Fashion of Madonna

Madonna with a Jean-Paul Gaultier piece; it became a museum piece,^[1] and one of her most emulated outfits.^[2]

American singer-songwriter Madonna has been considered a fashion and style icon by fashion journalism and other sectors. Fashion critics, designers, and scholars have examined her influence in fashion from different stages, defining views on her public image and cultural significance. Her connection with the community was once labeled a symbiotic relationship, while her industry ventures include owning fashion brands and appearing at events such as the Met Gala.

Madonna has collaborated with an array of people from the community, including designers, photographers and stylists. She became a muse for many of them, and during the MTV Generation, her in-depth involved collaborative friendships were credited with making routine collaborations between artists and designers, and for helping reinforce the connection with the fashion and music industries further than before for different reasons. Madonna was also credited with boosting the careers of various designers, including then-emerging to as well-established ones. Some people from the industry have cited Madonna as a career influence. She became the first musician on the covers of The Big Four, and under Anna Wintour's control, Madonna became her first musical artist to grace a Vogue cover in 1989 after a notable time with a focus on fashion models.

Over decades, Madonna set various trends, and aspects of her styles, looks, and clothing influenced public, designers and other entertainers of different generations. Madonna's photoshoots and personal belongings have been displayed in museums and other exhibitions around the world. Unconventional compared to enduring glamorous icons, others have noted a significant absence of high fashion discussions. Madonna appeared on industry lists of the best and worst dresses. She also earned a reputation as a fashion provocateur, receiving criticisms from the religious sector, and from other organizations. Her provocative fashion statements, mixed with shock value received further criticism as she aged. Madonna has been also included in a number of all-time lists focused on musicians or individuals' fashion impact, including Time's All-TIME 100 Fashion Icons, Style and Design (2012). In her prime both Vogue and Karl Lagerfeld named her the "single greatest fashion influence in the world", while Jean-Paul Gaultier called her "the biggest fashion icon" in early 2010s. Madonna received various awards for her fashion, including the first Versace Award from VH1 Fashion Awards in 1998.

Many authors have traced Madonna's relationship with fashion back to her childhood. Without realizing it, her father influenced her fashion awareness with the dress code imposed in her strict Catholic upbringing, seeing "how potent a certain way of dress could be".^[3] Some have pointed out that Madonna saw clothes as a tool of rebellion from early on.^[4] Mary Cross described that after losing her mother, she "deliberately wore mismatched socks and clothes" as she refused to wear the identical outfits in which housekeeper-turned-stepmother Joan Gustafson liked to dress them.^[4] She continued to express herself through fashion as a student, without shaving her underarms and not wearing make-up.^[4] Mark Bego felt she "pioneered" new ways to get noticed on the school playground with her style and attitude.^[5]

In 2014, associate professor José Blanco wrote that fashion critics, designers and scholars have examined her influence in fashion.^[7] In 2018, Louise Gray of i-D held that she "has come under scrutiny for her outfits over the best part of four decades".^[8] Some reviewers have credited her sense of style and its evolution, as a key to her "significance" and "success", including an editor from Image in 2018.^[9][10] In addition, Madonna was called a fashion icon, as well a fashion idol, influencer or style icon.^{[11][12][13][14][15]} In 2005, scholar Camille Paglia described "she has become a fashion icon more than a music pioneer".^[16]

Her relationship with fashion industry was described as "symbiotic" by publications including Vogue.^[6][17] In early 2000s, American costume designer Arianne Phillips referred to the "unique relationship Madonna has with fashion and fashion has with Madonna".^[18]

Madonna's usage and development of her fashion sense both on and off-stage have been discussed. In Oh Fashion (1994) by professors Shari Benstock and Suzanne Ferriss, it was referred that fashion is something "inseparable from her aesthetic practices", and this includes several "cultural interventions" such as her music videos, films, TV appearances or concerts in order to cultivate her image.^[20] Writing for The Journal of Popular Culture in 2015, scholar José Blanco considered she uses clothes as a "cultural signifier to communicate her persona du jour".^[7]

For many, her looks and style were "at the center" of her staging and creative performances.^[21] While working with Madonna, costume designer Marlene Stewart commented in 1990, that for costumes the singer thinks in terms of story and character.^[3] Arianne Phillips also remarked on her "ability to create characters and tell a story through costumes".^[22] An observer also stated that she has extensively explored the roles she wishes to play when she grows up through clothing ever since.^[4] In 1997, New York magazine called her self-exploration through fashion as "unprecendented" which mixes elements and explores "Western cultural history".^[23] Writing for Vogue in 2023, Christian Allaire acknowledged her "fashion eras" and said like a "true artist", she sees what she wears as true performance art.^[24] Madonna referred to fashion sense in various settings; in 2007, she told the press: "I've made no secret of my love for fashion and trends".^[25] Laura Tortora from Vogue Italia felt how her interview with J. Randy Taraborrelli in 1983, reveals she was "aware" of her "great potential" which prompted to conclude she would make a legacy, not only in music, but also in "the history of costume".^[26]

Madonna (in 1987, 1993 and 2023 respectively) has explored different styles, from costumes in the sense of kitsch and camp to masculine pieces and androgynous imagery, as well as thrift shop, street, high fashion and dirtbag-chic.

