The 1980s unfairly have a bad reputation for fashion with people choosing to remember and emulate the unflattering permed 'Princess Diana' style haircuts, the dodgy moustaches, and the garish colours, patterns and cuts which means that, at these ‘80s themed parties, rarely anyone looks good! Madonna, however, ruled the ‘80s, 'Like A Virgin', 'Papa Don't Preach' and 'Into The Groove' were all released in the midst of the decade and paved the way for her to reach popstar status and become one of the most influential fashion icons of the decade.
Punk music and punk fashion were experiencing a resurgence in the mid-’80s after its foundation in the 1970s. The ‘70s influences of designers, such as Vivienne Westwood and Malcom McLaren, continued to be felt in the ‘80s, yet a new strand of punk fashion emerged that included Dr. Martens boots, chains, studded belts, tartan kilts and leather skirts. It was the influence of the punk movement on Madonna's fashion that helped earn her a 'cool' status in comparison to the squeaky clean pop stars of the day (such as Cyndi Lauper) and earned her a place on teenage bedrooms across the world.
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The punk movement influence on Madonna's fashion first emerged in the video for Lucky Star (her debut on MTV, in 1984) she combined a miniskirt with a mesh tank top, black lace gloves, stilettos and her backcombed hair with an oversized bow. The toned-down punk elements of her fashion made it much more accessible to teenagers wanting to emulate the style but found it too extreme.
I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.
Madonna incorporated punk-influenced styles, such as the heavy makeup, fishnet tights and rubber bracelets, which blurred the line between pop and rebellion, one of the keys to her phenomenal success. In 1984 Madonna blurred this line further as she shocked audiences by wearing a punked-up bridal ensemble with her signature 'Boy Toy' belt and writhed on stage to 'Like A Virgin'.
This iconic and easily accessible rebellious look created by Madonna was quick to catch on amongst teenagers across the world: Macy's created a 'Madonnaland' selling Madonna-licensed and -inspired fashion and Madonna-themed boutiques cropped up across the world causing the look to become a high street staple throughout the 1980s. Even other artists, such as Banarama, adopted this 'Madonna' style and advertisers such as Benetton created Madonna-influenced advertising campaigns.
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Although her style is constantly changing, Madonna continues to both shock and inspire: she once said “I am my own experiment. I am my own work of art.” Her iconic ‘80s look remains most recognisable and influential. In 2014, many of Madonna's iconic fashion items went up for sale during the 'Icons and Idols: Rock n' Roll' auction at Julien’s Auctions and included the jacket she wore in Desperately Seeking Susan, which sold for £160,000 (outselling the gown from the Material Girl video and her wedding dress she wore at her marriage to Sean Penn), and the one earring she wore in the same film sold for £20,000, demonstrating the importance 1980s Madonna had on the fashion world.