There's an image of Olivia Newton-John that will forever be etched in pop culture history. She's wrapped in black spandex, her bombshell perm skimming her bare shoulders, a belt cinching her tiny waist. It's the final scene of Grease when Sandy reveals her now-iconic transformation.
But while Newton-John will be remembered for her on-screen looks, she was a style-setter behind the camera, too. An icon for more than five decades, her fashion captured and reflected the zeitgeist and moved seamlessly with the times, from bell-bottoms to ball gowns and even her own Australiana-inspired clothing range. There was an ease to the way she dressed - whether sultry, sophisticated or sweet - and it's this grace that will be remembered long after the star's passing in August. Vale, Olivia.
BODY OF WORK
In 1980, Newton-John stepped out in a fringed fuchsia catsuit for the taping of a variety of special Hollywood Nights. It was two years since she had sizzled in black spandex in Grease, and she wore this sexy one-piece with the same effortless poise.
ORIGINAL TRENDSETTER
Newton-John dabbled in denim long before today's street-style set. Here, on the set of her first music video, for the 1975 pop single "Follow Me", she posed in a denim bucket hat decades before gen Z made it a must-have.
SHOWGIRL
This story is from the October 2022 edition of Marie Claire Australia.
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This story is from the October 2022 edition of Marie Claire Australia.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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