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Tracee Ellis Ross
Born
Ross’s enthusiasm for generous volume makes shape a recurring feature of her public wardrobe. In discussing her collaboration with Karla Welch, she describes exchanging references and enjoying substantial amounts of fabric, while retaining a clear sense of what feels like her. That partnership is a useful route into the looks: the clothes are selected and played with, not simply delivered as a finished identity. Pay attention to how an oversized piece is carried and balanced, especially when the silhouette does most of the expressive work.
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Solange Knowles
Born
Solange’s A Seat at the Table period offers a distinct approach to visual identity, with a move towards minimalism and an emphasis on committing fully to a chosen look. In her 2017 conversation with Kimberly Drew, she connects that development to observing people in New Orleans. Explore the relationship between clothes, setting and the wider project rather than isolating an accessory. Her style is especially rewarding when treated as part of a composed visual environment, while allowing different creative periods their own character.
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David Bowie
Born
Bowie belongs here through recognisable visual periods rather than one lifelong uniform. The V&A’s account of his work with Freddie Burretti traces the exaggerated shoulders, narrow waist and colour of the Life on Mars? suit, while also crediting Daniella Parmar’s involvement in sourcing and inspiration. Compare that tailoring with the more sculptural work of Kansai Yamamoto. The enduring lesson is deliberate construction of a public persona through collaboration, with each phase coherent enough to recognise before hearing the music.
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Prince (musician)
Born
Prince’s ruffled shirts, heeled boots and precisely shaped clothes make a strong case for a wardrobe designed around its wearer. The Paisley Park operation included designers, pattern-makers and sewing specialists who helped realise his ideas, so the image was neither an accident nor solely a matter of shopping for labels. Look for recurring proportions across different colours and textures. The visual identity remains clear because the clothes work together as a system, with footwear as significant as the more immediately theatrical details.
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Debbie Harry
Born
Harry’s public image combines glamour with the rough edges of punk. In reflecting on designer Stephen Sprouse’s help, she identifies the importance of lines and combinations, including short skirts, tall boots, long coats and berets. That is a more useful starting point than simply copying peroxide hair. Compare polished elements with deliberately distressed or improvised ones to see where the tension comes from. Her own reflections also acknowledge changing relationships with clothes over time, rather than presenting a famous early image as permanent.
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Cyndi Lauper
Born
Lauper’s colourful hair, inventive make-up and layered clothes make experimentation itself feel recognisable. Her wardrobe reflections credit Laura Wills of Screaming Mimi’s for early styling and make-up artist Patrick Lucas for helping turn ideas into vivid details. Compare the newspaper skirt associated with True Colors with the plaid and jewellery of her early awards appearances. The continuity is the playful assembly of references, not an obligation to repeat the same 1980s outfit. Collaboration and modification are central to the effect.
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