Nicki Minaj and her date for the evening, The Pope
Most fashion trends, ranging from candyfloss hair to structural dresses, can be said to have peaked once they reach the body of Nicki Minaj. Never knowingly understated, Ms. Minaj attended the Grammys last week in the guise of an escaped nun à la Whoopi Goldberg in Sister Act. In fact a nun’s habit has in recent seasons become as ubiquitous as the LBD. Here is a little retrospective of fashion’s latest obsession with religious iconography and a few tips on how to show your devotion without parading a lookalike of the Pope on your arm. Hallelujah.
Minaj is clearly indebted to Pop’s most blasphemous star, Lady Gaga. For her 9-minute video epic Alejandro, the Lady donned a PVC nun’s habit by Atsuko Kudo with a strategically placed crucifix, before swallowing rosary beads. And then imploding. Thankfully, she popped up soon afterwards in the video for Judas, accompanied by a highly convincing depiction of Jesus as a biker with cornrow and a crown of thorns.
At the 2010 VMA Awards, Gaga’s meat dress overshadowed this divine Alexander McQueen creation from his oddly prophetic final collection. Despite the collection’s muted showing mere weeks after his suicide, the designs are pure McQueen spectacle and betray a clear Baroque influence. By using digital technology to capture the works of Old Masters such as Botticelli, McQueen ensured he would be remembered as a designer who was always once step beyond.
Religious imagery abounds in this March’s edition of W magazine, which also bears more than a passing resemblance to Gaga’s Alejandro video, since both were shot by Steven Klein. The editorial features Kate Moss in a virginal Jil Sander creation, complete with demonic stare and crown of thorns, clutching a black cross. Even the accompanying interview is styled to look like a page from the King James Bible. The chiaroscuro of the two covers creates a very literal take on the idea of saint versus sinner, while there is a thrill which comes from seeing archetypal bad girl Kate in a chaste Erdem veil.
For their Spring 2012 campaign, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana evoked the idyllic Southern Italian way of life with this family portrait of everyone in Sunday best outside the local Church. Que bello! The only difference being Monica Belluci and her perfect pout are unlikely to make an appearance in most family snaps. Dolce and Gabbana’s previous campaigns have featured the original convent-girl gone bad, Madonna, flaunting the two most treasured possessions of any good Italian wife: a crucifix and a corset dress. Clearly a match made in heaven.
Over the past couple of seasons, Meadham Kirchhoff have been cultivating a look which could be aptly summarised as Sunday school pretty with remnants of Saturday night. In practice, this manifested itself as frilly socks and winkle pickers. The accompanying jewellery, embroidered crucifixes and rosary chains, encapsulated the home-made and kitsch aesthetic which attracts devoted followers to this duo.
If this all sounds a bit scary, let’s go back to basics. Firstly avoid PVC nun outfits. The subtlest method of referencing this trend is through jewellery. Rosary beads, prayer bangles and all sorts of religious accoutrements have become fashion statements in their own right. In addition, crucifixes can be worn not just on chains around the neck, but as earrings, knuckle-dusters and even gaffa-taped onto denim shorts. Divine inspiration indeed.
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