As a young and impressionable teenager with a penchant for post-punk, 80s new wave and indie, I always felt as though I could never find a suitably awe-inspiring female role model. There was Siouxsie, of course (mmm... gurl, dem brows) but any small amount of goth in me belonged solely to Robert Smith and besides, her makeup was not the sort of look one could sport on a Saturday night at the local haunts. Brody Dalle was the favoured riot grrrl but again, her look was but one facial scab away from Faces of Meth - so what was a girl to do? Who was I to take my alternative style cues from? For a time I struggled to create my own style by adapting more feminine looks from the likes of The Strokes and Franz Ferdinand, but that could only present itself with limited success.
And then it happened...
One Christmas I unwrapped a copy of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs first album proper, Fever to Tell. I had never heard of them but I distinctly recall staring at the brightly patterned album artwork and the dark blunt bob so many would copy. The images were exciting. I had asked my brother for Hot Hot Heat's Make Up the Breakdown, but instead without knowing it, he had given me what I really needed - my first girl crush.
The hair, the makeup, the ripped layered stockings and flaming red lips were all manna from heaven to me. I spent more than a good deal of my time as a 15 year old altering my clothes and carefully ripping colourful fishnet stockings. My makeup skills were still relatively underdeveloped (some may argue they still are) but I could manage a red lip and a smear of black kohl around the eyes.
Unfortunately, my looks could never match the scale of Karen O's stage looks because sadly I lacked my own costume designer. Christian Joy has created all of Karen O's stage costumes since the inception of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in New York in early 2000. Now, I'm not one to call items of clothing "pieces" no matter how exquisitely divine, but together, Christian Joy and Karen O have created sartorial revelations - jewels in cloth form.
Karen O was Gaga before Lady Gaga - and without the pretension of pop masquerading as "performance art." One of my favourite looks was from the Heads Will Roll film clip (see below). Granted, not one for everyday, but just look at it...
Over time, Karen O look has naturally refined - a subtle transition from coarsely ripped clothing and studding to thoughtfully layered textures and embroidery. However, although celebrity has allowed for a bigger budget and a sleeker aesthetic, the spirit of her style has not changed - there is still an irreverence that informs her look.
Her recent Oscars performance introduced her style (and talent) to a wider audience and showed us a hitherto unseen glamour. Her dress - designed, as always, by Christian Joy - landed her on many a best dressed list with more than a few fashion junkie wondering "Karen who?"
This is only one of the many reasons I will always aspire to the effortless cool Karen O exudes - she doesn't care about the front rows or the fashion critics - her style is her own.
Oh, Karen, I love you...
ASHA.
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