Three Fashion Icons

My three fashion icons are Lady GaGa, Nancy Spungen & Marilyn Monroe - I find all three have made a valuable contribution to fashion throughout the eras & inspire me by their individual fashion styles & make-up looks.


Lady GaGa inspires me as her fashion is a representation of her art form & creativity. Although she is a musician, her 'GaGa' persona is defined by her contraversial costumes & make-up - she is a character. I love her look as it is constantly changing. Through use of colour, false eyelashes made from unconventional materials such as feathers & glitter, wigs & even prosthetics, Lady GaGa is always in the fashion limelight; her make-up styles are so renowned & popular that she has launched a special edition lipstick & lipgloss for MAC Cosmetics & has been in numerous photoshoots to promote their products.   

Lady GaGa's look inspired me to experiment more with my own make-up, especially her defined eye-brows which were used in her 'Telephone' music video & playing card inspired false nails in her 'Poker Face' video which fascinated me to look more into her make-up styles. She also attracts me to make-up artistry as she shows how using unconventional looks have a part to play in modern make-up styles, completely transforming someone into someone, or something, else to cause shock & wonder, often like that of an artist. With her use of prosthetic horns, fangs & sharpened nails, Lady GaGa depicts that make-up has no limits & that character make-up is not just for film or TV.


Nancy Spungen is another fashion icon of mine as I like her trashy, punk style. As the girlfriend of Sid Vicious from The Sex Pistols, she inherited the Punk look which was seemingly created by the band manager, Malcom Maclaren's wife & business partner - fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. After the 'Free Love' era of the 60s, Punk developed from a divide in political opinion in the 1970s & created a revolution in music & fashion,- people wanted to rebel & express themselves & their opinions freely, particularly through image.

Despite being a Punk icon in London, Nancy kept some of her American Glam Rock styles & mixed leather with leopard print & accessorised simple outfits with studs & chains & instead of dawning a mohican or a shaved head, she was well known for her peroxide blonde perm. By mixing two completely different fashion styles together, she created her own look & therefore did not 'belong' to a particular sub-culture.


 Nancy's make-up reflects her personality portrayed by the media - brashy, loud & attention seeking. As a previous groupie of the New York Dolls, her make-up was very typical Glam Rock with dark red lips & magenta blusher on her cheekbones which she made more Punk Rock by lining her eyes thickly with black eye-liner & black eyeshadow - a look which was very popular with both male & female Punks & still is today. Many modern make-up professionals would argue that lips, blush & eye colours should compliment eachother & not clash, however Nancy, took this as an opportunity to rebel & used both her clothes & make-up to make a bold statement that she didn't care what people thought of her & that she could do whatever she wanted, which is one of the reasons why I admire her.

My final fashion icon is Marilyn Monroe. She attracts me to make-up artistry as her look was very natural & classy, yet she could transform  herself into a glamorous, sex-symbol just by the use of make-up. Her natural look is defined by her flawless skin, blushed cheeks &  highlighted features which gave her the sweet, flirtatious look she is renowned for. Marilyn’s 1950s make-up has influenced many women throughout the eras to the present, including myself, as it is a look that can be adapted to suit anyone: for example blushers & highlighters can matched to suit different skin tones & wearing an eye-shadow that compliments your eye colour can create a subtle yet striking look.

Marilyn is also very well known for her trademark red lips & beauty spot, which is now distinguished as the traditional ‘pin up girl’ attire, a look which Dita Von Teese & Paloma Faith are now famous for wearing.

The 50s theme is also a popular selling point for some make-up brands such as Benefit & Soap & Glory, often using retro, black & white images of natural, confident women which attract myself & many others to their products in order to re-create Marilyn’s look. The 50s is also still a popular theme for make-up shoots in majority of magazines all around the world – this shows how iconic her make-up style is & allows Marilyn’s classic image to be introduced to a new generation of people.

She is an ambassador for the abnormal which is why so many people respect her, as she is not afraid to push the boundaries & be herself. Which has inspired both men & women to experiment with make-up & not be scared to express who they are.