CULT STATUS:
HALLOWEEN AND POP CULTURE
This Halloween, we’re looking back at the cultural icons for inspiration. Ahead of the opening of Freddie Mercury’s V&A costume exhibition Splendid Things, we're celebrating the legends who knew just how to make freaky look good. Great, even.
Fashion has always had a thing for the unconventional. The bigger the silhouette, the stranger the accessory, the more memorable the entrance. And while Halloween gives the rest of us an excuse to experiment with a different identity for one night, some of pop culture's greatest icons made a career out of it. Think Cher's barely-there Bob Mackie creations, Freddie Mercury's theatrical stage wardrobe and Lady Gaga turning up to the 2010 VMAs dressed in actual meat. Subtlety was never the point.
These are the people who understood that getting dressed could be a performance in itself. And decades later, we're still taking notes.
Long before social media made dressing for the spotlight a competitive sport, pop culture's biggest personalities were building entire worlds through their wardrobes. David Bowie had Ziggy Stardust, his otherworldly alter ego who brought science fiction and glam rock together through metallic fabrics, platform boots and face paint. Grace Jones made sharp tailoring, sculptural headpieces and architectural silhouettes part of her identity. And Cher was doing naked dressing before most people had even heard of the term.
These weren't simply outrageous outfits designed to get people talking. They were extensions of the people wearing them, blurring the line between fashion, art and performance. The clothes became as recognisable as the personalities themselves. And nobody understood that better than Freddie Mercury. From winged catsuits to theatrical capes, Mercury dressed like someone who understood that performing for thousands required more than a good set of vocal cords. His wardrobe was extravagant, eccentric and unapologetic.
Of course, Freddie wasn't alone. The '70s and '80s gave us some of fashion's greatest rule-breakers, and their influence is still everywhere. Take Cher, whose decades-long relationship with designer Bob Mackie produced some of the most memorable red-carpet looks in history. There was the feathered headdress and sheer, embellished two-piece at the 1986 Oscars, the barely-there gowns and enough sequins to keep an entire costume department busy. Cher made a convincing case for dressing exactly how you wanted, regardless of the occasion.
Then came Grace Jones. With her signature flat-top haircut, dramatic makeup and sculptural silhouettes, Jones created a visual identity that was entirely her own. Working with creatives including Jean-Paul Goude and designer Azzedine Alaïa, she turned fashion into something closer to performance art. Masculine tailoring, exaggerated proportions and a futuristic approach to beauty made her instantly recognisable.
Fast-forward to today and fashion's appetite for spectacle hasn't gone anywhere. Lady Gaga helped redefine celebrity dressing in the late 2000s, turning public appearances into events in their own right. With a wardrobe that consistently challenges expectations, Gaga understood that a great outfit could become a cultural moment.
Chappell Roan has brought character dressing to a new generation. With her drag-inspired makeup, extravagant stage costumes and fantastical red-carpet looks, she's made getting dressed feel like a creative playground. Historical fashion, fantasy, theatre and camp often come together in a single look. Doja Cat has taken a similarly experimental approach, appearing at Schiaparelli's couture show covered in 30,000 red crystals and regularly pushing the boundaries of fashion and beauty with her surrealist looks.
Elsewhere, Jenna Ortega's gothic wardrobe as Wednesday Addams has introduced a new generation to the appeal of dark dressing, proving that a distinctive look doesn't always need colour or extravagance to make an impact.
Different decades, different wardrobes, but the same commitment to individuality. These are artists who have used fashion to build characters, challenge expectations and create something entirely their own. It's why we're still talking about Bowie's Ziggy Stardust, Cher's Oscar looks and Mercury's royal wardrobe decades later.
The best costumes don't simply disguise the wearer. They reveal something about them. Bowie wasn't just putting on a jumpsuit, Cher wasn't wearing another embellished gown, and Freddie Mercury certainly wasn't wearing a crown because the occasion demanded one.
So, while Halloween gives us the perfect excuse to revisit pop culture's most extravagant wardrobes, the inspiration lasts well beyond October. A little more experimentation, a few unexpected choices and the confidence to wear something simply because you want to.
After all, the best-dressed people have never been particularly interested in playing by the rules.
