Musicians and admirers together share on the deep influence of Bowie through intimate anecdotes and cherished memorabilia.
The Drum'n'Bass Pioneer
Bowie was among the exceptionally influential individuals I had the chance to encountered. He showed up at my niche event in London, where it allowed him to be unnoticed. While recording, he would sing amid a thick veil of smoke rings resembling a gorilla in the mist. On other occasions went to listen to drum'n'bass side by side. His philosophy reflected an innovator – he sought to saturate himself in everything as he believed inspiration could come from anywhere. One memorable quote he told me was Michelangelo: By dusting off the dust on a block of marble, the form lies embedded.” That idea lingered with me through the years.
I imagine the archive contains a few his interviews, especially those where he discussed DJ culture, digital technology, and the coming saturation of music accessibility. Few people at the time understood the transformation like he did. He described it by saying: “Treat this thing like a soft weapon. It appears extremely soft and emotional against you, but it can cut you like a knife.”
Natalie Merchant
Spending time in archives places as one of my ultimate journeys. Previously envisioned the writer as introspective, saddened, or captivated. Then when I visited the the historical site, I encountered her favorite simple garment: something intended for housework or cooking. Despite her powerful impactful verses written on paper, this attire revealed that she was a thin-boned small-framed of a woman, more diminutive than me. I get a sense that the outfits produced by the stylist would offer me a similar insight about Bowie.
As a 14-year-old kid living in the countryside of New York State, an acquaintance passed along a copy of the iconic album. The music delivered me entirely to an alternate dimension. Featured on the sleeve, the star wore a quilted suit with a bold pattern, a slim-cut jacket partially undone to the waist and coordinating trousers. He appeared ethereal, cocky, incredibly cool, gender-fluid, provocative. Burretti’s stunning costumes throughout the Ziggy era perfected the artist's boundary-pushing glitter god persona. If I couldn’t see the full collection, I’d settle for some time alone with that seminal outfit that had such an formative role in my teenage self-discovery.
The Admirer
During my youth, I stumbled upon the album in storage. This is one of the only items I own from my father – someone I never knew but thankfully connects us through an appreciation in music. In my view, the garment is about partnership, faith and courage. A conversation in a London club alongside designer Freddie Burretti created an gender-neutral futuristic persona, the initial of the artist's memorable roles as part of a kind of time lord. His marriage of sound, style and art felt so beguiling and timeless that his passing almost felt like a further metamorphosis. I’d love to sit with the garment to grasp the magic behind it, how it started and what it would lead to.
The Artist
During the time we were neighbors opposite each other in New York on occasion ring and say: “Hey, do you wanna come over and jam on something?” Once as I was leaving the residence he shared with Iman, going down this very fancy hallway filled with art, he exclaimed: Wait a second – this is for you and handed me his signature headwear. When I rewatched him in the film The Hunger lately it occurred to me: Wow, it's that very item!” For years, it disappeared, I presumed swiped by the crack addicts I’d invite back to my apartment at the end of the night when I was still partying with alcohol.
Two house moves later on the West Coast unpacking some boxes and I discovered the lost artifact. I’m so glad to have it back, apart from that the piece I’d most like examining is a print for a show in Hamburg in 1978. It includes a drawn self-portrait and underneath are some of his records: Low, “Heroes”, ChangesOneBowie and Space Oddity. As a a moment in time, nothing compares. It would be incredible to be able to travel back to 1978 and experience him live his music and that album, personal top Bowie album.
The Musician
Initially he appeared in the costume was in a magazine piece reporting that he had returned to Britain, big news at the time. That show at Wembley was an remarkable experience. That era marked a transition from his decadent years and he was trying to sober up, which was reflected in the outfit: clean cut, white shirt and trousers, black waistcoat, {slick hairdo|styled