The evolution of her styles and looks have been "documented through the years".^[27] It was described as an "expansive catalogue of looks".^[4] Erin Skarda from Time once praised her "control of her look[s]".^[15][28] By 1990, Stewart gives Madonna almost full credit for "creating" her clothing style.^[3] French fashion magazine Crash said that she is known for having "extravagant taste" when it comes to style on stage.^[29]

Justyna Stępień from the University of Łódź described her work and style as a representation of the Camp-Lite phenomenon.^[30] J. Randy Taraborrelli wrote that religious symbols became a crucial part of her fashion.^[31] Sydney Nowak of KOST noted she brings a tinge of grunge to various outfits.^[32] She wore long dresses several times in the mid-1990s.^[26] Among the different aesthetics explored by Madonna, are cowgirl, ghetto fabulous, military, masculine pieces and androgynous imagery.^[33] She has also sported thrift shop looks,^[34] and high fashion.^[35] In early 2020s, Vogue noted her off-stage aesthetic of "dirtbag-chic" style.^[36] She has also paid tribute through clothes to other women such as Marilyn Monroe, Marie Antoinette and Eva Perón.^[34][37]

Madonna attended to various Met Gala, with her first being in 1997.^[39] She also participated in a number of fashion runways, including Jean-Paul Gaultier's 1992 amfAR runway where it showed a topless Madonna; the staff of Billboard included that moment among "the most iconic moments in the history of fashion, music or breasts".^[40] She closed the Gaultier 1995 Spring Collection, wearing a slip dress and pushing an antique baby carriage from which she lifted a young pup.^[41] Back in 1992, Madonna participated in a Dolce and Gabbana runway show, and American fashion historian Valerie Steele considered it publicized their friendship.^[42]

Fashion connotations of her works have been addressed. In 2011, Thomas R. Harrison, an associate professor at Jacksonville University, wrote "Vogue" showcased her "knowledge" of the professional fashion industry.^[44] For Allison Berry from Time magazine, this single is perhaps "the most fashion song of all time"; Berry also noted that with the spoken word Strike a Pose she pays tribute to fashion icons of Hollywood.^[38] British author Lucy O'Brien noticed that "Dress You Up" uses fashion as a metaphor, as is sung "by a woman clearly addicted to clothes".^[45] The video of "American Life" was seen as a reflection of anti-fashion industry statements.^[46]

Madonna told Kim Kardashian during the premiere of her documentary film Madame X (2021) that she has preserved many of her outfits and her fashion archive is located in Brooklyn.^[47] In 2013, Madonna hand-picked pieces from her fashion archives, and contributed to Madonna's Fashion Evolutions, a pop-up exhibition on the history of fashion archival at Macy's curated and styled by Arianne Phillips. The singer declared: "... exhibition will give my fans a great opportunity to see the evolution of my style over the years".^[48]

Authors of The 1980s (2007), suggested "Madonna's influence on fashion eclipsed her music".^[50] Back in 1990, Barbara Foley from Los Angeles Times, held she received better commentaries for her fashion sense than any of her other roles.^[3]

Madonna built a reputation as a fashion provocateur, as Megan Friedman from Elle noted in 2016, she has "spent decades wearing outrageous outfits and stoking controversy".^[51] Bimini Bon Boulash noted and referred to the "countless articles" on Google's results for her "most shocking outfits of all time".^[52] American critic Christopher Glazek also commented that her costume changes "attracted harassment from tabloid moralists".^[53] It intensified while aging.^[51][53] In Too Much (2020), author said "Madonna is perhaps the most famous example of a woman rigorously censured for dressing provocatively".^[54] Madonna also received criticism for her religious-mixed fashion,^[55] and at some stage of her career from animal rights groups like PETA, including in 2006 and 2007.^[56][57] In 2004, rabbi Shmuley Boteach criticized Madonna for helping create a "tragic world" among American adolescent girls with her fashion.^[58]

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Jean-Paul Gaultier dressed Madonna with a bra that exposed her nipples in front of a 6,000-person audience in 1992. It's considered one of her most controversial looks.[59]

Friedman, however, commenting about her "too-revealing" outfits as an aged woman, opined is how Madonna is, so some "shock value" is to be expected.^[51] For Lauren Alexis Fisher of Harper's Bazaar, she "mastered the art of shocking people through fashion".^[60] In 2022, Jacorey Moon from Yahoo similarly agree that she always creates eye-catching fashion moments.^[49] To Laura Craik of The Daily Telegraph, Madonna has been "brazen and unapologetic", but found it paved the way for a host of female performers to take to the stage wearing liberating, provocative costumes that defined their sexuality on their own terms.^[61] On the other hand, Pamela Church Gibson of London College of Fashion noted a significant absence of academic discussion around her figure within the pantheon of high fashion.^[62]

Madonna has been included in media polls for worst and best dressed over the years. She was simultaneously included in both categories of Rolling Stone's annual polls in 1985,^[63] and in Spin's first annual readers poll in 1989, where she was ranked first in both categories. The magazine staff declared: "Madonna: Breaking down the boundaries of good and bad taste".^[64] In 1999, Vogue included her in the 100 Best Dressed List,^[65] while she tied with Cher on People's Hall of Fame of the worsts dressed, with seven appearance each until 2004.^[66] She also appeared at Richard Blackwell's Worst Dressed list (created in 1960), topping the 1992 list, and with fashion critic referring to her a "bare-bottomed bore of Babylon".^[67] For particular events, she was also ranked in media polls, including among the worst dressed during the 2016 Met Gala, which she defined as a fashion political statement.^[68]

From left to right: Madonna with Jean-Paul Gaultier during the Rebel Heart Tour (2016) and with Jeremy Scott at the 2017 Met Gala.

