5 Times the Fashion Industry and Stars Aligned to Create Controversy
There's an old saying that goes, "No news is good news." Whoever that quote applies to must have not have been in business, and if they were, it must not have been successful–especially in the late 21st century. A growing business needs buzz, and since the age of supermodels (remember Cindy, Naomi and Christy?), fashion houses have been doing just that. Like any successful business that survived the 90s, designers had to create buzz, and sometimes this buzz was in the form of controversial campaigns. Here's a look at 5 times when controversy created sales.
1. Risque Concert Costumes
Before the death of the 80s, Madonna had cemented her persona on controversy, so with each passing decade, she has had to try harder to turn heads. Who better to work with than the edgy Italian fashion house Dolce and Gabbana? Her fans expected nothing less than risqué costumes that were sexy and fun, but when Dolce and Gabbana designed for Whitney Houston's My Love Is Your Love tour in 1998, heads turned so fast some of her fans may have ended up with whiplash. Fans had to adjust to a Whitney who had outgrown the adorable gospel singer's daughter image and blossomed into a woman with her own style.
2. Suggestive Language
In 1980, a 15-year-old rising star named Brooke Shields stirred controversy when she posed for Calvin Klein. It wasn't the pose or the clothing that upset parents around the globe, but rather what she said: "You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing." While both Shields and Calvin Klein were hounded for answers as to why she said that, Calvin Klein jeans were flying off shelves across the United States.
3. Music Award Performances
In the 1980s and 1990s, before the popularity of the internet and instant information, fans often waited anxiously to see what would be revealed during performances on music award broadcasts. In 1991, the MTV Music Awards did not disappoint. Performing his song "Get Off," Prince pranced around on stage in what appeared to be a pantsuit with cut-outs over the buttocks. Today, it's still a bit shocking to watch, but as designer Stacia Lang would later reveal, they weren't actually cut-outs after all, but rather panels dyed to appear the color of skin.
4. Unusual Accessories
When you think about all the accessories stars have catapulted into the history books over the years, nothing stands out quite like Michael Jackson's one glove. It wasn't that the glove was custom-created and covered in Swarovski crystals that created buzz. It was that it was simply one hand covered in what appeared to be an exceptionally attractive accessory. If Michael Jackson intended to create a fashion movement, he failed, but not miserably. The glove became famous, selling at auction in 2009 for $350,000. However, unless you're a Michael Jackson impersonator, it's a bit awkward to be seen wearing only one glove.
5. Unusual Materials
After the fashion successes of 80s performers like Madonna, Prince, and Jackson, there's no doubt that post-Y2K performers have become experts at creating buzz. While it appeared to be a fashion gimmick when Lady Gaga showed up to the MTV Music Awards in 2010 wearing a dress made of real meat, it also worked. Animal activists cried and taxidermists rushed to preserve the now-infamous dress which has since become preserved jerky.
When fashion and the stars align, people remember. While not all designs and campaigns caused clothing to fly off the shelves like Calvin Klein jeans, there is no doubt that each design pushed fashion forward, ensuring success for fashionistas and their designers. What will be most interesting is to see what these pairings have in store for fans in the next decade.
