In a world of manufactured pop princesses, how does a young artist achieve timeless, on-stage style? Olivia Dean’s answer is to look to the greats.
Since the official kickoff of the Grammy winner’s “The Art of Loving Live” world tour earlier this year, the singer and songwriter has dazzled her fans with a number of looks that call back to the golden days of diva dressing. Thanks to her stylist Simone Beyene, Dean has worn creations by Chanel, Bottega Veneta, Alexander McQueen, and more to perform hits like “Man I Need” and “So Easy (To Fall in Love).” Each of Dean’s looks for her string of shows, regardless of designer, have incorporated old Hollywood-esque details like fringe hems, floor-grazing silhouettes, feather boa skirts, and technicolor hues.
To mark the start of her sold-out, four-night run at New York City’s Madison Square Garden this past weekend, Dean debuted a fresh take on classic glamour with a glimmering chainmail halter gown by Ralph Lauren. Styled with little beyond a cascade of bouncy, blown out curls, she appeared to channel the style of Motown legend Diana Ross who is well-known for her love of sequins and larger-than-life hair. It was a fitting tribute for the 27-year-old to deliver as she builds a reputation for music that blends cultures and generations. Most certified divas — Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Adele and the late Whitney Houston for example — have incorporated lush gowns as part of their everyday performance attire. One could even consider it the official diva uniform. (Who can forget how Adele wore a different black dress every night during her in-demand Las Vegas residency?)
While a knockout voice is one way to capture an audience’s attention, a splash of sequins and a killer stiletto helped stick the landing. Dean’s approach is unique because she never veers into the unobtainable — her pared back stage makeup ensures she always looks fresh and more importantly, her age. There’s clear intentionality behind the music she writes and the dresses she wears. Fleeting trends — musical or otherwise — don’t fuel her art. That’s the real secret behind her cross-generational appeal.
Dean previously spoke about her approach to on stage style in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar last year. And it’s clear she’s continuing to stand firm in her personal creative direction. “Listen, bring back the gown! Bring back the heel!,” she shared at the time. “If you guys paid your good money that you’ve worked hard for, then let me give you a show.”
Having previously mentioned Ross along with Brazilian singer Gal Costa and even the fictional Carrie Bradshaw as some of her evergreen style inspirations, Dean knows that an on-stage wardrobe needs to incorporate equal parts drama and playful kitsch — as well as a non-negotiable outfit change.
Later in the evening Dean paid homage to two more musical legends. A custom variation of Clio Peppiatt’s “Eartha” dress (fittingly named after screen legend and Catwoman herself, Eartha Kitt) was designed with intense detail including, more sequins but this time carefully crafted into the leopard print bodice of her tassel-fringed cocktail dress. Its asymmetrical, leg-baring hem also seemed to reference Tina Turner. The late Queen of Rock ‘N Roll was no stranger to crystal-embellished costuming and often wore many variations of her signature mini-dress throughout her decades long career.
Traditional onstage glamour has been in desperate need of a cultural resurrection anyways. In a sea of mesh leotards, why not give us a little couture? Thank goodness Olivia Dean is here not just to sing for us or write songs that stare into your soul, but also to preserve the long-forgotten tradition of embracing one’s inner showgirl.
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