She became the face of various fashion campaigns and a muse to other designers.^[6] In 2021, Euronews/Reuters noted her collaborations within different designer labels in her "lengthy career".^[47] According to Women's Wear Daily, then-rumored featuring costume pieces from 14 designers at Re-Invention World Tour would represent an "industry record".^[18]

Regarding her long-time collaborative friendship with Gaultier, fashion journalist Tim Blanks retrospectively called the duo as "the quintessential rock star-fashion designer relationship" with a "mutually beneficial connection".^[4] Tom Rasmussen from Dazed stated in 2018: "Gaultier and Madonna made each other in so many ways. She gave him international notoriety, while he gave her cone-shaped breasts".^[69] Paloma Herce of Harper's Bazaar goes on to say that the singer-designer tandem had never made more sense with them.^[70]

Publications and authors noted and discussed how Madonna impacted various designers' careers during the height of career. In 2018, Mexican newspaper El Universal credited her for boosting the career of "several" then-emerging designers like Olivier Theyskens, as well how others from Tom Ford to Rick Owens, "benefited" from dressing her.^[72] Other publications have endorsed same or other examples, including Gaultier.^[13][71][73] With regard to Theyskens, Fashion magazine stated in 2019 that she essentially put him "on the map".^[74][39] Arianne Phillips told Daphne Merkin in 2011, "she's eclipsed my career".^[22] In sum, Laura Craik from The Daily Telegraph commented in 2018, that Madonna's patronage was guaranteed to catapult designers to the next level, whether they were a fledgling designer or a well-established one.^[61]

Madonna also impacted some fashion house' brands. Dolce & Gabbana "received their first international recognition thanks" to Madonna, according to independent scholar Juliana Tzvetkova,^[75] and author Brian Moeran wrote in The Magic of Fashion (2016), that she "catapulted the designer duo into the limelight".^[76] They said about her: "Madonna has always been our icon. It’s thanks to her that a lot of things in our lives changed".^[77] In House of Versace (2010), Deborah Ball discussed Madonna's impact on Versace, saying the 1995 ads featuring her were "breakthrough", creating an association between the house and celebrities that garnered endless press coverage. After Madonna, Ball comments, Donatella drafted one celebrity after another.^[78] Nikolay Anguelov from the University of Massachusetts, made a similar observation, saying that when Gianni hired Madonna for their 1995 campaign, it was a time when the employment of celebrities as models was not common, and thereafter it became not only common, but preferred.^[79] Others have addressed Madonna's impact on brands such as Chloé and Gucci.^[13][17] Madonna helped gave hype in her generation to brand shoes from designers such as Manolo Blahnik,^[80] and Christian Louboutin.^[81]

She has had relationships with models such as Tony Ward and Jesus Luz, which have benefited their careers.^[82][83] Andy Lecompte, her hairstylist, told Refinery29 about the benefits of working with Madonna in his career.^[84]

Women's Wear Daily's Kristopher Fraser recalls examples previous Madonna of singer/designer relationship and fashion houses, but noted "Madonna is widely credited with transforming" it.^[85] One of them, is Marissa Muller from MTV who commented that before artists and brand collaborations were an every news item, Madonna was "bridging the worlds of music and fashion" with these alliances.^[86] Although there were precursors, the same editor writing for W credited her as the first artist to make collaborations between designers "routine".^[87]

British cultural historian Stephen Gundle gone further claiming that Madonna's collaborations with fashion designers "inspired a whole series of developments in popular music and entertainment", further saying that "new synergies occurred between different sectors".^[88] Jacob Bernstein from The New York Times made similar connotations, stating that Madonna opened a "standard operating procedure" but with stylists. He noted how a new generation of singers and actresses got stylists of their own, even ranked annually by The Hollywood Reporter.^[89]

Aside from fashion designers, Madonna has closely worked with various fashion, fine-art photographers and portraits. Photographic critic Vince Aletti described it as "rich creative relationships".^[90] In Madonna: Like an Icon (2007), Lucy O'Brien described how various of them used Madonna as their muse.^[91] Before fame, she worked as a nude model in art schools for photographers such as Martin Schreiber and Lee Friedlander.^[92] She also forged collaborative friendships with directors and videomakers.^[93]

To Aletti, "photographic image has been at the forefront of Madonna's rise to iconic status".^[90] He said, Madonna doesn't merely pose for photographers like Herb Ritts, Steven Meisel and Mario Testino, she explicitly collaborates in the process.^[94] For French academic Georges-Claude Guilbert, after Madonna, the possibilities offered by the global village were never so "astutely exploited".^[95] She was regarded as one of the most photographed women in her generation,^[95] with at some point, sources like The British Journal of Photography in 2006, called her as perhaps "the most photographed woman in the world".^[96][97]

Many of Madonna's photoshoots have been displayed in arts festivals, pop-up exhibitions, galleries and other multimedia exhibitions around the world.^[98] In early 1990s, media scholar David Tetzlaff noted how many of her photos were labeled as "art".^[98] Madonna's image has been displayed at the National Portrait Gallery, United States by photographs taken by Francesco Scavullo, Kate Simon and Jeri Heiden,^{[99][100][101]} and is represented in the National Portrait Gallery, London by five photographs—two by Eric Watson and Testino each and one by Dafydd Jones.^[102]

Some examples in the 21st century include Schreibers' Madonna nude photos as part of the 2009 Brighton Fringe festival.^[92] They also went on display at the Australian Color Factory in 2016 under the title The Madonna Nudes II, as well as the 2022 Isetan exhibition Star Portrait: Young Marilyn and Madonna.^[103][104] Richard Corman installed Madonna – A Transformational Exhibition in 2013, which was a multimedia tour of Madonna's photographs taken by himself and displayed at W Hotels across the world.^[105][106]

In 2016, a Spanish exhibition named Madonna. El nacimiento de un mito was on display featuring her photos taken by Deborah Feingol, Peter Cunningham and George DuBose.^[107][108] The 50-photo exhibition was presented at cultural center La Térmica, and it included two videos from two artists, an artwork by Silvia Prada, and an installation where the audience "can be Madonna".^[108] In 2022, Japanese photographer Kenji Wakasugi exhibited Madonna - 1985 par Kenji Wakasugi at Galerie de l'Instant in France.^[109] In September 2023, Italian photographic duo, Luigi & Iango exhibited "Unveiled" at the Royal Palace of Milan, having many photos of celebrities and with an entire room dedicated to Madonna.^[110]

