

When Mercury told her how much he loved the top, Rhodes made a version of it for the singer. It was the top part of a wedding dress idea Rhodes had designed, the outfit being inspired by drawings of lilies Rhodes had done during a trip to Japan.

In an interview with Vogue years later, Rhodes remembered that Mercury had gone straight for a cape shirt in heavy ivory silk that had an embroidered bodice and giant pleated butterfly sleeves. At the time, Rhodes hadn't really designed much menswear, although she had made an outfit for Marc Bolan. When Mercury and Brian May arrived at Rhodes's studio, she invited them to try on any of the clothing they liked, and to jump around in the clothes so they could get an idea of whether the outfits would be comfortable to wear onstage. In 1974, designer Zandra Rhodes had not heard of Queen when the band phoned to ask if they could come around to her London studio. She had to ask her employees to play some of their music for her. Here are some of the secrets behind Freddie Mercury's iconic outfits. Nearly 30 years after his passing, Mercury is still remembered not only for Queen's music, his impressive vocal range, and his huge stage presence, but also for his clothes. It's just one of those awesome Freddie Mercury facts: Many of the performer's stage looks, such as his bright yellow military jacket, are considered an indelible part of his legacy. Whether in a stage costume or an everyday outfit, Mercury consistently surprised people with his look. The bottom line is that Mercury never tried to put on some fake kind of image he was always being himself.įreddie Mercury's fashion style constantly changed over the years - from glittery jumpsuits and ballet shoes, to jeans and sneakers, to short skirts and high-heeled boots. The shop features limited edition music releases, new product drops and exciting fashion collaborations, with each month of its three month stint having a different theme- Music, Art & Design and Magic.Freddie Mercury (real name Farrokh Bulsara) once said that when the audience went to a Queen show, "It is not a concert you are seeing, it is a fashion show." He was well aware that some of the outfits were over the top, but he hoped that the humor was not lost on the audience. Created in partnership with Bravado, Universal Music Group’s merchandise and brand management company, this pop-up store is designed to take you on a visual journey through one of the world’s most iconic bands' contributions to music, culture, and fashion. Open until January 2022, ‘Queen- The Greatest’ was launched to celebrate the band’s historic five decades of music. The ‘It’s a Hard Life Costume’ is on exhibit until the end of December at the Queen - The Greatest store, 57 Carnaby Street, W1.

Displayed exhibition style, this replica was commissioned by the Freddie Mercury Estate and meticulously recreated by Graham Tuckett. Renowned for his dynamic dressing and sartorial risk-taking, the costume was met with amusement and quickly dubbed the ‘prawn suit’. Noted for her work on productions such as Hamlet and David Bowie's Ashes to Ashes, Natasha designed the form-fitting, feathered red number specifically for Freddie.
#Freddie mercury costume series#
As part of the store's dedicated Art & Design month which has seen the arrival of a series of handwritten lyric prints, the costume proudly sits at the front of the store.Ĭreated for Queen’s 1984 video ‘It’s A Hard Life’ by talented costume designer Natasha Korniloff, this iconic costume was revisited once again in Freddie’s ‘The Great Pretender’ solo video. Music lovers and shoppers are invited to catch a glimpse of this quintessentially Mercury costume first hand. Queen superfans are set to rejoice as a replica of Freddie Mercury’s infamous prawn suit is now on display in the Queen - The Greatest store on London’s Carnaby Street. FREDDIE MERCURY’S ICONIC ‘IT’S A HARD LIFE’ COSTUME IS ON DISPLAY IN QUEEN- THE GREATEST CARNABY STREET POP-UP STORE
