Street Style Before Street Style: Grace Jones
"I wasn't born this way, one creates oneself."
Grace Jones was both an iconic and intimidating presence in the New York underground scene in the 70s and 80s. She regularly performed her disco hits such as 'Pull Up to the Bumper' and 'I Need a Man' at legendary nightclub Studio 54 and inspired the likes of Andy Warhol (not to mention a whole generation) with her overtly sexual yet highly androgynous style.
Her extreme persona offered a fearsome version of femininity never before seen in the mainstream, with her angular beauty, razor sharp cheekbones, sculpted muscles, futuristic shoulder pads and flat top hair style. Her aggressive, dominatrix style performances further added to this image and Grace became known as the Queen of the Gay Disco. Other iconic moments included being body painted as a Masai Warrior by contemporary artist Keith Haring for a live performance in 1985, collaborating with then-partner Jean-Paul Goude on album artwork and music videos, and playing James Bond's nemesis with superhuman powers in A View to A Kill. Grace exemplified 80s power dressing in its purest form.
On being Grace, she once said "I wasn't born this way, one creates oneself."
Also see:
Street Style Before Street Style: Francoise Hardy
Street Style Before Street Style: Bianca Jagger
Street Style Before Street Style: Jane Birkin
Street Style Before Street Style: Stevie Nicks
Sophie Bosch
