NEW YORK, Jul 26, 2001/ FW/ — Ever since she bopped into our lives almost 20 years ago with hits like “Holiday” and “Lucky Star,” Madonna’s hair styles, accessories, and of course brassieres have dictated fashion trends around the world.
Madonna’s new tour, Drowned World, is a not only a musical extravaganza, but a retrospective of her myriad fashion incarnations: the boy toy, the virgin, the vamp, the earth mother, and her latest, the chic cowboy.
There are many designers featured in the tour, including Jean Paul Gaultier, responsible for the famous cone-shaped bras that defined her last tour, Blonde Ambition, eight years ago.
Rob Sadusky has been Madonna’s tour wardrobe supervisor for the last 14 years, and oversees all of Drowned World’s 260 costumes, valued at more than $1 million. He spends every concert hidden underneath the stage hurriedly dressing the pop icon.
Today, on “Good Morning America,” he attributed Madonna’s continuing influence on fashion to her “healthy dose of playful irony.”
Whatever the reason for the Material Girl’s fashion success, everyone wants a piece of it. After she wore Catherine Malandrino’s American flag t-shirt in a Drowned World show, the designer’s SoHo store was immediately flooded with customers eager to emulate the look.
Last night’s opening show in New York was populated by fans in rhinestone necklaces, black rubber bracelets, high-heeled boots, and lacey bras. Even celebrities were getting in on the Madonna mania. Katie Couric quipped that she had to sport a pink denim jacket because her gold sequined bustier was at the cleaners. Gwen Stefani went for the tiny bra over a tiny tee look initiated by the pop queen.
If you don’t want to settle for imitations, you can actually own Madonna’s old threads. Sothebys.com is hosting an online auction of Madonna memorabilia, much of which is clothing. Last week FWD reported that after the auction’s first day, 50 percent of the reserve prices had already been met. Now, six days later, Madonna’s “Who’s That Girl” tour bustier is bid at $10,500 and her black beaded gloves from the “Open Your Heart” video are currently going for $2,300.
