In the early 1970s, David Bowie, a British musician, changed rock and roll. He did this by creating a character named Ziggy Stardust. Ziggy was a rock star from outer space.
Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust was a groundbreaking mix of music, fashion, and theater. The character had bright red hair. He wore elaborate, colorful outfits. Ziggy’s look was unlike anything seen before in mainstream rock music.
The music matched the visual spectacle. Bowie’s album, ‘The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars’, told Ziggy’s story. The songs were catchy and powerful. They explored themes of fame, identity, and the future.
A key part of Ziggy’s look came from Japanese designer Kansai Yamamoto. Yamamoto was born in 1944. He held his first major fashion show in London in 1971. He was only 27 years old.
Bowie’s management team learned about Yamamoto’s work. Bowie bought a “woodlands animal costume” from Yamamoto’s London store. He wore this costume at a concert in August 1972. This outfit was so striking it had to be remade.
Later, Bowie saw a video of a fashion show Yamamoto had done in Japan. The costumes blended science fiction with traditional Kabuki theater. Kabuki is a classic Japanese dance-drama. Bowie was impressed.
Bowie and Yamamoto met in New York. Yamamoto gave Bowie two more costumes. This happened during Bowie’s second tour of the United States.
Bowie then asked Yamamoto to create even more costumes. He requested nine outfits. These were inspired by Japanese Noh drama. Noh is another form of classical Japanese theater.
Bowie picked up these new costumes in Tokyo in April 1973. These became the iconic, flamboyant outfits associated with Ziggy Stardust. They were androgynous, meaning they blended male and female styles. Bowie wore them during his third UK tour.
