Not all public figures are the standard of what is called “good taste”. But isn’t it time to discard this outdated concept and look fresh at fashion experimenters?
After all, it is those whose names are constantly heard because of unusual outfits are those who regularly get into the lists, at best, of the “strangest dressed stars”, who become real style icons, and set trends that are adopted even by their most vehement critics, promote young designers and invite fans to reconsider their approach to consumption.
Lady Gaga – the engine of progress
It is impossible not to name the first in a series of fashion revolutionaries, Lady Gaga. It is almost impossible to imagine her in something “ordinary” – here is the legendary dress made of meat, insane designs, giant spikes, and dizzying platforms… She collaborated with many famous and emerging designers and gave someone a way into the world for whom she has become a new muse.
She had warm friendships with Alexander McQueen, Marc Jacobs called her his inspiration, every famous hat designer expressed gratitude to her, and Donatella Versace created dresses for those occasions when Lady Gaga wanted to be a lady.
Billie Eilish – oversized, cleavage and upcycling
However, the position of “Our Lady of Geniuses” from Lady Gaga today passes to Billy Eilish. Throughout her musical career, Billy has appeared in public in oversized and layered outfits, often with intricate prints, stains, and streaks, paired with Panama hats, sunglasses, and oversized sneakers. Her careless haircuts with uneven coloring instantly caused a wave of imitations.
Another notable trend set by her, too, is non-functional fantasy nail art. To claim in the spirit of “you’re a girl,” Billy replied that her work, and not her figure, is important to listeners. With the growth of popularity, the young star began to be invited to cooperate with large brands – even such conservative ones as Chanel. And here, she did not change herself, demonstrating pajamas with logos of fashion houses.
However, Billie was not going to become a slave of her own style, and over time she began to ironically play with stereotypically feminine images – Marilyn Monroe’s white curls, puffy skirts, corsets, rococo, and the golden age of Hollywood… She supports the ideas of reasonable consumption, draws attention to environmentally friendly brands and environmental protection in general.
Billy Porter: Political Art
To a wide audience, Billy Porter is not even known for his role in the Pose series but for loud headlines – “A man appeared at the Oscar ceremony in a woman’s dress.” And, to be honest, he looked almost more elegant in it than most ladies! Actor, singer, playwright, and public figure Billy Porter endured a lot of suffering – sophisticated violence from his stepfather (the actor blamed himself for this for a long time and lived with this guilt for decades), ridicule, poverty, bullying, the news of HIV infection…
But contrary to – let’s be honest, no one becomes stronger THANKS TO suffering – he found his place in life, his fame, love, and his style. Billy Porter’s unusual images are an act of what he calls “political art.” He seeks to show that masculinity and strength can be different. And a puffy dress paired with high heels can speak of inner strength much louder than trousers and a jacket.
Kim Kardashian – from bad taste to fashionable Olympus
Kim’s fondness for tight-fitting pieces – turtlenecks, leggings, tank tops, and bike shorts – seemed strange a few years ago. However, today all these things have entered the youth wardrobe, and the combination of bike shorts, a top, and a huge jacket or jacket, popularized by Kim, has become a summer uniform for active girls around the world.
A lot of talks arise about every appearance of Kim at the Met Gala. And if her image of the “shadow” delighted fashion critics, then the appearance in a vintage Marilyn Monroe dress became an occasion for heated discussions – is it worth it to be so reckless about museum values or, conversely, dresses are created for social events and should not collect dust in museums.
Julia Fox – fashionable supernova
After a high-profile divorce from Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, who has generally achieved success as a designer, began to appear in the world with a certain Julia Fox. Slender, long-legged, with regular features and a daring look, she, albeit not for long, became his new muse. But Fox herself is an interesting personality. She worked as a dominatrix, painted pictures with her own blood, published photo albums dedicated to the problem of mental disorders, acted in films…
But it seems that it was her acquaintance with West that allowed her to reveal her own style more vividly – black shadows, tight-fitting skin combined with a shockingly naked body, a strange cocktail of aggression and vulnerability, an unusual cut of things and courage, which equally causes condemnation and admiration.
Julia has been a big fan of Kim Kardashian for many years and has taken a lot of inspiration from her in creating her look. Now, every appearance of Fox is a scandal. So far, there are few who want to imitate her, but Fox completely turns our ideas about relevance, frankness, and corporality as such.
Rihanna – how to turn pregnancy into a cult
A native of Barbados, Rihanna came to conquer America at sixteen and soon tasted loud fame with all its charms and horrors, becoming one of the most popular and commercially successful performers of all time. If at the dawn of her career, her style differed little from what all the young performers of that period wore, over time, Rihanna began to assert her identity more and more loudly, using the so-called “ghetto style” – black, sportswear, aggressive accessories. At the same time, she also appeared in emphatically feminine things, emphasizing the figure, strewn with sparkles…
In the late 2010s, people began to talk about Rihanna more and more often as an icon of style. Hypertrophied voluminous things – and huge trouser suits, and endless heavy trains, complex designs, irony, a combination of sports accessories with luxurious dresses.
In 2022, Rihanna became a mother. But before that, she turned her own pregnancy into an occasion for fashionable worship. Her loudest fashion statement as a mother-to-be is a huge pink down jacket from the Chanel fall-winter 1996 collection and baggy ripped Vetements jeans. The down jacket was buttoned only on the chest and showed a rounded belly, which was covered only by long beads, similar to a charm. It’s hard to remember what other celebrity so boldly announced her pregnancy!
This was followed by several more equally shocking exits – and they had special poetry. Pregnancy is a long and important period in a woman’s life, and Rihanna’s fashion performances take us back to those mythical times of matriarchy when the ability to give life made a woman equal to the gods and did not reduce her to a “reproductive function”.