A number of publications and photographers (and directors) themselves commented on the impact of Madonna on their careers, with authors Howie Singer and Bill Rosenblatt commenting she gave them "a higher profile and bigger budget opportunities".^[112]

In 2004, fashion journalist Katie Grand noted constant references of Madonna in the works of Mert and Marcus.^[113] Mario Testino stated he became known outside of his business.^[114] In a conversation with Nigel Farndale, he further explained that she was the first non-model to collaborate with him and credited: "With her I knew I had discovered my style".^[115]

Regarding Steven Meisel, an author described his photographs of Madonna "put him in the public eye and increased his popularity".^[116] The photographer himself credited her when shoot "The Beast Within" in 2004: "Now it's commonplace, but at that time, shooting film and stills simultaneously was kind of unexpected. Madonna pushed me to do that, in a way, because she would never really give me more than one day to do anything. I owe her my film career, in that sense".^[117] Similarly, Madonna persuaded Herb Ritts to make his videography debut, and finally directed her video "Cherish".^[118] Ritts told American Photo in 1989, "I don't know the first thing about video", admits, "but Madonna kept hounding me to do one for her, so I figured I'd give it a try".^[119] Portuguese-born Paris-based fashion photographer, Ricardo Gomes, became a frequent collaborator since 2019, and credited the singer to push him.^[120]

Madonna also made an impact in the industry with her magazine covers as a cover/pin-up girl. American pop culture editor Matthew Rettenmund opined that she "made the act of being on the cover of a magazine into an art form" taking her covers "seriously".^[121] In Hollywood Goes Shopping (2000), David Desser and Garth Jowett commented that she exploited the "model-like" look variegation.^[122] In 2021, a Vogue editor proclaimed in a headline that "she still as the ultimate Vogue cover star".^[6] In 2020, Charlie Gowans-Eglinton, fashion editor of The New Zealand Herald reflected about her early influence naming her a "poster girl", while acknowledges her continued presence on magazine covers as an aged pop star.^[1]

Madonna has achieved various feats in the sector. She is the first female entrepreneur to grace a Forbes cover according to themselves.^[123] Madonna became the inaugural cover for publications such as Spin (1985), Greek magazine Pop Corn (1985) and Shock from Colombia (1995).^{[124][125][126]} She was also the inaugural cover girl of Glamour's Women of the Year issues.^[127] It's believed that Gaultier was the first designer to be featured on a magazine cover when he appeared on Glamour along with Madonna in 1990, according to an article from Madonna's official website.^[128]

Under Anna Wintour's control, she became her first singer to be pictured on the cover of Vogue, marked after a notable focus on models.^[129] Madonna also became the first singer to grace the covers of The Big Four and the only one until Rihanna matched this in 2021.^[130] In 2021, Madonna was the inaugural issue for L'Officiel Ibiza.^[131] About this collaboration, the magazine commented: "This project was born to pay a tribute to a contemporary icon who has defined, influenced and informed today's culture and aesthetics through her music and style".^[131] In 2022, Madonna was part of the first-ever NFT magazine covers designed by an NFT artist after Billboard partnership with World of Women.^[132] In January 2023, Madonna made the inaugural cover for Vanity Fair's European special issues "Icon" that cover their Italian, French and Spanish editions.^[133] The annual issue was made to celebrate the stars who "contribute[s] to shape the modern culture".^[134]

Madonna also appeared more than any other person on the covers of Interview and Vanity Fair.^[135][136] She is the international female artist with most cover appearances in Spanish magazine Shangay (8).^[137] Madonna is the female artist with the most cover appearances on Rolling Stone either alone or including "collage" photoshoots, according to themselves.^[138][139] She was also the first female figure on a cover for their special issues "Collectors edition".^[140] As of 2009, Madonna was the 10th person with most People cover magazines (13).^[141]

Though there existed magazines like Harper's Bazaar featuring movie stars on their covers (including Madonna back in 1988),^[142] as well other musicians donned magazines covers long before her, South African website News24, explained that it may be "hard to believe", but there was a time when models preferably donned the covers of glossy magazines while celebrities/singers made their appearance on the pages inside. This was regarded as the norm, until Anna Wintour arrived at Vogue and put Madonna on the cover of Vogue, instead of a model, the website concludes.^[143] That decision was predicted to be a failure and received criticism from journals like The New York Times, according to El País.^[142] Wintour herself, declared that having Madonna was considered controversial at that time.^[129] Back in 1999, Alex Kuczynski from The New York Times dedicated an article where it was discussed how celebrities were changing the old-time-focus of models on women's magazine covers, including commentaries made by Wintour and Allure's founder Linda Wells.^[144]

El País explained that most of those magazines, including Vogue, began shifting more to young readers and Wintour was also trying to put Madonna to show the variety of where fashion comes from and reflect what is happening in the culture.^[142] In the process, as noted New York magazine in 1999, Wintour received criticisms for made Vogue "too commercial", but they also found various of these magazines increased their circulation print.^[145] Editor Ben Widdicombe explained that fashion magazines of that time "provide a uniquely quantifiable gauge for the rise of celebrity influence" concluding that "everything changed" when Madonna appeared on the covers of British and American Vogue in 1989.^[146]

Journalists from Hank Stuever (Washington Post) to Emily Nussbaum (New York) have elaborated articles highlighting her magazine covers.^[147][148] Rettenmund also created a listicle for Logo TV in 2018, and in 2014 for his own blog, BoyCulture, of her greatest and essential magazine covers, respectively.^[149][121] Jann S. Wenner included her in the book Rolling Stone 50 Years of Covers (2018).^[150]

