The 21 Most Fabulous People Of All Time
People think that someone fabulous, that person who dares to step outside the box or who expresses themselves in nontraditional ways, is narcissistic, self-involved, and maybe not even all that smart. Well, that’s stupid. Fabulous people are almost always creative geniuses, the first of their kind to do XYZ, the first of their generation to accomplish such and such feat. And they don’t do it by being complacent. I’ve always thought that there are two kinds of people in the world: people who conform and are totes fine with that and people who get bored by the limits of conformity. It’s not that conformists can’t be fabulous, but more that the most fabulous people are those who march to the beat of their own drum, to hell with whatever you’re doing.
There have been a lot of fabulous people in the last 100 years. Here’s just 21 of them.
1. Olivia Pope
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNxZEE247qk&w=584&h=390]
You can’t fool with Olivia Pope. This video is good because Kerry Washington explains why fashion is so important for her character. Also, that white coat is #EVERYTHING.
2. ALL Of These People
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BJIogcc7YM&w=584&h=390]
Dorian Corey, Pepper Labeija and Willi Ninja, the cast of the legendary Paris Is Burning. LEARN THE TASTE.
3. Katt Williams
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_Vd–Rcae0&w=584&h=390]
Katt Williams is a straight up pimp. Is he really working a leopard coat with matching pants right now? He’s funny because when you’re already laughing he just keep stabbing you and stabbing you with jokes.
4. Dorothy Dandridge
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFhEHF6Lfkg&w=584&h=390]
Dorothy Dandridge was the first black woman to be nominated for an Oscar in the Best Actress category in 1954. In 2002, Halle Berry — who bears an uncanny resemblance to Ms. Dandridge — was the first black woman to win that same award. And people wonder why we are still talking about race, SMDH.
5. Tina Turner
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsKW6E6rars&w=584&h=390]
Back in the day singers were TALENTED. When she hit the stage, Miss Tina Turner went ALL the way in and gave you what you NEEDED. Those purple tassels on that dress are getting so much life right now.
6. Prince
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8U-6uTMTPQ&w=584&h=390]
Prince is definitely my style icon, even though today he hates gay people but ugh w/e. His pumps and sequined assless chaps are FIERCE.
7. Edie Sedgwick
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xe1qWteeEhk&w=584&h=390]
One of Andy Warhol’s “superstars.” She acted in a few movies, but her real claim to fame, though, was that she wore big ass earrings, a t-shirt, stilettos and no pants. In the 1960s.
8. Richard Branson
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J54UtCxzsK4&w=584&h=390]
Billionaire renegade who has a private island, gave us Virgin Records, Virgin Airlines, Virgin Megastore (RIP) and soon the first commercial flight to outer space! This dude is so awesome.
9. Simon Doonan
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UsuUOiUKgzc&w=584&h=390]
Mr. Doonan is a prolific tastemaker for Barneys and author of fabulously satirical books about style and contemporary culture, including the recent Gay Men Don’t Get Fat which has a whole section on GAY PEOPLE FOOD vs. STRAIGHT PEOPLE FOOD ahahaha!!
10. Patricia Field
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOPmBIhTRAA&w=584&h=390]
Creator of Carrie Bradshaw’s iconic looks and a fixture on the downtown New York fashion scene, Patricia Field is legendary. Get into it.
11. Isabella Blow
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj-rHFA41H0&w=584&h=390]
She kind of discovered Alexander McQueen, so…
12. Sylvester
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oG2ixYJ79iE&w=584&h=390]
Creator of classic disco jams, also known for his effervescent sense of style.
13. Freddie Mercury
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozd9nPo_VAk&w=584&h=390]
I think it’s kind of amazing that everyone’s favorite arena rock band was fronted by a flamboyant queer of color who wore a variety of peen-hugging onesies!
14. Shingai Shoniwa
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DB5e7fh7HLc&w=584&h=390]
Shingai Shoniwa is so freaking fabulous. She’s one half of Noisettes, a British indie rock band. What I love about her though is not only her sparklingly perfect voice — it is literally perfect — but her outrageous sense of fashion. She was out-dressing Gaga before Gaga even hatched. Part of me wishes she was more famous, but then the other part of me thinks she would get ruined if she were.
15. Grace Jones
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY_hoj0dR4k&w=584&h=390]
I love the severity of Grace Jones’ early looks, not to mention the way she plays with the masculine and the feminine. In fact, I think that’s what makes something fabulous: if it doesn’t stick to one type of identity, if it’s always moving around, ungraspable, pulling from here and there to create a this.
16. Daphne Guinness
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKMQGon36NQ&w=584&h=390]
Daphne Guinness, who literally owns fabulousness, is the most important style icons living today.
17. Divine
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFiqO0Qpa_g&w=584&h=390]
There’s something ugly beautiful about Divine. But, that’s the point!
18. Eartha Kitt
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BvL-i–8Ws&w=584&h=390]
The only two (ok three) women in my life are Eartha Kitt, Beyoncé and Tina Turner. So. Much. Life.
19. Jonté
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CEGb-bxU8U&w=584&h=390]
CAN YOU TAKE IT?
20. Diana Ross
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUlTVybQbDo&w=584&h=390]
JUST SAY “YAAASSS” TO THIS DRESS.
21. Beyoncé
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhQGnVBqL2E&w=584&h=390]
In this baby-announcing performance Beyoncé changed key signatures four times. FOUR! Oh, and in case you didn’t catch it, more than 85% of the people on this list are of color or queer or both. Total coincidence, I swear. But still, what does that tell you about where fabulousness comes from 😡 ?