Rock icon with an exceptional voice, Tina Turner, who died at the age of 83, this Wednesday, May 24, also distinguished herself through a multitude of silhouettes as flamboyant as they are unforgettable. A look back at 5 looks that marked her fashion evolution.
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Tina Turner, Los Angeles, California, 1977 (Photo par Harry Langdon/Getty Images)
Tina Turner, fashion icon
“There are no rules that say you have to dress a certain way, or behave a certain way. We live in exciting times for women”said Tina Turner in 2009. In sixty years of career, the singer who has sold more than 200 million albums worldwide, has had time to wear on stage many looks that have become unforgettable for some. Very close to the most famous designers of our time, Tina Turner seduced the most creative with her rock aura and her ultra-glamorous Amazon look. High heels, sexy mini-dresses, leather, sequins galore… Number looks back at 5 memorable looks that marked the career of this rock icon crowned with several Grammy Awards.
Tina Turner at a concert in Amsterdam in 1971, Photo by Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferbs © Getty Images
1. Rhinestones and sequins, the flamboyant start of Tina Turner’s career
Straight from Tennessee, Tina Turner adopts from his debut on stage a look in line with the trends of his time. Very early on, the singer distinguished herself with a microphone in hand, in a fairly sober wardrobe, favoring very wise long dresses and serious hairstyles. However, alongside her husband at the time, Ike Turner, the interpreter of What’s Love Got to Do with It (1984) already assumes his taste for daring pieces. The more the years pass, the more versatile Tina Turner becomes. During the 1970s, she opted for extravagant short dresses with sequins or feathers as if to announce the imminent arrival of the disco wave.
Tina Turner in concert in the 70s, Photo by Gai Terrell/Redferns © Getty Images
2. Tina Turner’s flame dress designed by Bob Mackie
“Tina had no money at the time; she would buy cheap jersey evening dresses when she was in Europe and bring them home,” declared Bob Mackie about the “queen of rock’n’roll”. Obsessed with the volcanic talent of Tina Turner, the American designer (now 83 years old), known for having designed the dazzling stage outfits of the singer Cher, has many times dedicated himself to creating clothes for Tina Turner. One of the most iconic looks of Tina’s career, Bob Mackie’s “flame dress” entered pop culture as the emblem of the singer’s fiery personality. Designed for “sparkle like dynamite”, this dress made up of sparkling fringes of different lengths was worn in 1978 by Tina Turner, associated with an imposing cape in orange feathers. Worn the same year by Cher during a photo shoot for the designer, this dress became iconic thanks to the explosive aura of Tina Turner. So much so that in 2005, 27 years after his idol first wore it, Beyoncé was spotted performing on stage at the annual Kennedy Center Honors with this piece.
Tina Turner and Mick Jagger at the Live Aid Concert on July 13, 1985 (Photo by Paul Natkin/WireImage)
3. Tina Turner becomes an ultra-glamorous rocker
From the 1980s, the wise allure of Tina Turner moulting to move towards a more rock and glamorous silhouette, daring on several occasions to use leather in a total look. Her hair becomes more voluminous and her clothes are getting shorter at breakneck speed, revealing her very sporty goddess physique. So extolled by her public and her peers, the singer with overflowing energy became a sex-symbol wearing flamboyant outfits and stopping at nothing. Witness this shot where the queen of rock’n’roll, in a short leather dress associated with fishnet tights, sings alongside the British singer-songwriter and singer. Mick Jaggerwho was his friend, at a charity concert.
4. Azzedine Alaïa’s muse
In 1989, Tina Turner is filmed, smiling, in the creative studios ofAzzedine Alaia in the middle of a trial session. Bright smile, playful dance, singing session, affectionate hugs, trying on sensual and architectural creations, the singer captured by the cameras of theWHEN, is closer than ever to the Franco-Tunisian couturier. “Tina first bought a dress in Los Angeles without knowing my name. We then told her about me and as soon as she arrived in Paris, she asked to meet me. Our relationship immediately became an osmosis.” reveals the creator in the report. Muse and friend of the artist, Tina Turner has often been seen wearing silhouettes signed Alaïa. Album cover, clips, photo shoots for magazines, red carpet… for years the rockstar swore by the couturier’s clothes. When she attended a parade in 1989, she notably declared that her clothes were “different from anyone else, very special.” On several occasions, the star has been immortalized in now cult photographs. We remember those of the photographer Peter Lindbergh in which Tina Turner is perched at the top of the Eiffel Tower in a short and light dress signed by the couturier.
Tina Turner performing at Wembley Stadium in 1996, photo by Roberta Parkin./Redferns © Getty Images
5. The short dress in silver sequins signed Versace by Tina Turner
As she embarks on her ninth astronomical tour named Wildest Dreams Tour (more than 250 concerts in Europe, North America and Australia), the then 56-year-old singer offers an extraordinary show made up of her greatest hits, embellished by crazy looks of which she alone has the secret. Flashback. Wembley Stadium, 1996. Proving once again that she does not intend to lose any of her splendor by going on stage in front of thousands of spectators, Tina Turner dare to appear under the spotlights dressed in a dress Versace ultra short in colored sequins silver and black lace, revealing her sublime legs. The icon states in his book That’s My Life (2020) : “Growing up, I always thought my legs were too long and skinny. I felt like a clumsy pony, so I never wanted to show them. When I wore short skirts on stage, it was for a practical reason: they gave me freedom to move.”
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