He could rock a pair of Pierrot tights and psychedelic knitted bodysuits like no one else. Working with fashions designers like Alexander McQueen and Kansai Yamamoto, Bowie’s costumes were as unforgettable as his music. Want to know why his bulge is so big in Labyrinth? Or which label’s dresses he preferred to wear?
In this podcast, Mel Campbell explores how Bowie flagged his changing musical directions through the changing of his costume, how his sartorial choices are tied to the performance of gender and sexuality, and how the costumes of an icon informed an entire generation.
Mel is a journalist, author and cultural critic who researches and writes about fashion, film and television, books and ideas, advertising and branding, media, and the wonderful, underrated banalities of everyday life.