Back to News
From 50p gold hot pants to Paul Smith suits: how Kylie Minogue became one of pop’s ultimate chameleons
EntertainmentMusicMusic News•September 23, 2026 at 7:00 AMNational

From 50p gold hot pants to Paul Smith suits: how Kylie Minogue became one of pop’s ultimate chameleons

By Michael Cragg•The Guardian Music

The star’s rise from Ramsay Street to global superstar is the subject of a new book. It’s a journey that has cleverly harnessed the power of fashion to transform, subvert – and shockOn 20 December 1989, Kylie Minogue first harnessed the power of fashion. Attending the Australian premiere of her film The Delinquents, she wore a custom sequined noughts-and-crosses minidress by Australian designers Morrissey Edmiston and a cropped blond wig. She also arrived with a new accessory: a rock star boyfriend in the shape of Michael Hutchence from INXS.Before then, there’d been her Neighbours character Charlene’s peak-80s silk taffeta and lace wedding dress, and Kylie the pop star on the cover of her first album, in 1988, wearing a topless hat showing off cascading curls. But that had been fashion forced on her, at a time when she had no say in her image. Continue reading...

The star’s rise from Ramsay Street to global superstar is the subject of a new book. It’s a journey that has cleverly harnessed the power of fashion to transform, subvert – and shock

On 20 December 1989, Kylie Minogue first harnessed the power of fashion. Attending the Australian premiere of her film The Delinquents, she wore a custom sequined noughts-and-crosses minidress by Australian designers Morrissey Edmiston and a cropped blond wig. She also arrived with a new accessory: a rock star boyfriend in the shape of Michael Hutchence from INXS.

Before then, there’d been her Neighbours character Charlene’s peak-80s silk taffeta and lace wedding dress, and Kylie the pop star on the cover of her first album, in 1988, wearing a topless hat showing off cascading curls. But that had been fashion forced on her, at a time when she had no say in her image.

Continue reading...

Related News

UK ministers look at quick ways to limit NDAs after Walliams allegations
UK NewsPoliticsEntertainment

UK ministers look at quick ways to limit NDAs after Walliams allegations

Government considers further curbs on non-disclosure agreements after Guardian investigation of TV personalityMinisters...

The Guardian - UK News3 hours ago
Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor leaves band due to tinnitus
UK NewsEntertainmentMusicMusic News

Duran Duran drummer Roger Taylor leaves band due to tinnitus

‘I must now listen to my body and my doctors’, says Taylor, who was one of the earliest members of the new wave hit-make...

The Guardian Music4 hours ago
Here’s what U2’s ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ stadium tour stage production will look like
Music News

Here’s what U2’s ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ stadium tour stage production will look like

“It’s a little play on shamanism and showbusiness” The post Here’s what U2’s ‘The Greatest Show On Earth’ stadium tour...

NME Music News5 hours ago
Roger Taylor steps down from Duran Duran and retires: “This is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make”
Music News

Roger Taylor steps down from Duran Duran and retires: “This is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make”

"I’ve reached the point where I must now listen to my body and my doctors" The post Roger Taylor steps down from Duran...

NME Music News5 hours ago
Gang Of Youths announce new album ‘Compañero’ with captivating single ‘Benny’s Video’
Music News

Gang Of Youths announce new album ‘Compañero’ with captivating single ‘Benny’s Video’

The singer explained that the record stemmed from the "realisation that I didn't need to channel all this brutality any...

NME Music News6 hours ago
How much art does your council own and is it locked away or on display?
UK NewsEntertainmentMusic News

How much art does your council own and is it locked away or on display?

More than 500,000 pieces of art are owned by 225 councils, the BBC finds, but most of it is storage.

BBC Entertainment & Arts7 hours ago