Born on August 16: Madonna, the queen of pop, also takes care of her wardrobe

She was born in Bay City, Michigan in 1958 and is celebrating her 67th birthday today.

At controversial, such as "Like A Virgin," "Holiday," "Into The Groove," "Material Girl," "Papa Don't Preach," "La Isla Bonita," "Who's That Girl," "Like A Prayer," and "Justify My Love", her songs are still fresh in everyone's memory. I therefore propose to unveil some lesser-known aspects of the "Madonna of the chart-topping saints."

We'll start by tackling a myth by focusing on "Born To Be Alive," the global disco megahit (and the only one, for that matter) by Frenchman Patrick Hernandez. Released on November 17, 1978, the song even reached number one on the Billboard charts, the American dance chart. Contrary to what urban legend has been repeating for decades, Madonna never danced or sang alongside the French lover with the short mustache. They met back in 1980 in New York, during auditions to flesh out her show. "This young girl, who has a lot of talent and personality, wanted to do theater, film, or dance, but not sing," Hernandez recalled on the show "Melody of My Life." Alongside her musical career, she also possesses a filmography of some twenty feature films whose freshness often hits the mark but doesn't necessarily appeal to film critics. Susan Seidelman's "Desperately Seeking Susan" (1985) remains a memorable moment.

At first, with her frills, hair ribbons, and a definite penchant for pink, Madonna looked more like Cindy Lauper's little sister than a fashion icon. But when she sets her sights on a goal, Ciccione is never stingy with her time or energy. She has a knack for knocking on the right door and finding collaborators who make a difference. In fashion as well as in music, after all. Madonna sought mentors before finding her way. In 1990, for her "Blond Ambition Tour," French fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, a great music lover, designed a stunning howitzer bustier-corset that caused a scandal. He even invited the singer to walk for him at the Musée des Arts Forains in Paris for his spring/summer 1995 collection. She was pushing a pram containing a (fake) baby! Subsequently, Madonna turned more readily to luxury brands like Louis Vuitton (notably for the Spring/Summer 2009 ad campaign), Dolce & Gabbana (for whom she even designed a sunglasses collection in 2010), and of course, her friend Donatella Versace (who, as recently as 2024, provided her with the stage outfits for "The Celebration Tour"). In 2007, Madonna also supervised M by Madonna, a few limited-edition, affordable silhouettes for the Swedish fast-fashion chain H&M.

So, Madonna? Queen of Pop? Fashion icon? Or simply both at the same time?

(MH with Stéphane Soupart - Photo : © Etienne Tordoir)

Photo: Madonna on stage at Bercy in Paris (France) on July 4, 1990 in a bustier designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier for his Blond Ambition Tour