Over the course of various decades, Madonna earned a reputation as a fashion trendsetter. In Hollywood Goes Shopping (2000), David Desser and Garth Jowett named her a "perpetual fashion" trendsetter.^[122] The reputation drastically changed turning the 21st century, although editors from some fashion magazines including British Vogue, Elle and American Vogue referred she continued to hold the status.^{[152][153][24]} In 2000, American fashion scholar Harold Koda explained her effect on public, saying she helped garments enter into "cultural consciousness".^[13] The same year, Kal Ruttenstein from Bloomingdale's describes that her influence "validates".^[13] In 1990, fashion editor Robin Givhan dedicated an article where explored how many followed her style, saying "It's the trickle-down effect that is so scary — the vast power that Madonna wields over the styles of the masses".^[154]

Multiple fashion magazines noted how some trends initiated or propelled by Madonna have either remained or emerged again years later. On this, an editor of L'Officiel commented in 2020, that she marked "real periods".^[21] In 2015, Harper's Bazaar also mentioned "she cemented looks that remain culturally significant today".^[155] In 2021, Daisy Maldonado from Yahoo! described how she "catapulted trends we still wear today", prompting to add "world still following her trends".^[156] The same year, Carmen Martínez Pita from Cosmopolitan explored trends propelled by Madonna that are still in use.^[157] In 2023, Vanity Fair Italia analyzed Madonna's trends of a 40-year career through her hair, described as a Hairpedia, saying some of them still being sported.^[158] Design historian Jennifer Grayer Moore, delineates Madonna as a "catalyst for myriad long-lived fashion trends".^[159]

Madonna was a conduit to propel some existing or previous accessories and styles, with fashion editor Robin Givhan commenting on the point, "although she's not the originator of such styles [...] she has brought them into the mainstream".^[154] Therefore, credits include lingerie as daywear,^[156] or popularizing the bustier fashion look.^[161] A number of publications have cited Madonna as the catalyst for starting the underwear as outerwear trend into the mainstream, including Givhan and Vogue.^{[162][163][154]} In 2015, Harper's Bazaar commented that "pop stars still swear by her underwear-worn-as-outerwear look".^[155]

Madonna helped to propel the ponytail style in her generation, as she wore a sky-high blonde ponytail during her Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990. An observer said: "I think that totally transformed how people saw the style, and absolutely launched its renaissance in fashion".^[164] According to Beth Shapouri from Glamour, Madonna's Blond Ambition ponytail is easily one of the most iconic hairstyles of all time.^[165] In Sociology (2013), authors explained she helped pioneered a new style of celebrity involving genderbending.^[166]

Madonna also found impact using Asian fashion imagery in her early decades. Academics Douglas Kellner and Rhonda Hammer, concurred that "although Madonna did not initiate the Indian fashion accessories beauty", she did propel it into the public eye by attracting the attention of the worldwide media.^[167] Professor Christopher Partridge, similarly observed that "since Madonna first put Indian cultural symbols on the global fashion map, henna, bindis and Indian sartorial designs have become part of the global culture". Partridge, further adds that Madonna "ensured the Hindu invasion of Western popular musical space and made South Asian popular culture globally visible".^[168] Other authors like academic Madhulika S. Khandelwal, have cited Madonna as an important medium for popularizing mehndi (henna tattoos) in the 1990s.^[169][170]

Shortly after her debut, Madonna inspired clothing and beauty products. Her forays would eventually include her own fashion brands by late 2000s. In mid-1980s, manufacturers, including a company called 1045 Park Avenue, began to produce MTV-inspired fashion with key aspects of Madonna looks at that time.^[159] Fashion designer Maripol also ran a boutique in the East Village, New York City, called "Maripolitan" where some items were officially licensed by Madonna. Its selling and distribution was limited to the city.^[159] Madonna signed a merchandising deal with a clothing manufacturer called Entertainers Merchandise Management Corp. and they operated under the name of Wazoo fashions. In turn, Wazoo distributed official Madonna clothes to department stores across the country, including Bullock's and Merry-Go-Round stores in shopping malls.^[171] In 1985, Macy's opened up the department store "Madonnaland" selling clothes modeled after Madonna's style.^[172] Many other retailers followed suit.^[173] The release of the movie Evita (1996), inspired clothing and accessories by Salvatore Ferragamo, cosmetics from Estée Lauder, and clothing in nine Bloomingdale's shops.^[174]

Three lipsticks have been created for Madonna. Laura Mercier created the lipstick "M" for her film Evita (1996).^[175] The singer gave Mercier permission to market the shade as "Madonna Lip Color" becoming the first time she has allowed her name to be attached to a cosmetic product.^[176][177] Make Up For Ever and make-up artist Gina Brooke created the "Aqua Rogue/Iconic Red" (shade #8) for Madonna to wear on her MDNA Tour in 2012,^[178] embraced by celebrities like Taylor Swift according to Elle.^[179] Poppy King believes that Madonna "ushered red lipstick back in as a symbol of strength" and of "glamorous rebellion".^[180]

Russian Red (MAC Cosmetics): The "Russian Red" is the lipstick created by MAC Cosmetics, to wear on her Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990.^[181] Joanne Gair called it the bespoke MAC shade.^[182] The singer is credited with making it popular,^[183] and an editor extensively explored how it made an impact for the Canadian brand.^[184] According to various fashion-targeted magazines in the 2010s and 2020s, it went to become a bestseller and still stands strong after decades.^{[185][186][187]} Allure commented "it's been a cult classic ever since",^[188] while Paloma Abad from Vogue Spain called it as "one of the seven cosmetic wonders.^[187]

A Madonna fashion doll inspired in one of her outfits of the Blond Ambition World Tour

Author Bruce Wexler explained that "fashion icons such as Jackie Kennedy and Madonna have also inspired Barbies clothes".^[189] According to ABC News, in the 1980s Barbie "made a strong fashion statement" wearing outrageous, over-the-top outfits "inspired by MTV and Madonna".^[190] Professor Ann duCille commented about a time when Madonna "transformed underwear into outerwear" while Barbie also took to the streets in such clothes as see-through bustiers and spandex leggins.^[191]

