Madonna – the Queen of Pop music and a fashion icon of all time – has made a comeback!
May
The Celebration World Tour – Madonna’s global tour – officially kicked off in London, where the pop queen treated fans to a spectacular performance featuring her greatest hits of all time, reaffirming her title as a “fashion icon” honored by the fashion industry for decades.
From music to fashion, Madonna has always approached art in a special and highly creative way. Throughout her career, through songs or fashion appearances, she has always tried to convey meaningful messages to the world, a spirit of “resistance” and refusal to “submit” to any barriers or societal prejudices. Madonna has never confined herself to a specific image or fashion style. With a “mission” to help people step out of their comfort zones, Madonna has embodied various characters with different looks, and nowhere is this more evident than on stage. Long before renowned artists like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, or Taylor Swift turned their wardrobe into full-fledged fashion shows during their tours, Madonna pioneered a new era in the relationship between music and fashion. The artist made high-end fashion designers excited to receive invitations to dress her for appearances in front of millions of audiences. It’s no exaggeration that collaborations between Madonna and renowned designers/fashion houses not only left artistic works displayed in exhibitions but also marked an irreplaceable milestone in the history of both music and fashion.
Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, Gucci, Riccardo Tisci’s era at Givenchy,… or Jeremy Scott’s era for Moschino, all these are names that, along with Madonna, have left timeless fashion masterpieces. Having gone through numerous music eras and the constant evolution of times, the fashion world still cannot forget the moments when she shone on stage with Jean Paul Gaultier’s iconic cone bra during the Blond Ambition tour in 1990, religious-inspired outfits, or the unique bustier tops. Madonna’s appearances in world tours have been updated with various versions of the cone bra, through numerous fashion lenses of different designers. For example, Christian Lacroix’s version in 2014 featured a striking blue color with intricately crafted gemstones, while Jeremy Scott interpreted it with Swarovski crystals in 2009. So how will it be updated in the latest Celebration World Tour of Madonna?
The world tour marks 40 years of Madonna’s career, passing through 38 cities across Europe, North America, and lasting for 78 days. Therefore, this is also one of the reasons why two costume designers and creatives for the Celebration World Tour – Eyob Yohannes and Rita Melssen – paid attention to and invested heavily in costume design. With the importance of celebrating the 40-year milestone and to be able to express Madonna’s power and her messages as strongly as possible, Yohannes and Melssen delved into the vast music heritage, rediscovering Madonna’s hits during that time. From there, the duo also referenced some of the most famous outfits of the artist. Yohannes said: “Fashion has always been a part of her storytelling, so we developed a new performance wardrobe from her most iconic past looks.”
For the most part, Yohannes and Melssen both created and designed all of Madonna’s costumes for the tour. Additionally, they invited designers such as Donatella Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, Vetements, and Dilara Findikoglu, to create the most special looks exclusively for the stage of the Celebration World Tour. Melssen said: “We wanted to revisit some of her most memorable fashion moments and create new miracles from there. We created a whole new world.” Starting from the 80s, Yohannes and Melssen looked at Polaroid photos documenting Madonna’s performances during that era. Starting the tour with the singles “Burning Up” and “Everybody,” in the second song, Madonna wore a stylish shrimp tail coat by Findikoglu, inspired by the classic blazer she wore during a performance in Japan in the 80s. Yohannes said: “It was a men’s coat she bought from a thrift store. We added memorabilia and embroidery from the 80s on it, and it’s really a tribute to New York in the 80s.”
For the second part, Madonna moved on to the 90s with two songs “Erotica” and “Vogue.” The fashion was inspired by the wild west in “Don’t Tell Me” became the dominant theme. Yohannes said: “We wanted to bring it closer to the future, something exciting. Madonna’s final look included a leather bustier and shirt, accented with a cowboy hat designed by Ruslan Baginskiy and custom Miu Miu cowboy boots.” Melssen continued: “They are knee-high and feature beautiful white stitching typical of the Wild West, with the heel and toe highlighted in silver.” Meanwhile, in the fourth performance with “Ray of Light,” Madonna’s appearance leaned towards futurism with a black catsuit by Versace, adorned with shattered metal pieces. Yohannes explained: “Versace created a shape that Madonna has never worn before. When the stage lights shine on her, combined with Madonna’s aura, it’s like wearing armor.”
One of the greatest moments of the tour is at the end, when Madonna performs the hit “Like a Virgin.” All the dancers wear costumes from Madonna’s archives. Even the superstar’s son, David (playing a guest role), wears a white fur coat, a cowboy hat, and wears jewelry, Versace necklaces that Madonna wore in the “Music” MV in 2000. Lasting for over 5 minutes, viewers seem to be able to “relive” Madonna’s most glorious era. All the costumes were meticulously crafted, meticulous, and exquisite in every detail. Yohannes said: “Madonna also participated in every costume design process. She looked at all kinds of fabrics, sketches, even buttons or small embroidery stitches. Madonna also cares about the character she embodies and the story she is about to tell.”
