ZEITGEIST

The idea of an icon is strange. How does one achieve such a status? How you dress, what you do, your personality, how well you capture a certain subculture or moment in cultural history? Through the years I have formed attachments with several popular figures deemed icons. Below is a list of them and why...

1) Courtney Love

Image: blogging.la

My Courtney obsession was born from my obsession with Cobain (see below). It's been the most long lasting and corruptive of all my icon obsessions. I bleached my hair and wore babydoll dresses, aka nighties. I smoked and hoped my voice would croak like hers. I made sure my nailvarnish was always chipped and wore big cotton granny pants, just because on her definitive 'the babydoll look' list that she wrote to Kim Gordon, it said you should. This lasted for several years. I'm still a fan.

2) Kurt Cobain

I bought all the Nirvana albums, a rip off Cobain t-shirt (I have two now, one is a bed shirt), the Nirvana boxset, live albums, an unofficial book, Cobain's biography, A Nirvana book, a Kerrang special full of Nirvana posters - bedroom walls plastered, every music magazine with Kurt on the front. Did you know I even dyed my hair with food colouring, just because Bain did? It's true. 

 

3) Siouxsie Sioux

Following the footsteps of a rag doll dance, we are entranced, spellbound. I made a card featuring her face for my Dad's 50th birthday. He likes her too. Contrary to popular belief, I didn't dye my hair Black because of her. But I was inspired by her band and her music videos and style. She's super cool and I especially love when she was with the sex pistols in that interview before she was famous. You dirty sod.

6) Lynda in 'Wish You Were Here'

Image: getfilm.co.uk

The only fictional character to make my list. Just wow. Kapow. She rides a bike and wears a tea dress. She has a stinking attitude and says 'up your bum' a lot. She reminds me of my sister actually.

 6) Milla Jovovich

She's beautiful. The Fifth Element sealed the deal for me.

7) Chloe Sevigny

Image: Marleymumbles.blogspot.co.uk

Mega babe. I love the way she puts clothes together; she has designed for Opening Ceremony which was a great match. She composses outfits in a way that reveals just the right amount of skin - bare legs = cover up top, and vice versa. Her outfit compilations are always toughened up with sassy details. She was the model of choice for Miu Miu's Autumn 2012 campaign (swoon), and she went out with Vincent Gallo (Brown Bunny). I love her. She's rebellious in all the right places.

8) Alexa Chung

An obvious choice, maybe. But she's still on my list, and she deserves her iconic status. Her witty and intelligent personality is reflected in her choice of clothes. No stylist doing all the work. She has a tomboyish figure and she plays with gender, age and shape through her choice of outfit. Little girl dresses and mary janes, tuxedos, men's t-shirts and mini skirts. I quite liked it when she was going out with Alex Turner because they looked like brother and sister.

9) Edie Sedgwick

Image: wornjournal.com

Died in tragic circumstances - consolidating her iconic status. Friends with Andy Warhol. Mega babe. Factory Girl is a great film too, and Sienna Miller makes a good Edie. Her influential short hair/Black eyes/big earring combo is a classic, not to mention her tights as outerwear style. I got particulary obsessed with her when I first moved to Nottingham for University. I wore black tights as trousers around the house several times in those first months. I don't know what my housemates thought. Probably that I was a genius.

10) Twiggy

You could say 'UK's version of Edie', but you'd be wrong. Twiggy had a style all of her own...super skinny, mini dresses, massive eyes. Her voice surprisingly rough around the edges. I was skinny skinny when I was growing up, and I used to get bullied at School. Twiggy made me feel better. I painted a picture of her on my lampshade.

I like it when people make fashion mistakes.