8 Times Prince Invented a Trend — and Knocked It Out of the Park
By now you might have heard that beloved music icon Prince has passed away. He was one of the most unique artists of all time, known for his funky beats as much as his individual fashion sense. While the world lost a musical genius today, his legacy lives on in his music and in his style. Here are eight outfits to remember him by.
1.The 46th Annual Grammy Awards, 2004: Purple, the color of royalty, was his signature color and one he wore often — one of his biggest records ever was Purple Rain, the soundtrack to his movie of the same name. The confidence it takes for someone to pull off head-to-toe purple is immense; very few can accomplish it, but Prince was definitely a leader here. (Photo via Frank Micelotta/Getty)
2.American Idol Finale, 2006: Another one of the great things about Prince was that he wasn’t greedy with his talent — he shared it with everyone, from people at small, hip venues to big blow outs like American Idol. His fashion choices were never mainstream, though, such as this monochrome look, complete with double-breasted suit and a coordinating pocket square. Such class. (Photo via Vince Bucci/Getty)
3.The American Latino Media Arts Awards, 2007: While Prince himself was African-American, he defied all kinds of categories. So much so that in 1993, he changed his name to a symbol (remember “the artist formerly known as Prince”?) and transcended traditional thinking. This laced white suit is also pretty transcendental and heavenly. (Photo via Vince Bucci/ Getty)
4.The B.E.T. Awards, 2010: Only Prince could get away with having another man’s likeness on his clothing — and still command all the attention. This psychedelic pastel-and-white tunic and pants ensemble is complemented well by his award. (Photo via Kevin Mazur/Getty)
5. His Welcome 2 World Tour, 2010: In this image, Prince looks luminous, radiant and down-right rock-star-ish. Folks, that’s a head-to-toe gold sequined outfit on a man in his 50’s, and he looks good. He always stayed true to his funk and soul roots, and called back to his breakthrough days (late ‘70s to early ‘80s) in a lot of his fashions. (Photo via Kevin Mazur/Getty)
6. MTV/VH1 Party in London, 1991: Fringe. Low v-necks. Gold chains. It’s like he could predict fashion’s future. This all-white ensemble is simply heavenly, and he can get away with a stylish cane because he’s freakin’ Prince. (Photo via Dave Bennett/Getty)
7. The BRIT Awards, 1985: Here he is picking up his Best International Artist Award at the BRITs in the mid-’80s, and if ever there was an indulgent, over-the-top ‘80s look, this is it. But don’t you just want to hug this outfit and bury your face in the soft pink and white fur? Only Prince, who blurred the lines between genders, could get away with such a thing. (Photo via Georges de Keerle/Getty)
8. The 57th Grammy Awards, 2015: Another day, another sequined ensemble, another fashion home-run. It’s hard not to love the soft, ‘70s-inspired peach color, which is totally on trend for this year and last (before it blew up, thank you very much). Signature high-heeled boots, a tassel necklace, round sunnies and natural hair — he’s foreshadowing fashion’s future love affair with the ‘70s, which, thanks to his legendary legacy, will live on even longer.
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