The term fashion icon is used quite a lot, but what actually makes someone a fashion icon? Surely, everybody has their own opinion on what makes someone a fashion icon, but Google defines it as “a person whose unique and recognized style has a significant impact on fashion trends and culture…”.
Going off of that definition, my mind immediately goes to Marylin Monroe, one of the most popular and classic fashion icons of her day. Marylin Monroe broke barriers back in the 1950s, where fashion for women was often very restricted and modest. She created a whole new world of opportunities for how women present themselves to the world.
I’m sure at the time, Marylyn’s style was critiqued for its boldness just as much as it was praised, but she truly did shift women’s fashion in such a powerful way. It was the start of women being able to embrace their own body and femininity in what they wear. She’s classic, and her fashion marks a turning point for women in history.
Another woman that comes to my mind when talking about fashion icons is Princess Diana. Diana’s fashion is known for being simple and modern, but there’s also a bit of rebellion to it. Being a part of the royal family, expectations were obviously set on how she dressed and presented herself, and she challenged that by wearing a pant-suit set once.
A lot of people still take inspiration from her looks, and admire her fashion for how she subtly gave messages through it. One of her most popular looks, known as the “Revenge Dress” is often labeled that way due to how her husband, Prince Charles, confessed his infidelity on national TV the same night she wore the dress.
Both of these icons have changed women’s fashion since their times, but what about modern fashion icons?
Zendaya Coleman is one of today’s most influential fashion icons, and beloved by many. Even though she started as a Disney Channel star, Zendaya has moved on to much bigger things in her career, and is often always wowing critics and fans alike with her looks.
Zendaya is always making a statement with her fashion, and has even won the Council of Fashion Designers of Americas Fashion Icon Award. Her fashion sense is constantly changing and evolving, but one thing that I think makes it stand out more is that she doesn’t label it. Zendaya herself has stated that she doesn’t have a personal style, and I think that’s what makes it so good. She doesn’t put herself in a box of what fits her style and her look, she just wears what she wants, and it’s always amazing.
The Grammys are a well known award ceremony that features many different artists and celebrities who have been nominated for different awards. Some of them include Album of the Year, Best New Artist, and many others. The 2025 Grammys happened on February 2nd, and this event included some really interesting outfits that celebrities wore. In this article, I’ll include some of the outfits on the Red Carpet, and share my opinions on each look.
Cynthia Erivo wears an interesting Louis Vuitton gown with metallic and navy colored elements, with her top being reflective silver underneath her blue V-neck cut dress. Cynthia also matched her outfit with her signature nails, adorned with silver decorations and patterns.
I personally love this outfit and I like the navy and silver colors. I think that the metallic elements of this look are pretty unique as well.
Chappell Roan wears an artistic look on the Red Carpet, wearing a unique blue and yellow Jean Paul Gaultier gown and accessories. The dress features tulle, ballerina prints, and feathers that come together to make an interesting look.
I think that her look is very unique to her aesthetic. Overall, I loved the different prints and colors on this outfit as well as the makeup.
This might be my favorite look from the Red Carpet yet, as Sabrina Carpenter adorns a sleek light blue gown custom made by JW Anderson. I loved the feathery details and the long necklace of diamonds that draped down her back, which was a reference to actress Shirley MacLaine in the 1964 film ‘What a Way to Go!’.
Lady Gaga appeared on the Red Carpet wearing an extravagant Victorian-era black gown with black hair to match. The dress itself is really unique and I feel that the style is definitely on brand for her.
I loved all of the details on the dress as well, and the necklace that she wore. I overall loved the gothic aesthetic of this look.
This outfit is where things got a bit weird in my opinion. Jaden Smith wears a simple black Louis Vuitton suit, but wears a black headpiece of a house? The large black headpiece depicts a pitch-black castle that covered a majority of his head and face. I
was honestly really confused when I first saw this, but maybe I just don’t understand its artistic meaning.
Growing rapper Doechii wears a signature off-the-shoulder pinstripe style dress with a white Oxford shirt and tie underneath.
I actually really liked this outfit and the unique take on the look. I also really liked the hair and makeup that Doechii had, and I loved this look overall.
Singer Charli XCX arrived on the Red Carpet wearing a billowing gray Jean Paul Gaultier gown with dramatic frills and tall black peep-toe boots.
I personally really like Charli XCX, but I’m not sure I was a big fan of this outfit. I think that the dress had a lot of potential, but it could’ve been styled better, and it could’ve had more accessories. But overall, I think that this look was okay.
Overall, I think this year’s outfits were really interesting and I look forward to seeing more outfits in future awards ceremonies.
The 1950’s fashion was glamorous, elegant, and well-groomed, with a clear divide between men’s and women’s styles. New materials like nylon, polyester, and spandex were introduced, as well as designers like Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, and Cristóbal Balenciaga.