In 1987, author Cy Schneider noticed Madonna-inspired looks in Jem fashion dolls.^[192] Mattel Italian collaborators Mario Paglino and Gianni Grossi, known as Magia 2000, have portrayed Madonna in several fashion dolls that have been featured in a number of magazines and websites worldwide. They claimed that the singer inspired their foray into this field.^[193]

Madonna became the face of multiple campaigns of fashion houses. In 1999, she became the face of a Max Factor campaign.^[194] She also became the face of multiples Louis Vuitton and Versace campaigns.^[195][196]

Madonna also created her own fashion brands. In 2007, she launched in association with H&M a clothing line called "M by Madonna", the first collection of clothes she designed. According to Hindustan Times, she also became the "first celebrity with no designing experience to infiltrate the superstore's shelves".^[197] Upon the launch of the "Material Girl" line in 2010, Erin Skarda from Time magazine said she stepped up her role in fashion.^[15] In 2014, Madonna launched the MDNA Skin, with an editor from W saying she helped raise the bar for quality among these celebrities ventures.^[87] In 2019, Madonna teamed up with Too Faced for the limited-release of two make-up box sets inspired by her stage looks of the Madame X era.^[153][198]

The initial sales of clothing inspired by Madonna throughout late 20th century, impacted retail sales. Authors in Defining Visions (1998) described results by saying: "No pop star had more impact on retail clothing sales than Madonna".^[199] Macy's store sold out its Madonna-licensed fashions and jewelry within two days.^[200] Amid the height of MTV Generation, Macy's fashion director said in 1985, that in contrast to fashion-inspired lines of other leading figures, her line was successful "because [she] brought a whole new way of dressing that was a total contrast to the menswear look for women that preceded it".^[200] Speaking about Madonna's fashion contests of the era, professor E. Ann Kaplan called it a "successful exploitation" of her style by clothing companies.^[201] In 1996, Laura Mulvey similarly commented "Madonna's performances make full use of the potential of cosmetics".^[202]

Throughout the first two decades of the 21st century, some accessories and fashion items related to Madonna saw a notorious sales increase. The red string used in Kabbalah gained a surge in sales.^[203] Retailer Boots reported a 72% rise in the sales of hair rollers after the release of "Hung Up".^[9] According to Antoine Arnault, everything worn in Madonna's Spring Summer Campaign for Louis Vuitton in 2009, sold out within months.^[195] Madonna's own fashion brands obtained healthy sales as well.

In Oh Fashion (1994), by professors Shari Benstock and Suzanne Ferriss, it was said that many of her pieces achieved the status of popular to becoming cultural icons.^[204] Through years, publications have elaborated "best Madonna looks" and similar lists, including a list by L'Officiel made in 2020, in which her garments are described as marking the "history of music and fashion".^[21] Madonna has also been placed in general-interest lists in music industry, including a list made by Glamour in 2021, of the "iconic fashion moments in music history", appearing twice, including the first spot.^[205] In 2023, Christian Allaire from Vogue commented she "has delivered plenty of [...] looks that people still talk about today".^[24] The same year, Glamour magazine stated she has been "at the forefront of many of the most memorable pop culture moments of the last 50+ years".^[206]

In 2019, American journalist Lyndsey Parker commented for Yahoo! that her performance at the 1984 MTV Video Music Awards catapulted the singer to "superstar status", and its costume played a foremost role, as it seemed many girls in the United States wanted to be Madonna (or a "Madonnabe"). She defined the moment by saying: "No one had ever seen anything like it at the time".^[207] Parker further notes that "it remains such a signature look" that Madonna has referenced it in other performances.^[207]

• 
  A depiction of the dress at the Hard Rock Cafe (USA)
• 
  Another depiction at the Hard Rock Cafe (USA)

In 2019, Her World included the dress among Madonna's looks that "have influenced a generation of pop singers".^[208] According to Californian newspaper La Opinión, the 1991 Academy Awards marked a milestone in the history of the red carpet, when Madonna and Michael Jackson arrived together.^[209]

• 
  Bob Mackie's dress at "Madonna's Fashion Evolutions" (2013)

According to the National Geographic Society "it quickly became one of many iconic looks associated with" her.^[210] To Tim Blanks, Madonna in her Gaultier cone-bra "is one of the most unforgettable images of the entire decade" (the 1990s).^[4] Another Magazine's Jack Moss called it "an image of true pop culture ubiquity".^[211] It was suggested to be arguably Madonna's most seminal look,^[61] while Bryan Goh of Her World, said that entire look "has gone on to achieve cult status".^[208]

The cone bra has been described as more than just a part of fashion history, or an artefact hanging in a museum according to Liam Hess of Vogue, who said "its legacy lies in the very real way in which it has encouraged generations of female pop performers".^[212] Albeit the cone bra existed long before Madonna, her associated look has since influenced numerous fashion designers and pop stars alike, wrote an editor from Entertainment Weekly in 2020.^[213]

• 
  "The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk" (2013)
• 
  "The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk" (2014)
• 
  "Génération 80 Experience" (2019) in Belgium
• 
  Conical-bra corset in 3D-version at the Kunsthal Rotterdam (NL)

Many of her pieces have been recreated or inspired similar ones. According to Joanne Garde-Hansen from University of Gloucestershire in 2011, Madonna's Gaultier conical bra is one of her most emulated outfits.^[2] Some references were compared and seen in numerous events and media, including in Hocus Pocus by Stephanie Faracy and inspired-like Lady Gaga (2009 MuchMusic Video Awards) or Cameron Diaz (photo shoot for V in 2009) among many others.^[213]

