Fashion is just like history, it always seems to repeat itself. I like to take inspiration from style icons of decades past and inject their je ne sais quoi into my 2014 wardrobe while using Toni & Guy products to help style similar looks for my hair. These women from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s had an unapologetic approach to dressing. Their bold choices burned images in our minds and cemented them as being ahead of their time.
60s - Edie Sedgwick. Most fashionistas are quite obsessed with Edie and I'm no different. My interest in her has little to do with her affiliation with Andy Warhol, although he's the reason for her explosion onto the scene. There's something sad about Edie but you can't quite catch it because she oozes enough magnetic charm to drown out any melancholy within a 5 mile radius. It's no wonder we fawn over anything she wore because all she needed was a leotard really. She could make giant earrings, dark eyes and a boyish haircut look effortless and light. I think that some people are too fragile for this world and Edie was one of them. She was a barefaced brunette in her wedding photos and that dazzling smile just said it all. Her style was simple but big - a contradiction I drool over.
70s - Cher. Born Cherilyn Sarkisian, Cher's Armenian and Cherokee heritage fostered a striking, unique beauty with a statuesque physique who became a fashion icon, celebrated performer, tv darling and sex symbol. She set trends wearing wigs, crop tops, bell bottoms and Bob Mackie costumes. Not only was she on the cover of Vogue five times in the 70s but get this, she was the first woman to show her belly button on television. I almost cannot handle this fierceness. Not content to fade away, she sang the anthem of the millenium, simultaneously pioneering auto-tune. Today the legend is a badass feminist and just released her 25th studio album. Oh and I don't care what anyone else says, Burlesque was awesome.
80s - Cyndi Lauper. The amount of pictures I found of Cyndi in black and white was a travesty. This woman was all about colour. Cyndi mixed and matched fabrics and prints with her flame-hued hair like only a born and bred New Yorker could. Cyndi's staples were crazy sunglasses, piled-on bracelets, colourful eyeshadow, lots of layering, rips and bright prints. Her vintage-thrift-shop-macklemore-you-better-bow-down-to-the-queen aesthetic was feisty and pop-punk. Fun fact: 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" has been scientifically proven to boost serotonin levels. Cyndi, you're a pistol.
90s - Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes - I was obsessed with TLC and Left Eye was my favorite. This girl was a real firecracker. When I heard that she threw her boyfriend's sneakers in the bathtub and set them alight, I totally felt her. She was just being impulsive, the house wasn't supposed to burn down, ok? Lisa's raps were thoughtful, melodic and smart; her flow was unique and her voice had had a kid-like but strong quality to it. This girl pinned condoms to her clothes, begged Chilli and T-Boz to do something futuristic for No Scrubs and had innovative hair styles for days. Left Eye was a real gem. Her solo work and collaboration with Mel C had me so excited for what was next. Lisa was tough but gentle and found herself seeking meaning and peace, convinced dark energy was following her in the days before she died. If you're a fan, do check out Crazy Sexy Cool - The TLC Story.
Who are your style icons of the past?
60s - Edie Sedgwick. Most fashionistas are quite obsessed with Edie and I'm no different. My interest in her has little to do with her affiliation with Andy Warhol, although he's the reason for her explosion onto the scene. There's something sad about Edie but you can't quite catch it because she oozes enough magnetic charm to drown out any melancholy within a 5 mile radius. It's no wonder we fawn over anything she wore because all she needed was a leotard really. She could make giant earrings, dark eyes and a boyish haircut look effortless and light. I think that some people are too fragile for this world and Edie was one of them. She was a barefaced brunette in her wedding photos and that dazzling smile just said it all. Her style was simple but big - a contradiction I drool over.
70s - Cher. Born Cherilyn Sarkisian, Cher's Armenian and Cherokee heritage fostered a striking, unique beauty with a statuesque physique who became a fashion icon, celebrated performer, tv darling and sex symbol. She set trends wearing wigs, crop tops, bell bottoms and Bob Mackie costumes. Not only was she on the cover of Vogue five times in the 70s but get this, she was the first woman to show her belly button on television. I almost cannot handle this fierceness. Not content to fade away, she sang the anthem of the millenium, simultaneously pioneering auto-tune. Today the legend is a badass feminist and just released her 25th studio album. Oh and I don't care what anyone else says, Burlesque was awesome.
80s - Cyndi Lauper. The amount of pictures I found of Cyndi in black and white was a travesty. This woman was all about colour. Cyndi mixed and matched fabrics and prints with her flame-hued hair like only a born and bred New Yorker could. Cyndi's staples were crazy sunglasses, piled-on bracelets, colourful eyeshadow, lots of layering, rips and bright prints. Her vintage-thrift-shop-macklemore-you-better-bow-down-to-the-queen aesthetic was feisty and pop-punk. Fun fact: 'Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" has been scientifically proven to boost serotonin levels. Cyndi, you're a pistol.
90s - Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes - I was obsessed with TLC and Left Eye was my favorite. This girl was a real firecracker. When I heard that she threw her boyfriend's sneakers in the bathtub and set them alight, I totally felt her. She was just being impulsive, the house wasn't supposed to burn down, ok? Lisa's raps were thoughtful, melodic and smart; her flow was unique and her voice had had a kid-like but strong quality to it. This girl pinned condoms to her clothes, begged Chilli and T-Boz to do something futuristic for No Scrubs and had innovative hair styles for days. Left Eye was a real gem. Her solo work and collaboration with Mel C had me so excited for what was next. Lisa was tough but gentle and found herself seeking meaning and peace, convinced dark energy was following her in the days before she died. If you're a fan, do check out Crazy Sexy Cool - The TLC Story.
Who are your style icons of the past?
