A poet, an artist, a style icon. “Personally, I think that sexy is keeping yourself mysterious,” she told Rolling Stone in 2002. “I’m really an old-fashioned girl, and I think I’m totally sexy.”
Stevie Nicks may not be your go-to source of inspiration when it comes to fashion, but the Fleetwood Mac singer/songwriter has been rocking her signature style of Bohemian cool for over 40 years, dressing in billowing sleeves, Victorian lace and dark and draping stage costumes with help from long-term stylist Margi Kent. When she went solo in the early 80s, Nicks further establish her voice and a gypsy style that featured top hats, fringed cloaks, bell-sleeved dresses, and platform boots as well as her signature shag haircut.
Starting out in a band called Fritz Rabyne Memorial Band which was comprised of Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham and his bandmates, Fritz became popular as a live act from 1968 until 1972, opening for musicians Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin – both artists Nicks credits as inspiring her own stage fervour and performances – in San Francisco. After Fritz split, Nicks and Buckingham carried on as a duo, signing with Polydor Records. Using tracks from their demo tapes, they released an album aptly named Buckingham Nicks in 1973.
Nicks and Buckingham made up the new Fleetwood Mac on January 1, 1975 after Keith Olsen played their track Frozen Love for drummer Mick Fleetwood, who had come to Sound City looking for a studio to record Fleetwood Mac’s next album. The band took a toll on the pair and their relationship, ultimately leading to a breakup. Stevie wrote Dreams and Lindsey retaliated with Go Your Own Way – “packin’ up, shackin’ up is all you wanna do”…ouch. A whole lot of drugs, sex and rock and roll ruled the band’s foreseeable future. Nicks nearly died as a result. Members came and went a handful of times, leaving the final line-up as Stevie, Lindsey, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie.
According to the Huffington Post, Lindsay Lohan hopes to buy the rights to her life story and to play her on film. Unmoved, Ms. Nicks responded: “Over my dead body. She needs to stop doing drugs and get a grip. Then maybe we’ll talk.” First Elizabeth Taylor, now Stevie. Enough, Lindsay.
The Fairy Godmother of Rock continues to inspire many, including designers. Anna Sui, who dedicated an entire collection to Nicks in the late 90s, designs pieces with Stevie-inspired handkerchief hems regularly. Gucci’s Frida Giannini created a Stevie-esque wardrobe for one of Florence Welch’s tours, using pieces from the AW/11 collection and Stevie’s distinctive look – a compilation of Witch, Gypsy and Pre-Raphaelite with a sprinkling of Goth. It is referenced constantly in magazine editorials and by every hipster teen with a Tumblr account or Instagram. SIBLING recently based their model’s hair on Stevie’s famous locks for their A/W 14 collection. She is everywhere without you even knowing.
(Image: fleetwoodmacnews.com)
The perfect playlist: Fleetwood Mac/Stevie Nicks songs here
Fashion and Further 