Considering how many looks, styles, wardrobes and images Prince has had, how much input do you think has he actually had when it comes to choosing his Funky Designs?

Many pop artists have had a range of images that keep the fans interested and themselves ahead of the game. (Madonna, Michael Jackson, Cher and Kylie, to name but a few). I the various looks Prince has cultivated over the years!

I know that he designed the 1999 purple trenchcoat and that he has his own team of stylists, but how much of Prince's image comes from the man himself? Or do you think he's presented with a 'look' and adopts it himself?

I just find it fascinating that one person can come up with so many different styles.

I think anyone could come up with some funky designs given a budget and a willing to do so.

VelvetSplash, I agree - but when that person has no grounding in fahion design and spends SO much time writing and recording music (let alone touring, making videos, films - back in the day - etc.,) to come up with the plethora of styles he has astounds me.

Maybe that's what I find so fascinating! He a one-man whirlwind of activity. But do you think HE came up with, say, the 'Lovesexy' look? Or was he given it?

VelvetSplash said:

I don't know about that There's a lot of people designing some ugly shit I think P is really good @ designing things that look good on him. His style is GREAT (since UTCM anyways, sans a few beaded numbers in the movie ), very creative, always a bit different.

Lovesexy, D&P, clothes from the Nude Tour, the crisscross suit from Leno... I'll shut up now, the list is too long

For a long time (including all of the LoveSexy era) his clothes were designed by Stacia Lang. She was based at Paisley Park where there was a complete wardrobe department (including moost manufacturing).

I read someplace that in an interview Stacia Lang had said Prince told her some of her designs were a little 2 wierd 4 him, and her mind boggled at that comment!

nuthinbuttamuffin said:

Thanks for this I read somewhere that he comes up w/ his own designs but I always wondered how much is really him vs. someone he hires. Curious about when he started having that kind of input as well...

I love Prince's looks.

It would be nice to see Prince dress like a fucked-up freak again, although the suits and stuff are very suave!

So who creates Prince's clothing these days? Is there still a wardrobe department in Paisley Park?

I wouldn't be surprised if it's a 2-way thing: perhaps his designers have presented ideas which Prince has then taken to the next level. Or he has a basic idea of what he wants (maybe a certain style, a certain colour, a particular hue) and lets the designer go with that.

It may sound silly but I LOVE that picture of Prince's 'mannequin' (or whatever you may call it) in 'The Hits/B-Sides' booklet. It's amazing to think that one man has inspired SO many creations that he's had his own dressmaker's dummy made

I'm not sure what year is on the dummy (1987?) but I wonder if he's still the same shape?

Damn!

I thought this song was gonna be about the song 'U Got The Look'.

-SWANGlovesthatcoda

SWANG said:

as 4 me, all the suits and stuff look nice, but when push comes 2 shove...phuc high fashion. gimme low-maintenance anyday.

I love the fur coat he wears in that video.

onenitealone said:

Better yet who had the bright idea of Prince posing naked on the Lovesexy cover? I'd prefer to see the man in clothes.

Swang!

Well, since you mentioned it, 'U Got The Look' IS one of my favourite Prince songs but hardly ever gets any props. I usually hear people saying it's their least favourite song on 'SOTT'.

Rubbish! I LOVE the guitarwork on this track! And the fade-out reminds me EXACTLY why Prince is a genius, every time I hear it. As brief as it is, only he could come up with that.

And as for the 12" version -

from what I've seen and heard over the years, Prince makes his own designs, sketchy little drawings. This is where the job of his designers starts - they start from the draft and explore it into the final product - Prince's wardrobe.

But in fact the question is irrevelant. Prince dropped the wild side of his clothing and now looks like a preacher.

oh well, whatever floats the boat
[This message was edited Thu Apr 17 6:13:16 PDT 2003 by agarze]

when I think of Prince's fashion...(during Parade and on like CALHOUNSQ said)