by Beth Hammarlund
Before The Runaways, Cherie Currie caught the performance bug when she performed a lip syncing David Bowie impersonation at a school talent show. Britney and Christina (back when she was Xtina, I think) caused a ruckus when they paid homage to “Like A Virgin”-era Madonna at the MTV VMAs. (Well, actually the frenching caused most of the ruckus.) And one of the best parts of The Wedding Singer is clearly Alexis Arquette’s Boy George-inspired wardrobe. There’s nothing wrong with paying a little homage to your icons, especially when the icons in question are dripping in unapologetic ’80s glam. At Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring 2013 Ready-to-Wear show in Paris, the designer found beauty inspiration in the most decadent decade, sending models down the runway in looks that were inspired by his favorite performers, in some cases with results that left audience members triple-taking. Seriously, is that Annie Lennox? No, of course it’s not. But wait, is it? No, really. I’m not sure anymore.
But nope, they were just silly old models. But some of them were certainly convincing. Emulating your favorite rock star to such a degree might be a little too much for some, but fortunately for us, Halloween is right around the corner. While everyone else polishes up their Tan Mom, Ryan Lochte and Honey Boo Boo costumes, why not pay tribute to one of your favorite rock stars instead?
A Michael Jackson-inspired look
If you plan on paying tribute to the Prince of Pop, there are two important face-framing requirements: the jerry curl tendril (“Jheri curl” if you want to get technical) and the flat-brimmed black hat. Keep the rest of the makeup simple. A clean, if not a little sweaty (ahem, I mean “dewy”) face, and a bit of black eyeliner go a long way. The rest of the look can be accomplished with a few wardrobe basics, that you already have in your closet, such as a leather jacket and white tee. A wind machine is also helpful.
A Boy George-inspired look
You may not want to embrace the full-out dreads, but Boy George’s makeup alone is incredibly distinctive. Think arched severe eyebrows, sharply contoured cheekbones, and an extreme cat eye with shadows in red or pink. If you wear enough pancake foundation and black liquid eyeliner, it won’t look like you’re recovering from a bout of pink eye.
A David Bowie as Ziggy Stardust inspired look
Step One: Get a flourescent red mullet. Everything after that is just a bonus. Turquoise eyeshadow and eyeliner? Bonus. Bleached eyebrows? Bonus. Red lightning bolt across your face? Super high score extra lives bonus.
A look inspired by Grace Jones
The only Bond villainess on this list, Grace Jones takes some serious swagger to emulate. First, you’re going to have to be a drop dead gorgeous, flat-topped, 5’9″ Jamaican American nubian queen. But once you’ve gotten that far, you’re practically done! Just add a black smudgy cat eye, draw in beautifully angry eyebrows, and paint those lips a glossy black tar. And practice hula hooping. Grace Jones is an excellent hula hooper.
A Sade inspired look
Sade certainly isn’t as over-the-top raver as these other references, but her style is still incredibly distinctive. Hair slicked back. Full exaggerated red lip. A cat eye made out of smudged black shadow. Your look won’t be as distinctive as Ziggy Stardust’s, but it’ll be damn sexy.
An Annie Lennox-inspired look
Think Boy George with less severe brows, and substitute the dreads and fedora with a shock of fluorescent red hair.
A Madonna-inspired look
Madonna will always be one of the most dependable Halloween costumes ever, but frankly, her Desperately Seeking Susan-era look is pretty adorable for everyday. Embrace scrunchy crunchy curls, over-grown brows and cheap red lipstick, because this ’80s club kid will never go out of style.
All photos via style.com