In 2015, María Mérida from Vogue in its Spanish-language edition, noted the influence of the Like a Virgin-look dress saying that if "one of your looks turns into a Halloween costume, it is because you have achieved something important", and this style is still one of the most demanded at Halloween parties, Mérida claimed.^[214]

In 2021, L'Officiel Brazil described "her style influence has turned her garments into [...] valuable items".^[215] The Guinness World Records listed a corset designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier sold at Christie's in London in May 1994 for $19,360 as the most ever paid for an item of clothing belonging to Madonna.^[216] However, numerous pieces of Madonna's clothing have since fetched higher prices. A 2001 Sotheby's online auction, sold another corset for $24,000, which, according to other publications surpassed the largest paid for a Madonna fashion item.^[217][218] Other pieces such as the jacket worn at Desperately Seeking Susan raised $252,000 and a dress worn at "Vogue"'s video, $179,200.^[219][220]

In 2014, a collection of dresses and outfits worn by Madonna in her music and film career helped a celebrity auction raise $3.2 million.^[219] In 2009, an exhibition in London named Simply Madonna: Materials Of The Girl featured 300 outfits, which was reportedly to be the largest collection outside of Madonna's own.^[221] In 2010, another exhibition Simply Madonna was on display at the Melbourne Fashion Festival, Australia.^[222]

Madonna's fashion sense and its cultural impact have received both immediate and retrospective discussions. The staff of Billboard commented in 2015, that "her sense of style became as influential as her chart-topping tunes".^[34] In Oh Fashion (1994), it was described: "Madonna's fashion moves generally caught shifts in cultural style and taste".^[204] In 2018, Liana Satenstein from Vogue referred to her "huge impact on the runway and the red carpet over the course of her decades-long career".^[223]

Madonna's fashion impact was discussed as an era-defining advent with long-lasting effects. For instance, in Muckraker (2014), researcher Carlos Primo, music critic Javier Blánquez, journalist Daniel Arjona and philosopher Leticia García agree that Madonna paved the road for a new way of understanding the relationship between fashion and show business.^[224] Professor Martin S. Remland of West Chester University said when both MTV and Madonna appeared, the marriage of music and fashion became more prominent than ever before.^[225] American designer Todd Oldham, was quoted as saying that she was to fashion what the Big Bang theory is to the creation of the world.^[226] Cynthia Robins of San Francisco Chronicle further adds that "when Madonna came along, all fashion hell broke loose. She established a heady pace".^[227] Commentators ranging from Arianne Phillips to Diane Asitimbay overall commented in similar terms how fashion significantly changed.^[4][228] Paloma Herce from fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar, in its Spanish-language edition, held she created a "before and after" period.^[70] In 2005, Asitimbay stated that Madonna and Michael Jordan "did more for the fashion industry in the United States than many of our fashion models put together".^[228]

Madonna's fashion influence came from diverse sources; authors of The 1980s (2007), commented that "she influenced styles in so many ways via her music videos".^[50] She also did with tours; with her Blond Ambition World Tour alone, Drew Mackie from People magazine stated it "helped cement the link between pop costumes and couture".^[229] Her influence on public was noted across multiple decades.^[230] By 2008, Robert Verdi was quoted as saying Madonna was like an adjective in fashion, describing: "Friends will go shopping with each other and say, 'It's so Madonna.' That's what you want in fashion".^[231] In similar connotations, Anna Wintour and British author Michael Pye concurred that she "makes fashion happen", with Pye further adding that "she's fashion".^[232] Similarly, Mary Sollosi commented for Entertainment Weekly in 2022, she had an impact on what's in vogue every step of the way.^[37] The same year, Amalissa Hall from Tatler summarized "she's inspired major fashion movements over the years" and at the height of her career, from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, "whatever she wore, the public followed".^[233] Back in 2006, clothing company H&M described her "global influence" on how people dress and look as without equal.^[234]

According to Katya Foreman from BBC, her impact was eminent amid the youth culture of her generation, with a combination of attire and attitude.^[4] The most notorious group were young girls, known later as the Madonna wannabes with an unusually high number of women began to dress like Madonna. Other female singers in the MTV Generation attained fashion impact, but "Madonna's persona and 'look' inspired the greatest fandom", suggested professor Gary Burns in A Companion to Popular Culture (2016).^[235] In The History of Rock and Roll (2012), Stuart Kallen expressed: "Madonna changed the way young women dressed virtually overnight".^[236] In reviewing that decade in 1990, Barbara Fole of Los Angeles Times called her "the woman who has influenced the fashion scene more than anyone else in the 1980s".^[3] Madonna's changing styles continued to influence women's fashion in the following years (and decades),^[237] but the 1980s are said to be the pinnacle of her fashion influence.^[238]

By the late 1990s, Canadian scholar Karlene Faith commented that her "fashion influence has crossed generations",^[239] while editors of Rock Fashion (1999) described, "Madonna has been the top influence everywhere".^[161] Her influence has since faded, although in 2022, Pratik Aswal from Indian Institute of Art & Design, perceived that "her style is still imitated by her fans even today".^[11] Individuals like Alyson Walsh from The Guardian (2015) to Louise Gray of i-D (2018) and Stephen Doig from The Daily Telegraph (2023) have dedicated articles discussing ongoing Madonna's influence on them or during her prime.^{[240][8][230]}

German designer Michael Michalsky created the "Madonna bag", one of 2016's most googled bags.^[241]

As early as 1985, Mark Bego echoed her influence on many things —including on fashion designers— saying "knows no foreseeable boundaries".^[242] In 1990, Foley explained that "she inspires some of the biggest names in the clothing business".^[3] A 1999 article of Journal of American Culture from Bowling Green State University, described how during the 1980s and 1990s, aspects of Madonna's styles influenced the styles of leading designers in Paris and London.^[243]

