Homage to Prince
Rock Nelson royalty defined Prince the synergy Rogers between music and fashion, becoming one of the world’s most credible artists of the 21st century. We pay homage to the man who found our cover star on the internet, way back when she was a young girl trying to make it in the music industry
It is no secret that the artist who will forever be known as Prince was, and still is, a fashion icon. On the second floor of Paisley Park – home to archives of every jumpsuit, accessory, platform and ruffle shirt he ever wore – Bethany Hopman and Rebecca Jordan spend their time preserving and displaying some of his most iconic looks to the public.
Whilst he was still alive, Paisley Park housed an in-house atelier and a full-service tailor shop that made everything Prince wore. The designers that worked for him communicated all their ideas through design sketches which were placed in a binder with swatches for review from the man himself. He had a precise vision for what he wanted to look like, and if it didn’t fit the brief he would simply reject the design and the process would start all over again.
The Minneapolis star was consistently re-inventing his look as well as his identity; “the artist formerly known as Prince” remains an ambiguity, his audience were captivated by his ability to re-imagine himself over and over again in one lifetime. Much like Bowie, Prince was a man who wasn’t afraid to experiment, making androgyny iconic and unforgettable. The artist’s approach to style made him a role model for designers, artists and audiences, as he forced people to see him as whatever he chose to be. Genderless fashion has, in recent years, become adopted by some of the biggest fashion houses in the world, including Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Salvatore Ferragamo, who have all joined Prince’s understanding of what it means to be human.
The star was lightyears ahead of his time, his imagination was boundless, and although he was a very private man he gave the world so much to be influenced by. Singer Frank Ocean said in a tribute: “He made me feel comfortable with how I identify sexually simply by his display of freedom from and irreverence for the archaic idea of gender conformity.” Prince was responsible for giving people freedom to express who they are through the power of fashion and identity.
Prince was an extremely private person, sharing very few details about his life. He was notoriously shy and the documented interview with Dick Clarke in 1978, where he completely shut down on national TV, was the catalyst for rarely sharing interviews with the public in his entire life-span. This created a real enigma around himself and who he was.
The artist was dubbed the Albert Einstein of music – he certainly knew music better than any of his counterparts. Accused of being a workaholic, Prince was always creating and would stay in the studio for over 20 hours at a time to make sure he was the best.
Prince’s insecurities and determination started young, being bullied and shunned by his strict parents, who knew their son was musically gifted, however rejected his talent and treated him like he was lesser, instead of encouraging him to do more. His parents had reason for concern, having been struggling musicians themselves, and said he would never make in such a difficult field. But that deterrence and negativity only made him more sure that he was going to make it.
His huge break finally came in 1978, on his 20th birthday, when he released his first solo record ‘Soft and Wet.’ However, it was the anthem ‘Purple Rain’, in 1984, which propelled him to superstardom and inspired a movie of the same name. This would forever be the song synonymous with Prince.
Albeit a musical legend, he also became a fashion-icon, sporting a Bowie-esque androgyny. Prince wore make-up, his clothes were flamboyantly brilliant and he wasn’t afraid to experiment with style. This was the first time that people had seen a black musician in this light, and it opened the doors for what androgynous dressing really meant in the fashion world. Creating a new genre and a muse for designers and fashion lovers alike.