Madonna, the 10 looks that made history

Who’s that girl? It’s not just a song title and a movie of the same name with Madonna of 1987. It is more than anything else the question that has always accompanied, or at least, for 40 years of career now, the figure of one of the greatest pop stars of the last century and of this millennium as well, unique, undisputed queen of everything , not only, we know, about music.

From 1983 to today, therefore, we have not stopped wondering about her, who it cannot be defined in one word: not just a musician, not a dancer, not an actress, not a director, not an artist, not a trendsetter, not a writer. As well as not a single adjective, which is wasted for her: rebel, avant-garde, chameleon-like, energetic, transgressive, sexy, tireless, workaholic. Who is this girl then? If we were forced to pigeonhole it in a single term, it would only be that of “Queen”, title conquered immediately and never, over time, given to anyone.

And so, while Madonna plans the Greatest Hits Tour this year in stadiums around the world to celebrate her ten-year career (which will also take her to Italy, to Milan, to the Mediolanum Forum for two dates: November 23rd and 25th), not forgetting the preparation of the biopic of which will be a director, obviously his, we have, not with little effort, wanted to show 10 legendary style moments spanning the past 40 yearsthe. Difficult not to unlock memories (for those who were there). And so, here is the fashion playlist. Strike in poses.

1. The pop bride

At the corner the chaste and pure wedding dresses: it was 1984 when Madonna, a guest at her first MTV Video Music Awards gives the wedding dress another interpretation, chic, sexy and mischievous. Unforgettable in a cascade of lace, pearls, tulle, crucifixes to perform on the notes of Like a virgin with a maxi wedding cake behind it. This dress, displayed at Times Square’s Hard Rock Cafe in 2011, has inspired countless Halloween costumes in the decades since.

2. Ode to Marilyn vol.1

In 1984 we see for the first time Madonna channeling Marilyn Monroe through a tribute dress worn in the unforgettable video of Material Girl: the famous satin dress, complete with a fake fur boa, gloves and bracelets is what the old Hollywood diva sports in the film Men prefer blondes from 1953. The pop star wears a copy originally made for the film Norma Jean, inspired by the life of Monroe, from 1980. The dress sold for 180,000 euros at Julien’s Auctions auction house in Beverly Hills last April.

3. The (i)conical look

During the tour Blonde Ambition in 1990, Madonna debuted what would become Maybe her most memorable look of all time: the body with cone bra. Created by Jean-Paul Gaultier (who was inspired by the bullet bras worn by Hollywood movie stars in the 1940s), the corset has become a trendsetter in open-topped lingerie and was auctioned off at Christie’s in 2012 for £52,000. The pop star has transformed this garment into a symbol of unabashed female empowerment.

4. The tribute to Kylie

Madonna made it tribute to his fellow pop star Kylie Minogue at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2000 with a tank top engraved with the Australian singer’s name. Paired with crystal and sequin embellished cowboy-style low pants, Madonna showed with this tribute look the importance for a woman to support other women, even if they are competitors/professional rivals.

5. Marie Antoinette reloaded

Back in the 1990s before the advent of social media, the closest thing to the concept of going viral was causing a stir at high-profile televised events like the MTV Awards. Madonna made the most of the opportunity to perform to the tune of Vogueborrowing a mega Marie Antoinette style dress (after all, the French are historically the greatest posers) previously worn by Michelle Pfeiffer in the film Dangerous Liaisons, set in 18th-century Paris. Then accessorising it with pearls, a feathered headdress and a flamboyant fan, the pop star and her dancers gave a fantastically camp performance that went down in history. God save the Queen.

6. Ode to Marilyn vol.2

The silver dress, which Madonna paired with a white fur stole and a glittery clutch, worn at the 1991 Oscars alongside Michael Jackson, was designed by Bob Mackie, Marilyn Monroe’s favorite designer. It was Mackie himself, as we know, who drew the original sketches for the designer dress that the platinum diva wore in 1962 to sing Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy, a dress that Kim Kardashian recently showed off at the Met Gala 2022. Madonna had, however, previously worn the same Oscar dress and the same fur stole, channeling the look of the 40s cinema icon, on the cover of Vanity Fair Use in early 1991.

7. “How I lift up a fashion house” look

The pop star showed up at the 1995 MTV Awards with an eSilk Gucci ensemble from the Tom Ford era which included a slightly unbuttoned satin shirt to highlight the transparent bra underneath and velvet trousers. With this look she won the award for best female video for Take A Bow. Also thanks to this appearance, the Gucci maison begins to become an increasingly coveted and exclusive brand and Madonna has undoubtedly given a considerable hand in spreading the brand’s new aesthetic.

8. When sport meets sexy

When Madonna returned to the music scene in 2005 with the single Hung Up he dusted off the closet a leotard, fishnet stockings and boots. Along with a colorful leather jacket, oversized sunglasses and caramel Farrah Fawcett hair (shown both in the hit video and at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards), this would become her signature look while promoting her tenth album in the studio: Confessions On A Dancefloor. The single quickly topped the charts, selling over 9 million copies worldwide. And bod sales skyrocketed, of course,

9. Pharaonic Gladiator

Starring at Super Bowl Halftime in 2012, the super pop star appeared in a sumptuous look designed for her by then Givenchy creative director Riccardo Tisci, who mixed themes from the Roman gladiator and Egyptian queen. The designer ensured there was enough sequins and haute couture gold embroidery to give Madonna a super sparkly look, contrasting all the glitter with stark black. Philip Treacy instead designed the hat, while Bvlgari supplied the jewels. Definitely imperial, at the height of The Queen.

10. Style game of Thrones

Madonna opted, during her Eurovision performance in 2019, for a seductive look: leather body with silver bodice, tulle sleeves, fishnet tights and thigh-high leather boots, as well as the eye patch decorated with the letter X (which has attracted much criticism) and a silver crown, an outfit that has suggested style parallels with the then popular TV series _game of Thrones. S_weeks later, Madonna explained that the letter on her eye patch was only a reference to the character she created for her 14th studio album: Madame X