There are some people who have truly inspired fashion, beauty, and pop culture as a whole. When the word "icon" is spoken, people like Audrey Hepburn, Jennifer Lopez, Farrah Fawcet, or even Rihanna may come to mind. But for me (and many other people), Aaliyah is an icon who should never be forgotten.
Aaliyah was only 22 at the time of her passing, but she had been on the scene since the age of 15. She began her career as a shy, beautiful tomboy wearing sunglasses, bandannas, hats, sneakers, Timberland boots, and baggy clothes.
As Aaliyah got older her style (both fashion and musical) matured with her. The sunglasses came off and the clothing became more "womanly", yet she still had her "tomboy" edge to her. As a Tommy Hilfiger model, Aaliyah beared her belly, wearing tiny tube tops and bandeaus, but also wore her pants baggy and low, showing the rim of her Tommy boxers.
In the last years before her incredibly untimely death, Aaliyah's style truly came into its own. She embrased the woman that she was becoming showed it by wearing dresses, heels, and form-fitting clothes.
No matter what, Aaliyah was always tasteful, and alway classic. Truly a natural beauty, Aaliyah never wore tons of makeup caked on her face, or clothing that was inappropriate. She was always conscious that she had young women who looked up to her, and presented herself in a way that was fashionably respectable. As a person, Aaliyah was very down to earth and her entire style reflected that. I feel that although Aaliyah has her fans that will be forever loyal to her (myself included) and will always remember the influence that she had no only in the music world, but also in style, there are still people who seem to forget the impact that Aaliyah Dana Haughton actually had. She was classic. Aaliyah was on the edge when it came to fashion. She was, in her own words, "sassy yet classy. Never trashy." Truth.
As we approach the 9th year since Aaliyah's tragic death on August 25th, I felt that her spirit should stay relevant. If she were alive today, I can only imagine how music and fashion would be. They say the good die young, but to me, Aaliyah was great. That being said, I believe that Aaliyah was, is, and always will be a true ICON. 
Word to the heard! I often think about those things myself, how different the scene would be if she were still here. There would be changes for the better, that's for sure. I became aware of her through my young aunty, also born in '79, who'd always play her albums on end. It wasn't until I was much older that I developed a true appreciation for her. She was an extraordinary role-model and someone I always looked up to, she was that grounding point when the industry divas became too overwhelming and sexed up. Aaliyah was talented, humble, unique, true to herself, and just a beautiful human being. It disappoints me when I see people dragging up trashy allegations from the past. True or not, she will always reign supreme in the hearts of her real fans. The amount of good she brought with every smile, every achievement, will forever shine through that mess. I miss her, genuinely. In the present day, I cannot identify with any of the current "icons"; they don't have that classy appeal, nor do they present me with anything I want to aspire to on a more personal level; successful, yes, but they don't hold a candle to the PERSON Aaliyah was. Ha, sorry to chatter on, reading this blog has pulled out the fangirl in me. Thank you for writing this. Love and respect - E.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry that I'm just now seeing this comment, but you're so very right...most "icons" today cant even hold a candle to the person Aaliyah was. I'm glad that you enjoyed this blog!! Hope you'll keep reading! I will be posting more Icons soon!
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