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CNN
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Madonna was in all places at this 12 months’s MTV Video Music Awards in New York — and he or she wasn’t even there.
On Wednesday night’s red carpet, Addison Rae and Anitta each wore bridalwear seems evoking the star’s efficiency of “Like a Virgin” on the very first VMAs, nearly 40 years in the past to the day. But it surely was Artist of the Yr nominee Sabrina Carpenter who went the additional mile by monitoring down a classic robe from the Queen of Pop’s model archive.
That includes a deep-V neckline and embellished with sequins, pearls and crystals, the white satin robe was designed — and later personalized for Madonna — by celebrated clothier Bob Mackie. She famously wore it to the 1991 Oscars, which she attended alongside Michael Jackson earlier than performing “Sooner or Later,” a tune from the film “Dick Tracy.”
And if the strapless look oozed previous Hollywood glamour, which may be as a result of Madonna had herself worn it as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe.
The costume was a reworked model of a costume that Madonna had earlier appeared in for a Vainness Honest cowl shoot with photographer Steven Meisel. Acknowledging Carpenter’s homage, 84-year-old Mackie recounted the story through his official Instagram account on Wednesday night time.
“Maria Schiavo, a widely known trend stylist, borrowed my pattern of this costume for a Madonna cowl shoot for Vainness Honest,” Mackie recalled. “Lower than every week later, Madonna herself known as and requested her personal model of the costume for the 1991 Academy Awards.”
He additionally famous that the Queen of Pop later donned the figure-hugging costume within the pages of her controversial and wildly standard 1992 coffee table book, “Sex.” The robe was subsequently worn by Fran Drescher throughout a 1994 episode of “The Nanny.”
Mackie designed pink carpet seems for among the twentieth century’s largest stars, together with Monroe, Diana Ross and Cher, for whom he produced the iconic towering headdress worn to the 1986 Oscars. Robes from his archive have made a comeback lately, with Anya Taylor-Pleasure, Katy Perry, Zendaya and Miley Cyrus all seen sporting items from his archive on the pink carpets. Kim Kardashian additionally controversially wore a costume Mackie sketched for Marilyn Monroe to the Met Gala in 2022 (a wardrobe selection Mackie called a “big mistake,” telling Leisure Weekly on the time: “It was designed for (Monroe). No person else must be seen in that costume.”)
Carpenter’s stylist, Jared Ellner, mentioned on Instagram that he acquired the Madonna robe by means of LA classic clothes studio, Tab Classic. He accomplished her look with a diamond necklace and different jewellery from De Beers.
Tab Classic’s founder Alexis Novak told Vogue that Ellner and Carpenter had approached her with a “actually unbelievable moodboard.” She added: “We despatched them a deck of items we had in that vein and we’re so proud of what she selected!”
It was a giant night time for Carpenter, who was nominated for seven awards in a breakthrough 12 months that noticed her high the US Billboard 200 album chart for the primary time.
After her showstopping pink carpet arrival, she went on to carry out a medley of her hits “Espresso” (which later gained the VMA for Tune of the Yr), “Please Please Please” and “Style.”
By that time, she had undergone a dressing up change, buying and selling her classic Mackie robe for a corseted bodysuit designed by Victoria’s Secret. However her on-stage outfit, which took over 180 hours to make and featured 18,500 hand-applied crystal beads, was very a lot in step with its shimmering predecessor.
And Carpenter wasn’t accomplished with the Madonna references. Until, after all, the kiss she shared with a dancer in an alien costume solely coincidentally resembled the star’s embrace with Britney Spears at 2003’s VMAs (although her efficiency’s earlier reference to “Oops!… I Did It Once more” instructed that Carpenter might have been taking part in Spears’ position at that time).