The women in the 1950’s usually wore their hair in a bouffant, which is one of the most iconic styles of the 50’s.
They had a variety of clothing, including dresses, skirts, pants, blouses, and sweaters but the most popular style for women in the 1950’s was the “New Look” characterized by a cinched waist, full skirt, and a feminine silhouette, often associated with the iconic gray felt poodle skirts that emerged with white Bobby socks and saddle shoes; a style that was popularized by Christian Dior.
1960-
Art by Charlotte Bistodeau
The 1960’s fashion scene was diverse and broke many traditions, with styles influenced by youth culture, space exploration, and Eastern cultures. It was characterized by a variety of styles , including tailored skirts, mini skirts, and bold prints. The First Lady, Jacqueline Kennedy’s, style influenced early 1960’s fashion. Tailored skirts with stiletto heels, shift dresses which were simple, and geometric dresses were popular as well. Evening gowns, which were full-skirted gowns with low or boat necklines, worn for evening events, and capri pants were also popular options for women and girls.
Whether hair was curly, straight, or wavy, volume and height were the main goals making the hairstyle beehive the most popular updo.
1970-
Art by Charlotte Bistodeau
In 1970’s the fashion was a mix of styles that included hippie, disco, and punk. The most popular style in the 1970’s was the disco look, characterized by tight, shiny clothing like spandex and jersey wrap dresses, platform heels, and bold accessories, particularly popular in the mid-to-late part of the decade. This style was embraced by both men and women.
Some of the popular hairstyles that were worn with the disco look were the shag an unstructured, layered, and textured style that was popular with actors and musicians. Also popular was feathered hair, a style that was made famous by Farrah Fawcett and features brushed-out hair on the sides to create volume.
1980-
Art by Charlotte Bistodeau
The 1980’s fashion scene was a decade of bold fashion including bold colors, volume, and experimental styles. The most popular style in the 80’s was a “bigger is better” aesthetic which was characterized by bold/neon colors like neon pink and lime green; these colors were popular in clothing and accessories. Big hair, shoulder pads, bright makeup and over-the-top silhouettes were also part of “bigger is better”.
Some other popular fashion trends were leather jackets, studded and spiked jackets inspired by punk rock; denim jackets which were often wore with patches and pins; mini skirts, often made from Lycra or leather; and leg warmers, made popular by the films Fame, Xanadu, and Flashdance.
The most popular hairstyles worn with these styles were big voluminous perms, mullets, Jheri curls, and high ponytails.
1990-
Art by Charlotte Bistodeau
The 1990’s fashion was diverse and rebellious with many styles and trends. The most popular styles being grunge, influenced by bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam leading to a casual chic look of flannel shirts, ripped jeans, and rugged boots and the minimalist look, which was marked by mini skirts, blazers, clean lines, and simple elegance that included preppy prints (for reference, see the movie ‘Clueless’ made in the mid 1990’s).
Lastly, Hip-hop culture influenced the style of the time, with baggy pants, baseball caps, and XXL T-shirts. This style was characterized by baggy clothing, sportswear, and sneakers. Hip-hop artists like Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G became style icons during this era, popularizing trends that influenced a generation of fans.
“The Rachel,” a layered, face framing haircut made famous by Jennifer Aniston’s character on the TV show ‘Friends’ was considered the most iconic 90’s hairstyle. Some other popular hairstyles were bouncy curls and hair accessories such as scrunches, butterfly clips, and hair beads.
2000-
Art by Charlotte Bistodeau
Fashion in the 2000’s was characterized by a mix of styles including prominent low-rise jeans, baggy clothing, graphic tees, hip-hop influenced looks, capri pants, trucker hats, dresses over jeans, velour tracksuits, a mix of bright colors and metallic accents, with a heavy emphasis on designer bags. Trends were often inspired by music subcultures and a global mashup of vintage styles making it widely recognized as the Y2K aesthetic.
Popular hairstyles in the 2000’s were zig-zag parts, spiky buns, side-swept bangs, and the most iconic one was the pouf hairstyle.
2025-
Art by Charlotte Bistodeau
Fashion trends now haven’t changed much from the 2000’s except for being more modernized. Many popular fashion trends currently are baggy clothing, asymmetrical patterns, belts, bomber jackets, denim skirts, low-rise jeans, cargos, jerseys, and lots of accessories. Some of the most popular/well known styles are grudge, coquette/preppy, old money/quiet luxury a minimalist style creating an expensive look, acubi, and Y2K staples which include low-rise jeans, bubble skirts, and other Y2K styles which are popular with Gen Z.
There are many popular hairstyles but the most popular ones are curtain bangs, slick back hairstyles, butterfly cut, wolf cut, jellyfish cut, and layers.
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