Both her retrospectively and perceived continued influence has been discussed in her next decades. In 2015, an editor from Fashion Week Mexico concurred that she has been a "constant inspiration" on runway shows around the world.^[73] In 2020, Simone Vertua of L'Officiel adds: "Madonna's style had influenced fashion designers to make unforgettable collaborations".^[21] In 2021, Vogue also remarked that she has inspired collections of "various" designers.^[6] In 2023, Women's Wear Daily's Tonya Blazio-Licorish lumped Madonna with other 20th century's female artists, for continuing "to inspire fashion designers with their show-stopping personas".^[244] Furthermore, Anna Sui credited Madonna for inspiring to run her first runway show.^[245] In 2016, German designer Michael Michalsky commented that he has taken inspiration from her in his collections.^[246]

Madonna's style influenced other entertainers and was noted in numerous celebrities and artists.^[247] In 2012, after decades since her debut, author Tom Streissguth was convinced that Madonna attitude has survived, as many female music and style celebrities have had a little bit of her in their style.^[248] Others have addressed the path Madonna paved, including Vogue magazine.^[6] About this whole point, Simone Vertua from L'Officiel argued "her looks have totally revolutionized the way of thinking of all the pop stars".^[21] Similarly, Leah Melby Clinton of Glamour adds that "she totally paved the way for future pop-tart ladies".^[249]

Various individuals have publicly expressed Madonna's fashion influence on them, immediate and retrospectively. In 2011, Kelly Osbourne named Madonna as her biggest fashion influence,^[250] while celebrities such as Naomi Campbell and Rita Ora once cited her as one of her fashion icons.^[251][252] Kelly Brook also referred to her as her style icon while growing up.^[253]

Amid an ever-evolving industry, Madonna managed to receive peer industry recognition. According to Harper's Bazaar in 2015, designers like Riccardo Tisci have paid tribute to Madonna.^[155] Simon Doonan paid homage to her in a slideshow at Barney's called The Mesmerizing Mistress of Perpetual Reinvention.^[12] In a 1985 interview, Michael Gross asked Madonna, "how do you feel about designers paying tribute to you?". "I'm very flattered", she said.^[254] Dolce & Gabbana have dedicated some shows to Madonna, including their spring/summer 2001 collection entitled Madonna and Italian Beauty in 2024.^[77]

Designers such as Donatella Versace and Karl Lagerfeld once expressed their admiration towards her in fashion terms; Lagerfeld once called her "the single greatest fashion influence in the world".^{[255][256][257]} Doonan once referred to her like "patron saint for fashion".^[12] In 2019, Versace was commissioned by L'Officiel to write a special article about Madonna, where she became "reflective".^[257] Like Lagerfeld, Vogue magazine also proclaimed her as the "greatest single fashion influence" in the world.^[258] Similarly, in 2015, Suhani Pittie said in her blog, "it would not be wrong to say that she is in fact 'the' most influential women's fashion icon ever",^[259] while Jean-Paul Gaultier told Spanish press in 2012, that she is the "biggest fashion icon" although recognized newer generations by that time, and an ever-evolving industry.^[260]

Madonna has appeared in a number of listicles and publications related to fashion sense or individuals' impact. In 2009, Clothes Show London conducted a poll of fashion biggest icons of the 20th century divided by decades. Madonna won the 1980s section, with 75 percent —the highest sum attained by the other decade's winners.^[261] She was also included in Rolling Stone's list of musicians who defined the 1990s fashion.^[262]

Madonna has received a number of awards for her fashion. She was honored with the Style Icon by Elle Style Awards in 2007, recognizing her contributions in the field, and for her ever-evolving image.^[271] She won various VH1 Fashion Awards, including the first Versace Award in 1998, as their panel agreed that "her career has been the model for the infusion of celebrity and glamour into fashion and in many ways created the fashion world as it is known today".^[272] Madonna was recognized by the International Best Dressed Hall of Fame List.^[273]

Over the course of multiple decades, Madonna was referred immediately and retrospectively with sobriquets in journalist pieces internationally. She was called a "Goddess of Fashion", "Queen of Style" or a "Queen of Fashion".^{[34][274][256]} In 2003, Czech newspaper Mladá fronta DNES named her the "Queen of Fashion Trends" but also the "Master of Kitsch".^[275] She was also called the "Queen of Camp".^[276] In 2015, an editor from fashion magazine Harper's Bazaar retrospectively called her "Queen of Street Style".^[70] In 1998, The Straits Times called her "Queen of Many Faces".^[277]

Many pieces sported by Madonna have been part of various exhibitions around the world. Following a selected gallery and examples:

• Rock Style (December 9, 1999 – March 19, 2000) — Metropolitan Museum of Art^[278]
• Extreme Beauty: The Body Transformed (December 6, 2001 – March 17, 2002) — Metropolitan Museum of Art^[279]
• Kimono: Kyoto to Catwalk (2020) — Victoria and Albert Museum^[280]
• Cine y Moda (Cinema and Fashion) (2022) — Cinémathèque Française and La Caixa Foundation^[281]

• 
  Madonna's Gaultier Kimono at Victoria and Albert Museum (UK)
• 
  Madonna's Stella McCartney dress worn in 2011 Met Gala displayed at Hermitage Museum (RU)
• 
  Madonna's footwear at Salvatore Ferragamo Museum (IT)
• 
  A Madonna leather jacket at Hard Rock Cafe London
• 
  Madonna's dress from the movie Body of Evidence, located in Hard Rock Café Oslo

Among Madonna's books, some of them had a central theme in her fashion or photos, including Martin H. M. Schreiber's books in 2002 and 2017 for her Playboy nude photos, Richard Corman's Madonna NYC 83 in 2013, and Matthew Rettenmund's MLVC60: Madonna's Most Amazing Magazine Covers: A Visual Record in 2019.

• Madonna at Vogue (website)