Holy Cows of Fashion Part 1

Imogen firmly believes that there are people who remain the Holy Cows of fashion whatever they do. The strength of their creativity and sheer force of personality means that they rise above the mainstream and the rules by which the mortals have to abide, no longer apply.

First Holy Cow to be featured is Björk.

Frankly, I never understood people slating Björk for her swan dress at the Oscars, or for any outfit she ever choses to wear for that matter.


Björk is a genius, a truly original artist who has an enormous creative integrity. This paired with her impeccable image creation, her immersion in style and essence of each album means that effectively, she is immune to fashions and in some ways, and despite being ridiculed by mainstream, she becomes a trendsetter of sorts. And this is why the Marian Pejoski dress looks great on Bjork. It would look ridiculous on say Sharon Stone, and let's not forget the Lara Flynn I-am-so-thin Boyle tutu disaster, but Bjork simply carries it off.

Remember the supercute impish elf on the Debut cover?




The grungey feel of that torn jumper and tousled hair was so 90s, in that slightly eco inspired grandma jumper sort of way. It set the tone of the earthy colours and worn asethetics of the youth wear of that time.










Then came Post and the explosion of rave colour, the pixie horn hairdos copied by Ibiza ravers and the techno trendies.









Then came Homogenic, where she turned into a Geisha in Alexander McQueen, at the time when Galliano caused a stir with his first Chinoserie collection for Dior and explosion of cheongsam dresses followed (trend now dead and buried and mostly present in Jane Norman shop window) and at Essex weddings.







Then came Vespertine, a beauty of an album, the most delicate and lyrical perhaps of her work, where she wears the swan dress, with white artwork delicately crocheted onto the cover photo.








Medulla was a rebellion again, an instrument free album brought a dark mermaid out in her. A time of darker moods on the catwalk too with statement jewellery as seen at Marni, and whatsmore, tapping into the current trend of elaborate collar necklaces, almost Edwardian in their opulence as seen at Burberry and Lanvin 2008/9







Her latest album, Volta, is based around ideas of nationality and independce. Björk wore an amazing array of ethnically inspired costums during her tour, walking right into the Balenciaga inspired hippy trend, with my beloved Manish Arora finally getting wind in his wings, and Jean Paul Gaultier creating a deluxe versions of tribal dresses.





Eccentric? Trendsetter? Or pure genius who does not have to obey the rules. You decide.