​I'm loving the '80s Madonna thing this fall, but is it too loud and literal? Should I tone it down? —Pam Z., Los Angeles
Like many kids in the early '80s, I ran screaming to New York City from a small Midwestern town after I graduated from college. I was lured by Manhattan's club scene—the anything-goes fashion codes at Area, Mudd Club, Studio 54, the World, Palladium, and the Saint appealed to my milk-fed rebellious streak. Think vintage, cribbed oversize men's blazers and motorcycle jackets; shredded T-shirts held together by safety pins; shit-kicker motorcycle boots, if not Velcro-strapped Reeboks; and the de rigueur ripped fishnets underneath layers of slashed mesh, Lycra, and, at times, an explosion of tulle. Top that off with a faceful of sharply shaded makeup, spiky hair, piles of cheap gold jewelry, and a crazy hat—you get the gist. The look was specific to New York, and if you need a refresher course, check out Diane Lane in Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains, Bernadette Peters in the movie adaptation of Tama Janowitz's Slaves of New York, and above, from left, '80s-inspired fall 2015 runway looks from Rodarte, Miu Miu, Alexander Wang, Dior, and Saint Laurent. And, most definitively, Madonna in Desperately Seeking Susan.
Madonna held court at Limelight. She was mouthy, brash, afraid of nothing and no one. She was always sporting some new, clever idea, like the Maripol rubber bracelets she so famously wore. She was the original game changer—for women, fashion, and music—with her self-titled debut album in 1983 and Like a Virgin the following year. With her mix of coquette-cum-tiger-cat lyrical provocations and parade of powerhouse videos, she exported the underground dance-hall look worldwide and kick-started a relationship between fashion and female musicians that has grown exponentially ever since. Courtney Love, Lady Gaga, and Rihanna all owe a debt to the Material Girl, whose latest single is aptly titled "Bitch I'm Madonna." (By tossing her hat in the girl gang arena with her video for the aforementioned "Bitch"— featuring Nicki Minaj, Beyoncé, Katy Perry, Rita Ora, and Miley Cyrus—Madge is not above competing with Taylor Swift's "Bad Blood" video, but at least she's moved on from writhing, naked men.) Designers this season are revisiting some hardcore Madonna territory with their slashed hemlines (Rodarte), animal-print coats (Miu Miu), extreme workaday plaids (Alexander Wang), and abstract art-inspired camouflage catsuits (Dior). This isn't Hedi Slimane's first time at the '80s rodeo, but this season he's staking his claim on the catwalk with tulle skirts, ripped hose, and lace bodysuits at Saint Laurent. The trick to wearing this look is to embrace its literalness by emulating the Material Girl herself: Either go big or go home.