth in the 1980s and 1990s, the crucifixes and nun outfit defining aspects of her anti-conformist nature. From Gucci to GAP, all the way to being on the first Vogue celebrity cover, Madonna’s influence was transversal, spanning everywhere from couture to casualwear. Having collaborated with the likes of Givenchy and Alberta Ferretti, as well as helping boost the carrier of designers - such as Rick Owens and Olivier Theyskens - when they were still in the early stages of their careers, Madonna’s extensive influence over haute couture. Conversely, commercial for GAP, together with Missy Elliot, where she donned jeans and a tank top adorned with a stylish pair of high heels and a tilted grey beret, goes to show the breadth of her influence on fashion.

David Bowie, Freddie Mercury and Madonna have been some of the most influential people in the history of fashion. Entertaining concerts which ultimately doubled as fashions shows, they were true performers in every sense of the way - undeniably and unapologetically themselves, they steered modern culture in a way which cannot be overstated, and the fashion industry was no exception.