She’s At It Again : Fashion: Madonna, the world’s favorite chameleon, unveils her newest look, a ‘60s sci-fi goddess.
“C’mon L.A. . . . Express yourself!” Those were Madonna’s opening words at one of her sold-out concerts here this week. And the erstwhile Material Girl’s faithful fans did indeed respond to her call, expressing themselves through mimicry. Madonna wanna-bes hit the L.A. Sports Arena in full force, providing a walking retrospective of the fashion styles that, as much as her music, have made the singer a cultural icon. Racing to copy her ever-changing fashion shifts, these youthful fans had her previous looks down pat, but the object of their flattery-by-imitation stayed one step ahead of the pack.
On stage, in her latest incarnation, Madonna mixed high style with high camp. With dark eyebrows, electric red lips and her blond mane slicked back and topped with a fountain-like, fake ponytail, the songstress shifted through a wide array of costumes, most of them by Paris designer Jean Paul Gaultier, others by Los Angeles based Marlene Stewart.
Revolving around her wardrobe’s main staple--a corset with pointy, heavily stitched bra--Madonna’s costume changes included a double-breasted pinstripe pantsuit with corset worn over the pants, under the jacket, a striped hooded Lycra top worn over the corset and pants, without the jacket; a silver sequined and fringed outfit reminiscent of a Las Vegas chorus line costume, and a long black, shroud-like dress. The encore outfit was a little bit more frivolous: a polka dotted halter with mega-flared hip-hugger pants. Her main accessory was a gold lorgnette on a long, gold chain that she first wore for her “Express Yourself” video.
Outside the Sports Arena, fans squealed, “Strike a pose,” in reference to Madonna’s new hit video, “Vogue,” but they did not adapt the Old Hollywood glamour looks she wears for that video. One homage outfit included a black sequined bustier over cut-off, rolled-up blue jeans, patent leather Doc Martin shoes and a slew of crucifixes. As the wearer, Karen Jimenez put it, she imitates the singer because “Madonna’s baaad. “
Styles featured on Madonna’s recent videos, particularly “Express Yourself,” found their way into the wanna-be repertoire. Kathlene Kolian, 23, had the look down to a T with a mannish-cut dark suit and curly platinum hair.
Even men got into the act. Kolian’s companion, Mitchell Stevens, paid tribute to Madonna with knee-length shorts and a string of pearls around his neck. Emerson Chavez, in a black “Express Yourself” suit replete with plunging neckline and carefully coiffed hairdo, described his fascination with Madonna’s look. “Every time she comes out with something new, some new look, I try to copy her. She’s the one. She’s got great style.”
Liz Rosenberg, vice president of publicity at Warner Bros. records, has been touring with Madonna and found that, like their idol, the Madonna mimics are changing. “They’ve grown up,” she noted, adding that most of the people who started copying Madonna in their teens are now easing into their 20s but they haven’t turned away from their idol.
“Madonna says, ‘Be like what you want,’ and what they want is to be like her.”
While not every fan went for all-out imitation, some tidbits of Madonna’s fashion sense were noticeable on almost everyone. Rolled-up, knee-length jeans, see-through chiffon tops and small black hats like one she wore for her “Open Your Heart” video, were spotted.
The Gaultier influence was not lost on the fans either. Many sported knockoff versions of the designer’s contoured jackets and T-shirts imprinted with the Gaultier logo. “It’s Madonna and Jean Paul Gaultier,” said Maya Rudolph. “They’re what style is all about.”
Fans copped lifestyle tips from their idol as well. Recalling a scene from Madonna’s film “Desperately Seeking Susan,” long lines formed at the wall-mounted hand dryers in the ladies’ room. The faithful weren’t there to dry their hands though. A twist of the nozzle and the wanna-bes had created a makeshift hair dryer. Express yourself, indeed.
